BASIC REQUIREMENTS
- Length: 5-7 minutes
- No visual aid
- No outline
- No sources
- Five video peer responses
For examples of live storytelling, see The Moth: https://www.youtube.com/user/mothstories
TOPIC CHOICE: You will perform a true story from your life. Your story can be happy, sad, funny, serious, etc. The best stories tend to have levels (a happy part, a sad part, a funny part, a serious part). It can be an adventure, a tragedy, a subtle “aha” moment, and so on. It can be something that happened internally – like a psychological breakthrough – or something external like a medical issue or a breakup. Choose a story that feels meaningful to share. It can personal – or lighthearted. It is up to you what feels right. You can email me to see if your story idea is a good fit for this assignment.
RUBRIC: The grading rubric in Blackboard can be viewed in advance.
STORY ELEMENTS AND DELIVERY: As described in my lecture about storytelling, there are many moving parts to a great story. This includes plot and plot tension, scenes, set, characters, theme development, a memorized and compelling beginning and ending, the use of creative language, and so on. Storytelling requires animated delivery. I tell students, “let yourself feel what you’re saying.” This simple tactic is usually enough, but to break it down more explicitly, I expect vocal variety, movement, blocking, facial expression, and a variety of emotional levels. My lecture on storytelling explores all of this in depth – please watch and re-watch that lecture as you develop your story.
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