What makes a good story

storytelling.pdf
storytelling.mp3

Neil

Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.

Georgina

And I’m Georgina.

Neil

Let me tell you a story, Georgina. Are you ready?

Georgina

Yes!

Neil

Grandma had always warned me not to look into the mirror at midnight. There

was something strange about that mirror, she said. How childish – to believe silly

stories! Later that night I heard a noise. I woke up, dark and alone. A clock

chimed midnight. The floorboards were creaking as I walked towards the mirror. I

looked into my face reflecting in the glass, when suddenly - my eye winked!

Georgina

Agh, stop Neil! You’re scaring me!

Neil

Oh sorry, Georgina! OK, let’s try another story: Once upon a time there was a

beautiful servant girl who lived with her wicked stepmother and two jealous

stepsisters…

Georgina

Ah, that’s better, Neil, and I know this story – Cinderella – more romantic and

much less scary!

Neil

As you can see from Georgina’s reaction, telling stories is a powerful way to

connect and communicate with people - and the topic of this programme.

Georgina

Stories help us make sense of the world which is why we’ve been telling them to

each other for millennia – and why some of the earliest folk tales – stories that

parents have told and passed on to their children over many years – are still

being told today.

Neil

According to the novelist, Sandra Newman and other academics, there are seven

classic plotlines which are constantly being recycled into new stories. They

include ‘rags to riches’ plots, like Cinderella…

Georgina

‘Defeating the monster’ plots, like Dracula…

Neil

…and other plots such as ‘comedies’, ‘adventures’ and ‘tragedies’. So, my quiz

question is this: which of the following well-known folk tales is a ‘defeating the

monster’ story? Is it:

a) Beowulf?

b) Beauty and the Beast? or,

c) Goldilocks and the Three Bears?

Georgina

Well, they all have beasts, bears or wolves in the title, so I’ll guess b) Beauty and

the Beast.

Neil

OK, Georgina, we’ll come back to that later. It’s interesting to ask how we can

explain the lasting appeal of these classic plotlines. Someone who might know is

anthropologist and writer, Professor Jamie Tarani.

Georgina

Here he is talking to BBC World Service’s, The Why Factor. See if you can spot his

answer.

Jamie Tarani

Often the reason why we feel so motivated to pass on stories is because the

stories do tap into certain universal human fantasies and fears that will often

transcend the concerns of particular times and places. […] We are intensely

moralistic – most of the time, the bad guys have unhappy endings and the good

guys have happy endings. We know that in the real world it doesn’t actually work

like that so there’s an element of wish-fulfillment that somehow satisfies our

moral appetite.

Neil

Stories from very different cultures often have plots with similar fantasies and

fears. These human emotions are universal, meaning they exist everywhere and

relate to everyone in the world.

Georgina

Classic stories work because they tap into basic human emotions – they

understand and express what it means to be human.

Neil

Unlike in the real world, stories can reinforce our sense of morality - evil

stepmothers get punished, Cinderella marries her prince and everyone lives

happily ever after. In this way they create wish-fulfillment – the achievement of

what we really want and desire.

Georgina

Well, so much for plotlines, Neil, but that still doesn’t explain how stories have

the power to catch and hold our attention.

Neil

Let’s hear from novelist, Sandra Newman, author of How Not To Write a Novel –

a handbook of over 200 common mistakes.

Georgina

Here she tells BBC World Service’s, The Why Factor, that her absolute number

one storytelling rule is comprehensibility – people need to understand your

story.

Sandra Newman

There are some people who actually are so unfortunately bad at communicating

that even when they tell a story to another person it becomes incomprehensible.

And gradually as they stop making sense and ramble and digress and don’t know

where they’re going, you see everybody not only lose interest but become hostile

– people become very frustrated when someone is not getting to the point.

Neil

According to Sandra, the biggest mistake is incomprehensibility or not

understanding the plot because the storyteller is rambling – talking in a

confused way, going off the subject or not making sense.

Georgina

When listeners give a story their time and attention, they want the storyteller to

get to the point - start talking about the most important and relevant

information.

Neil

But to cut a long story short, Georgina, it’s time to return to the quiz question.

Remember I asked you which famous folk tale had a ‘defeating the monster’ plot.

What did you say?

Georgina

I said the answer was b) Beauty and the Beast. Was I right?

Neil

Your answer was…

Georgina

Oh, do get to the point, Neil!

Neil

…wrong! In fact, the answer is, a) Beowulf - an Old English epic about the hero,

Beowulf, who defeats dragons and beasts.

Georgina

Well, Neil, there are two sides to every story, as the saying goes. So, let’s recap

the vocabulary we’ve learned, starting with folk tales – popular stories that have

been told and passed down over generations.

Neil

Many folk tales contain universal ideas – ideas which exist everywhere, in every

age and culture. Stories tap into these ideas, meaning they understand, connect

to and express them.

Georgina

Wish-fulfillment means the achievement or realisation of things you really want

and desire.

Neil

A good storyteller will never ramble - talk in a confused way, often going off the

subject or not making much sense.

Georgina

And instead will get to the point - start talking about what is most important and

relevant.

Neil

That’s all we have time for, but remember to join us again soon for the inside

story on trending English topics and vocabulary, here at 6 Minute English. Bye

for now!

Georgina

Goodbye!

VOCABULARY

folk tales

stories that parents have told and passed on to their children over many years

universal

exist everywhere are related to everyone in the world

tap into

understand, connect to and express something such as people’s beliefs or

attitudes

wish-fulfillment

achievement of things you really want and desire

ramble

talk in a confused way, often going off the subject or not making much sense

get to the point

start talking about what is most important and relevant

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