Books for storytellers

Story is wired in us, in our bones and souls. It is a necessity from old ages to learn and anticipate by experiencing not firsthand.

As many other things we learn, storytelling as also creating a story, has to be learned in many levels.

There is a 101 of storytelling and once learned that, an improving storytelling explaining farther and, now, I discovered a book "Wired for Story" going deep and explaining why we do expect stories, others personal experiences, suspense, happy ends, details and so on.

What a responsibility!

But each book I study brings me a step farther to understand not only the responsibility of creating and telling a story from my experience but also on the way to telling it better then before.

Of course, reading once is not enough, those are books to study again and again. From Doug Lipmann's book Improving Storytelling I did study it at lest three times already. Now, I did buy it to offer to someone else to help his path toward better understanding the links between story, teller and receiving audience. And he did win a contest, after reading it! Well, he also practiced...

I now finished for the first time Wired for story, soon will have to begin from the start and try to apply parts of it till is will be 'wired' in me as if I did swim all my life. From then on, we do not think of that part and go on to learn others.

Creating, improving and telling stories, what a joy!

In our True Storytelling workshop, last year and this year, we all learned a lot. How to find, create, remember (embody) and tell them and also a lot from each other. How to create a workshop, too.

Use it!

Something happens, we are unhappy, frustrated, angry.

That day, my legs hurt, I was tired. The corridor in the tube seemed interminable.

I took out my camera and shot pictures.

They showed how long that road felt for me, they speak to me still today. And they spoke to more then 300 who looked at it and 10 who 'favourited' this.

It was worth using it.

So it is with a story or comedy routine. We can later make fun, or recount what happened. Share it. We transmit not only what happened to us that day, but feelings we all share.

Julie Kertesz, Keynote Speaker

It is great to being invited and assist to a Creative Ageing day and be the Keynote speaker, it was also nice to be paid and all expenses of travel from London to Ayr taken care of. It was wonderful to meet with so many interesting people of all ages, this time most over 50.

It is very rewarding to receive an appreciation like this for my work, stories and presence.

"Julie's Keynote was an inspiring and invigorating start to our Creative Ageing Day, with the stories and experiences which she shared successfully bringing a broad group of delegates on board to fully engage with the activities and sessions on offer. 

As a storyteller and speaker her wholehearted zest humour and creativity is evident as a driving force throughout her own life, work and latterly in her responses to the ageing process. This is the Kertesz 'touch' from which many of our delegates drew strength and encouragement to take some of their own creative risks!

Gillian Steel - Senior Cultural Coordinator, South Ayrshire Council"

It depends

Are wrinkles interesting, beautiful, fascinating?

There is no clear answer to it.

It depends.

On this statue I found yesterday suddenly before me as I went to my Toastmasters club meeting in the Northern Trust, noon time, it was.
I was fascinated.

Is it fascinating on an old woman?

It depends.

Is a beginning or an ending or a theme of a speech the right one?

It depends.

Depends who looks at it, how he feels and for the speech, it depends on the occasion and the audience and even the speaker's mood.

A twist to a true tale

It remains still true, but a twist can make a true story so much powerful and make it more memorable too. I usuelly, stick to the truth even when giggin' but some other comedians and teachers recommend to just start there. I will have to experiment, a bit. Go sometimes farther, to make my message stronger?

Domestic violence "stages" and why we did not leave

Inspirational, informative and persuasive speech.

Leslie Morgan Steiner "I didnt know that the first stage in any domestic violence relationship is to seduce and charm the victim... I also didnt know that the second steop is to isolate the victim. .. The next step in the domestic violence pattern is to introduce the threat of violence and see how she reacts…"  Ted talk "It is incredible dangareous to leave an abuser". 

It decided me to talk again about how it did happen to me and also understand the stages of domestic violence. Thank you!

She speaks simply, and so powerful at the same time. There are stories that survivors have to tell. Now that I understand better, I hope I will be able to do so. I hope. It have to be better understood, digested, even if it is far away it was not completely till this morning. Of course, it will also hurt to remember, but to understand is a long way to heal the wounds. I was not beaten like her many times, but the menace that a blow can come again was there on my head.

Memories from Ayr: Julie keynote speaker

Many great memories from Ayr, their wonderful men and women, the sea and seagulls even in the cold weather, warmed my heart.

And, I know now that I can be a great keynote speaker too telling personal stories that inspire and making laugh of my stumbling and not knowing and getting lost too.

I know from now on that I can speak a lot more minutes then I usually am allowed, and also, but that I always knew, am good at Questions and Answers.

It was a great experience for me, also proving again my point of view of importance of personal storytelling, in many different occasions. It works!