Free Choice Reflection

 

          When you think of storytelling, odds are you think of your audience being a group full of elementary aged children.  I know I do.  When thinking of telling a story to a group of young adults, “many adults are intimidated by the prospect of telling stories to adolescents” (Greene & Del Negro, 2010, p. 175). 

“According to Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget’s theory of intellectual development, adolescence marks the stage of “Formal Operations.”  Formal operations is the stage at which one is able to logically consider abstract ideas.  Thus adolescents are able to consider ideas beyond their own experience and to look at issues from differing viewpoints.  At this stage in life the individual begins to challenge accepted ideas and beliefs, to draw away from the values and expectations of authority figures.  Working to form an identity, but not yet ready to be completely independent, the young adult tends to rely on his or her peer group for beliefs and values.  Facing adulthood with its responsibilities can be overwhelming.  Add to these factors the elements of hormonal changes and physical growth, and adolescence becomes a developmental period fraught with challenges.” (Greene & Del Negro, 2010, p. 176)

For all of these reasons, entertaining young adults and providing them with a successful storytelling experience can be daunting but not impossible!

          So how does one select a story that will pique a young person’s interest and keep them invested?  Story selection is crucial and to pick out a just-right story to share is key.  Knowing what types of stories adolescents are drawn to is important.  According to Greene and Del Negro, most young adults enjoy stories that are fantasy, science fiction, and folktales.  “Tales of the fantastical attract young adults, which is why adroitly selected folktales work so well with this age.  Original re-imaginings of traditional folk and fairy tales are written within the contemporary gestalt, and new interpretive nuances transform old tales into new stories that resonate with present-day listeners” (Greene & Del Negro, 2010, p. 176-177). 

          Another genre that is popular amongst teens for storytelling are ghost, horror, and suspense tales.  I can remember swapping these types of tales with my friends and trying to be the one with the scariest story.  According to Greene and Del Negro, “Suspense tales are good program openers because they immediately dispel any thought that storytelling is too childish for young adult audiences.  Young adulthood is an age when one faces real unknowns, difficult situations, and an unclear future; therefore, the suspense tale is particularly intriguing” (Greene & Del Negro, 2010, p. 178).  To add some fun to your storytelling, adding a “jump” at the end is especially memorable. 

“To add a jump, lower your voice as you approach the moment/phrase, pause before the phrase, then hit the phrase hard, fast and loud!  If done well, every listener jumps.  This causes laughter and creates a shared experience among the listeners.  The jump in a story is “the great leveler.”  If everyone jumps, then everyone laughs—at themselves and at each other.  No one is more cool or less cool than anyone else, a rare occurrence in the young adult world” (Greene & Del Negro, 2010, p. 179). 

          Urban-belief tales are another great storytelling pick.  “The urban-belief tale (also referred to as the urban legend and the urban myth) is a story usually set in a contemporary setting, grounded in some element of truth or plausibility and told as actual fact” (Greene & Del Negro, 2010, p. 179).  When these stories are told, “there is always the question: Did that actually happen?” Greene & Del Negro, 2010, p. 179).  To me, these stories are more eerie and scarier than most ghost or horror stories because of their plausibility.  If I could experience these events in real life, it makes me scared in the future when I remember such tales.  Some other successful tales for young adult audiences are:

          -Humor, including fractured tellings of well-known tales

          -Myths, hero tales and legends

          -Riddle tales

          -Historical and current topical tales

          -Tales of life’s conflicts and issues

         

          Another important aspect of presenting the storytelling program to young adults is how you introduce it to your audience.  “An effective introduction anticipates anything that might block the listeners from enjoying the story, and indicates to the listeners that the storyteller respects them, their experiences, and their opinions” (Greene & Del Negro, 2010, p. 183).  Isn’t that what most teens, as well as adults, want anyway: to feel respected?  “If your young adult listeners are new to storytelling, you must immediately dispel any notion that storytelling is “just for little kids,” so that they can relax and enjoy the program” Greene & Del Negro, 2010, p. 183).  If you can get them hooked from the beginning, they are more likely to settle in and enjoy the ride from start to finish.

          The last aspect to think about for building a successful young adult storytelling program is the flow of the stories you tell.  “Storyteller Elizabeth Ellis coined a rubric for arranging story types for optimum ease of flow, or, in her own words, to “open the human heart.”  (Greene & Del Negro, 2010, p. 184).    

          “According to Ellis:

HAHA stories let us laugh so we can relax and listen; these stress-busting stories are for the body.

AH HA stories activate our curiosity.  From jump tales to pourquoi stories, the mind loves to reason things out.

AAAH stories engage our emotions with deeper meaning; these tales satisfy the hungry heart.

AMEN stories remind us of ancient wisdom or modern insight.  The Spirit shines through these stories.

Ellis’s ideal program is a journey that flows from HAHA to AMEN, touching on all the complex emotions in between.” (Greene & Del Negro, 2010, p. 184). 

Selecting the right story for your young adult audience, introducing it to pique their interest, and paying close attention to how your stories flow throughout your program are the keys to a successful storytelling program for teens.

 What I'm Reading this Week: Myths

The Monkey King: A Chinese Monkey Spirit Myth by Anita Yasuda

Pangu Separates the Sky from the Earth: A Chinese Creation Myth by Anita Yasuda

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns: A Mesoamerican Creation Myth by Duncan Tonatiuh

Across the Rainbow Bridge: Stories of Norse Gods and Humans by Kevin Crossley-Holland

I Am Pan! by Mordicai Gerstein

I Gods and Heroes: Mythology Around the World by Korwin Briggs

References

Greene, E. & Del Negro, J.M. (2010).  Storytelling to young adults.  

        Storytelling: Art and technique (p. 175-192).  Libraries Unlimited.