As a young child, did you know someone who would tell you stories?

Good storytelling is an art. There are skills that you can develop to be the kind of storyteller who keeps an audience hanging on every word.

Of course, you want to keep your audience and purpose in mind when you are telling a story. Many First Nations and Inuit storytellers use audience participation in their storytelling. They might have the audience sing a song at certain points in the story or they might have the audience reply with certain words when given a particular cue. It was very important in times past to keep the audience involved. The only way an oral tradition would survive would be for the stories to be remembered by the listeners so they could be repeated and passed on.

In other words, in the oral tradition, it is as important to be a good listener as it is to be a good speaker. You can’t just sit and let the words drift over you. You have to participate in the story by listening carefully and responding appropriately.

Of course, good speaking and listening skills are important in all aspects of your life, not just when telling or listening to stories.
 

Here are some suggestions for being a good storyteller:

• Be prepared: plan what you are going to say.

• Use appropriate body language: decide if you will sit or stand while telling the story. If you stand, you could walk around as you tell the story and stop when you want to draw attention to a particular point. You can also use your hands and arms to illustrate the actions of the characters, and facial expressions that match the action in the story.
  

• Make sure you have the attention of the audience when you begin speaking.

• Speak clearly. Adjust the volume of your voice. Change your voice for different characters.
  

• Be aware of your audience: look at them.