Tell Me a Scary Story
An introduction to the art of by-the-seat-of-your-pants storytelling
Published:
September 1, 2001
Stars sparkled against the dark shroud of night.
The s’mores
were mere crumbs and smudges. Embers glowed moodily in the fire pit. Far
across the lake, loons lamented their haunting autumn farewell. In a
half-circle, smoldering embers between us, sat a group of 12 adults and
children, all patiently waiting for my story to begin.
Halloween is my second-favorite holiday of the year for this very reason. Telling scary stories is my forté.
There
was never a night by the lake, stream, bonfire or fireplace without
pleas of, “Dad! Tell us a scary story.” Time has changed the petitions
from “Dad” to “Grampa,” “Andy” and “Uncle Andy,” but “tell us a scary
story,” remains a steadfast entreaty. Over the years, I’ve garnered a
bag of tried-and-true storytelling methodologies, but I always enjoy
making up stories as I tell them. Improvisation, I’ve found, is as
essential to telling vibrant scary stories as a dark night and
flickering bonfire.
Extemporization
fills your storytelling with energy, imagination, freshness and
flexibility. The plot, characters and story ideas abound wherever you
look – you merely have to know what to look for. |
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