You are a storyteller by David Little

You are a storyteller.

Think about that for a moment. Go on. I don’t mind if you want to take a break from the rest of this article; take some time to really think about what those words up there mean to you. Don't worry, I’ll still be here.

It may be a lot to take in, but fundamentally that’s what we writers are. We tell stories, whether they be fiction or non fiction. We engage with our audience (the reader) and we look to keep that attention to tell our tale. With luck we will elicit some emotions and by God, that’s a wonderful thing isn’t it? We may not actually read those stories out loud, but we are still telling it aren't we?

When I was younger, there used to be a TV show by Jim Henson called “The Storyteller”. The premise was simple, and there was this wonderful line in the opening voiceover: "the best seat at the fire was reserved for the storyteller".  Here was someone who told stories and was the most revered of all the house guests. They were given the best seat to tell their tales, such was the power of stories. I loved the show as a child and it helped spur me on to create my own tales with the intent that one day, that seat by the fire might be mine.

As I've grown older I've struggled through the usual barriers that writers face: procrastination; lack of confidence; real life getting in the way and they have definitely conspired to keep me  back from realising my own dreams and ambitions as a writer. The ideas have still flowed, and the excited anticipation was still there when I would daydream about how I would outline the story, flesh out the characters and work hard to bring that initial idea to full term. However, there was always something that got in the way and often it was me.

In the past year or so though, things have changed. I found that there were others like me - aspiring writers who were pushing through the same barriers I had and were producing works that could be read by others. They weren't necessarily published authors but they were using blogs and other social media outlets to get their message out there; to engage an audience and scratch their storytelling itches. Communities such as this one really opened my eyes to the potential and I'm hungry once more to be that storyteller, and to write the stories that I want to.

At the same time, my eldest who has always loved being read stories, is now reading them himself and I've been inspired not only by his passion for reading but by his burgeoning imagination. When playing he is creating his own worlds and adventures and we often talk about them and expand on them together. Its fun for both of us and we get to share not only the creation of these adventures but the enjoyment of listening about them.

These two changes have reignited my passion to create and to write stories and dammit, I will.

My advice to you - for what its worth - is that you've chosen to be a writer because you have stories to tell and you should tell them. Don't let anyone say otherwise, because no matter what anyone says, you can do it. There will always be naysayers who believe you're not really a writer, but to Hell with them. They're not giving feedback, just voicing opinions which have no validity. If you write something down; if you create new characters and new worlds; if you can tell your tale to others and engage them for the duration, then you are a writer. 

Here's  something to try: if you have children, or you are a grandparent, uncle, aunt or cousin, find some time to sit a child down and tell them a story. It doesn’t have to be one you wrote or made up on the spot – if you have the knack for spontaneity -  just a story that they will enjoy. As you’re doing that, watch them and see how they can be engaged; perhaps they’re even rapt in the whole thing, listening not only with their ears but with eyes wide showing how attentive and interested and full of wonder they are. Once you've finished the tale and they’ve finished asking the thousand questions that children ask about everything, think about what you’ve just done. You’ve told a story to someone who has enjoyed it, taken it in and it has meant something to them. Maybe only for the time it takes for them to switch attention to something else, but you've told the story and they have listened.

Now think about how you could engage the target audience for your writing. How would you get them to listen attentively to your stories and how could they immerse themselves in your world? Think how satisfying it would be if just one person was able to take something that you created and found happiness (or whatever emotion you want them to experience) in that work. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

To do that, all you need to do is create. To write.

Be a writer. Be a storyteller.

One day, that seat by the fire may be yours.