AIYC PowerPoint
Episode 30
Becoming
a storyteller
with Chip Colquhoun
Lesson duration is: 60 minItems in this lesson
Episode 30
Becoming
a storyteller
with Chip Colquhoun
‘Every single person is telling stories every day… Human beings are storytelling animals. We live through story.’
Chip Colquhoun
Discuss:
What is a storyteller?
Is a storyteller the same as a writer?
What stories do you tell in everyday life?
Becoming a storyteller
Stories can come from:
Books
Films
Television
Games
Real life
Think about:
Which stories do you know well?
Why do you remember them?
Stories that inspire us
Personal stories can come from:
Stories about things that have happened outside of school
Stories you tell friends in the playground
Stories from sports or hobbies you have
Family stories that get told again and again
Stories you’ve written in school in the past
Think about:
Which stories matter to you?
Why do you remember them?
Stories we tell in everyday life
Many stories follow a similar pattern.
These are sometimes called ‘story beats’.
They include:
Character
Problem
Adventure
Resolution
Ending
Storytellers often borrow a story's shape (its beats) and then make it their own.
Borrowing story shapes
As you listen to Chip read, think about:
Expression
Pace
Humour
Interesting language
What do you notice most?
How does Chip engage his listeners?
What makes a good storyteller?
“Are you sure?” he said. “I can tell a story about anything you like, honest to promise! Robots, chocolate, dinosaurs… robots riding chocolate dinosaurs…”
I felt a scream coming along big enough to blow off my ceiling, so I quickly chucked myself onto my bed and pushed my face deep into the duvet. After roaring like a T-Rex into the covers until my throat felt like a T-Rex had ripped it out, I grabbed my tablet and stared at it from about a centimeter away. Maybe melting my eyes with the light from the screen would make this strange little man realize he should leave me alone?
The Bestest Story in the World... Ever!
But that was when he made his mistake.
You see, the straight route home took him through the garden of a giant. Not just any giant, either, but a mean, mighty, magical hulk. A hulk who really didn't like trespassers in his garden. That hulk leapt in front of the royal party, causing the horse to rear up on its hind legs, Zach to open his mouth wide with terror, and Princess Zoë to desperately clutch her tiara as she fell.
The Bestest Story in the World... Ever!
As you check your story, ask yourself:
Does my story make sense?
Have I used interesting words and language?
Have I included enough detail so my reader can follow what is happening?
Will my reader want to keep reading?
Writing and improving
‘The better you get with stories, the better you are at pretty much everything else. The more you practise with your imagination, the better you get at being ambitious, thinking of what you are going to do in the future, being empathetic and having good relationships with other people.’
‘Just go out and enjoy as many stories as you can… Just go out and find a good story. And there will be stories out there that you love, I promise.’
Chip Colquhoun
Why do stories matter?
