STORYTELLING BASICS
WHAT IS STORYTELLING?

From the beginning of time, storytelling has been the means by which cultures and societies have preserved and celebrated their memories, passed on their values and belief systems, entertained, instructed and reported. Long before there were written records, storytellers taught through the oral tradition.

TYPES OF STORYTELLING

A folktale is a story that comes to us from the oral tradition and is a general term used for numerous varieties of personal narrative. Folktales have no known author. The version of a folktale which is printed in a book is usually that author's own rendition of the tale, and that particular rendition is therefore copyrighted; however, the original folktale itself is in the public domain.

Traditional tales are folktales told in the traditional manner of the culture from which they come, as close to the oral source as possible. THIS IS THE WAY THAT WE TELL FOLKTALES AT SMES – we do not FRACTURE CULTURAL FOLKTALES.

Familiar themes:
Youngest and smallest succeeds, wishes granted, magic objects, animals talk, monsters, trickery, three as a magic number (except for Native American folktales and then it’s four), poor become rich

A literary tale is a story from a print source with a known, credited author. THIS IS NOT the type of story we tell at the World Storytelling Celebration – we are telling folktales.

A fairytale can be either a folktale or a literary tale, and will include elements of fantasy or magic. Usually involves mythical characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls and giants. "Cinderella" is a folktale-fairytale; "Thumbelina" is a literary fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen.

A fable can also be from either the literary or from the folk tradition. Fables have morals - either explicit or implied and usually involve talking animals.

A legend is an unverified historical story, usually a mix of history and fiction (examples include Robin Hood, King Arthur, Big Foot, the Lock Ness Monster…)

A myth is an anonymous tale emerging from the traditional beliefs of a culture or social unit and includes supernatural beings. Myths use supernatural explanations for natural phenomena. They may also explain cosmic issues like creation and death. Collections of myths, known as mythologies, are common to all cultures and nations, but the best-known myths belong to the Norse, Roman, and Greek mythologies.

A regional story is specific to a particular region, such as South Georgia or the Mississippi River. Regional tales may be folktales, literary, personal or historical in nature.

Personal tales are just that - personal stories from the teller's own life or experiences.

Historical tales are based on an actual historical event, such as the Johnstown Flood, and the story accurately brings that event to life through the stories of the people involved.

Biographical tales tell about the life - or specific events in the life - of a real person. Often, these tales are told in the first-person narrative style.

These examples of persuasive topics will hopefully help the student to choose a topic they would like to do their persuasive speech on.

Review of Public Speaking Basics