Storytelling

Stories. One of mankind’s most ingenious inventions. The way we evolve and repurpose this powerful art form fascinates me.

Ancient texts provided stories that gave meaning to ideologies followed by millions of people. Our politicians who rise to the highest levels are the ones with the most compelling stories to tell. And we created stories like Star Wars that could even give meaning to millions of lunchboxes. The power is limitless.

I’m interested in the future of storytelling. It feels like with all these new formats out there, that we are headed for a new chapter in the way we tell stories. I remember the thrill of reading shoddily constructed ‘choose your own adventure’ books back in the day. That seemed to be forecasting some kind of new dawn for the story. One that invited the reader in to spend some time as story creator.

With how interactive and immediate the world is becoming, are there new possibilities for telling our stories? More interactive stories? More collaborative stories?

Recent storytelling that has interested me is the show LOST. To me, it feels like a series comprised of the most elaborate bedtime stories ever told. You get the feeling that the writers don’t know where the thing is headed, and therefore anything could happen. We all expect our regular intervals of bedside readings, so they continue. Some blast it, but I feel it is providing a new wrinkle into the storytelling formula. And of course it is fantastic to see a story with that much uncertainty be carried out with that level of production.

In Japan, a recent storytelling trend is the mobile novel. It’s a growing sub genre in which everything is done via mobile. The authors tap it out on their phones, and send it to mobile distributors who spread it to an audience who will read the things on their phones. The same is happening with mobile filmmaking. There are festivals for it.

I like that the future holds the possibility for storytellers to emerge from unexpected places. Whoever has the most compelling stories to tell will be able to find the audience they are looking for. It has been happening in music for years, but it seems like we really are on the dawn of the democracy of the story.

How do you tell your stories?

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