Storytelling Thoughts

Storytelling As A Business – Let’s Focus On What’s Next

Almost 100% of my family’s income is derived from live performance. A small percentage comes from my published work, and a small percentage comes in through my husband working PRN as a social worker twice a month. The rest of it? Live Performance. Within days of the Stay At...

Making Sense of Time in Quarantine – Some Suggestions

Back when I was touring…you know, a month ago…I had this odd thing that happened regularly. Most of the time, I was on the go. I had shows in the morning, afternoon, evening or all three, and they could be anywhere in the country. The odd thing that would...

When Murphy Strikes: The Aftermath

source This has not been a stellar week in the world of storytelling for me. I find myself wondering how children taste if you have the right recipe. I also wonder about the administrators at some of these schools. In the last two days, I’ve been hit by all...

We Are Our Stories: Nothing More. Nothing Less.

  I love doing sets that challenge audiences when I work in schools. I’m always trying to challenge them linguistically and developmentally. I try to challenge their imagination and their assumptions. We are the sum of the stories we believe, and the stories we reject. We can’t incorporate any...

How To Avoid Blundering Into Horrible Gig

source There are few things worse than blundering into a performance situation that is annoying or horrible. We all have types of shows we won’t do. For every performer who runs screaming, another would do the venue at the drop of a hat. Some people like birthday parties. Some...

What Does It Mean To Be A Successful Storyteller?

Storytellers tend to feel it when we hit it out of the park. When we leave a stage or a classroom after having been incredibly successful, we can feel it all through our body. There is the energy, the excitement, the lavish praise, the joyful expressions and the contentment ...

Strength: A Reflection on Stories, Wisdom, and Power

Strong? What does it mean to be strong? Delilah beguiled Samson, lay with him, and when he was asleep, she cut his hair. When the deed was done she called to him, “Wake up Samson, the Philistines have come!” Without his hair, Samson had no strength and the Philistines...

Thoughts About Storytelling To Start 2018

We made it to 2018. More shows, more writing, more teaching.  I found myself in two conversations this week about the nature of storytelling. I thought I’d share some of the observations.   Q: What is the difference between being a storyteller and being a comedian? My Answer: Comedy...