Dad With Teeth

Our Digital Campfire

A good story is about the human experience. It is about what it means to breathe on this earth. And whether the trials of that human experience are monumental or minuscule, if the listener, reader, viewer, or visitor cannot understand the voice of the storyteller then it is all a lot of wasted words, images, and digits. A good story teller must have a voice. That voice should have passion. Passion for the truth is wise, but not a necessity. A storyteller may show their passion by exploring the motivations and choices of their characters. Passion can present itself in the author’s choice of genre, or their love of the subject. But a storyteller must be passionate about their story.



Kimberly Appelcline writes about the craft of writing. She reminds us of the need to craft a potent stew of setting, character, plot, backstory, and detail when we write our stories. And while those five elements are the foundation upon which we build a narrative, our stories will feel somewhat like obituaries unless as authors we find our individual voices. As we write we need to ask ourselves such basic questions as, “Who is my protagonist?” “Who is my antagonist?” “What is my narrative arc?” “Are there any moments of decision?” “Where am I headed?” and the big one, “Why the hell would someone care about this story?”



The web uses words. But it also uses pictures. Far too many of the sites I visit don’t have a clue how to use the power of imagery to convey a story. As the web drifts aimlessly into the realm of video, it is being steered by people who write, not by people who understand the balance of words, sounds, emotions, and most of all, images. I am tired of pedantic talking heads. I am tired of getting my facts in a sound bite. I am tired of shaky cameras in a postage-stamp-sized window. Tell me a story with words AND pictures. So you have a great story tell. Terrific. What are you going to show me? Not another schmoe sitting behind a desk, I hope. And not some nabob planted in front of a plastic office plant. And please, oh please, not some nare-do-well sitting on the sofa backlit by a picture window where they look like a participant in the witness protection act. Give me a glimpse into people’s lives. Let me see what they make for dinner. Let me see them drive to work. Let me see them struggle with life’s many challenges. Let me see how life can be messy and cluttered with the emotions of change.



I just want stories where the author has a point of view. Tell me a story. Make it have a beginning, a middle and an end. Help me to understand why you told me your story. And most of all, make me care about it.

posted by Drew Keller @ Saturday, April 15, 2006