During this module we explored meaningful storytelling and designing branched narrative using Twine. To which I willl use this blog post to discuss the techniques that go into storytelling and my experience creating an interactive ‘chose your own story’.
Storytelling – Techniques
Storytelling is the art of combining words and imagery to evoke emotions in our audience. Storytelling is the difference between a monotone reading off the screen and a captivating tapestry of spoken imagery with pictures to supplement rather than repeat. There are numerous techniques that go into skilled storytelling, some of which come from researchers and rest on principles, such as Myer’s principles and Merrill’s principles, while others are passed down from extraordinary storytellers themselves, such as Elon Musk and Steve Jobs.
Because storytelling is in our human makeup, from the cavemen to politicians, and telling stories is all we ever do, many of us have a knack for a handful of storytelling techniques, such as speaking clearly, pausing, and gesturing, while some techniques demand a bit more effort.
I took a moment to reflect on the techniques that I employ while storytelling and have come up with two lists, one regarding what I feel I have nailed down, and the other regarding techniques to be honed.
Storytelling techniques I’m confident with:
- Knowing my audience,
- Immersing myself in the story,
- Using conversational tone,
- Engaging my audience,
- Mindfully using imagery.
Storytelling techniques to work on:
- Staying succinct,
- Ensuring accessibility is built into my presentations,
- Creating suspense.
One additional storytelling technique that I would really like to improve on is the ability to match my hand gestures with my words. This skill was brough to my attention by a guest lecturer who’s entire discussion was around how presenters seldom match their hands with their words. This idea has stuck with me ever since and I cannot unsee it.
The ways that I plan to work on my storytelling techniques, mindful hand gestures included, are by practicing them. With every presentation I give, I can only hope to get better and better.
Twine – Open-source tool for telling interactive stories
In addition to reflecting on storytelling techniques, this module introduced me to technology that affords storytellers to code their own interactive ‘choose your own adventure’ stories – Twine.
At first, it was confusing to use, but then once I navigated the handbook, I was off to the races.
I decided to make my story about choosing an undergraduate degree, where the audience could take different paths and end up with one of three different majors (biology, psychology, or a surprise combined major). To the left, there is a screenshot of what Twine looks like from the developers point of view, with my story and all its branches displayed.
All in all, my experience with Twine was positive as it challenged my technological skills and offered me a playground to bring my story development to life.
Hi Syd,
I just wanted to express how impressed I am with your blog. It’s not just the clarity of your writing that stands out, but also the depth of insight and inspiration that each post brings to the table. You have a remarkable talent for dissecting complex issues, laying them out in an understandable way, and pinpointing precisely what is required to address them effectively. Your analytical skills are truly commendable!
Hi Han,
Thank you so much for your kind words, it’s very encouraging. (:
Syd