Informercials Get A Facelift

Internet advertising began with giant blinking banner ads that quickly went out of style. Google whipped up AdWords and everyone fell in love with web advertising again—until people learned how to subconsciously shut off the text links that run up the sides of many websites. Do you know if there are adwords on your favorite website? I doubt it. We tune them out.

Next came viral marketing in the form of a small line of text at the bottom of every email. That graduated into cool videos that everyone just had to see and voluntarily forwarded. Later we found out they were created by an agency in Portland who grabbed the idea from some guy in New England. ***

Now the web’s next big thing is going to be hard-to-ignore online interactive infomercials called StoryAds. StoryAds at best are involved, episodic, and emotional. At worst, they’re annoying images with voices that attack us while we’re surfing websites.

Things are changing. Forget TV-style commercials on the web. Our heros and villains will soon gorge themselves on specifically placed products as they fight to carry out their plans, and we’ll have to decide with a click which brand they chose. 

There are many of StoryAds on the web already and I’ll ad more in the future. In the meantime, check out these two and see what you think.

Get the Glass - Online game for Milk. One of the challenges is to keep the mother character from overheating into a fit of rage (she has PMS) due to lack of milk. 

Seduction 101 - A love rectangle story. How many products can you spot in this one?

Do You Consider Storytelling A Tool?

I’ve heard salespeople say that storytelling is a great way to make the sale by connecting with people.

Managers are saying that storytelling is great for team building.

Consultants are saying that storytelling is the secret language of leadership.

Some game designers say storytelling is key to a good video game.

And storytellers often say that storytelling is magic.

What is storytelling for you?

Power of Words Conference, Sept. 12-15, 2008

Seek greater freedom and transformation for yourself and your community through the power of words at this unique gathering of people who write, tell stories, perform, and do other language arts. Over 25 presentations by writers, storytellers, performers, community leaders, medical professionals, songwriters, healers, and social change artists include workshops on storytelling, creative writing, music, mythology, drama, poetry therapy, performance, social change, media literacy, culture, spirituality, sexuality, health, dance, right livelihood, diversity, oral traditions, and finding your calling. Organized by Goddard College’s Transformative Language Arts concentration, this conference features hands-on workshops, performances, talking circles, open readings & celebrations that fire up your life, work and community.

Speakers include:

• Bread & Puppet Theatre
• Kelley Hunt, rhythm & blues singer-songwriter
• Rick Jarow, author of Creating the Work You Love
• Sherry Reiter, poetry therapy pioneer
• The Afrikana Madonna, performing spoken word soul
• Lewis Mehl-Madrona, author of Coyote Medicine

Conference costs start at $210 for registration

For more information: Power of Words Conference Website

How Do You Define Story?

Story is often defined as, “Beginning, Middle, End.”

And while that’s a good descriptor, it doesn’t really define story.

Can story be defined? If so, how do you define s-t-o-r-y? 

National Storytelling Conference

Looks like some interesting topics this year including the rebranding of storytelling—yes, of storytelling itself!

Presenters Include:
Sheila Arnold, Thom Bristow, Ralph Chatham, Karen Czarnik, Leeny Del Seamonds, Kate Dudding, Heather Forest, Steven Henegar, Donna Ingham, Jennifer Jacobson, Olga Loya, Doc McConnell, Motoko, Ellen Munds, Lou Ann Homan, Pat Nease, Caren Neile, Roslyn Bresnick-Perry, Loren Niemi, Cristin Thomas, Dylan Pritchett, Dennis Rader, Anne Shimojima, Eric Wolf, Elizabeth Ellis, Bobby Norfolk, David Novak, Joy Nack

Date & Location:
National Storytelling Conference 2008
August 7th - 10th
Gatlinburg, TN

Registration is now OPEN!

Follow this link: National Storytelling Conference

1st International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling

The following text is lifted right off the conference website:

Interactive entertainment, including novel forms of edutainment and serious games, promises to be a great and important market in the future. By providing access to social and human themes through stories, Interactive Digital Storytelling, which can take various forms, contains opportunities for massively enhancing the possibilities of interactive entertainment, computer games and digital applications. It also provides chances and challenges for redefining the experience of narrative through interactive simulations of computer-generated story worlds.

It’s held in Germany but that shouldn’t stop you from attending the 1st International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling!

There’s No Such Thing As A Free Story

There’s a price for everything. Storytelling is no different. When you stop to listen to a story, be it on television, in the newspaper, on the Internet, or in person, ask yourself what’s being exchanged.

Is it knowledge? Take, for instance, this blog. I write about story. I try to give away knowledge. In return I hope to gain nothing but happiness, joy, and good karma.

Do you believe that? It’s partially true. But while those are only some of the reasons I write this bog, they certainly aren’t the only reasons. 

Whenever you stop to listen to a story you are getting something (or searching for something). Do you know what it is?

Whenever you tell a story, you are getting as well as giving something.

Does it matter if the exchange is candid or covert?

Next time you find yourself listening to a story, ask yourself why.

13 Cliche Storytelling Terms

For some reason journalists often go into “cliche mode” when they write about storytellers. If not careful, a storyteller is likely to end up in an article that contains cliche references to dragons and fairy godmothers. If that’s your thing then go for it. However, if you’re a business or media professional or you don’t want to be classified as uncool, beware of the following cliches in your promotional materials and request that journalists use the terms sparingly if at all.

1. Storyteller
Yes, avoid using the word storyteller. In 1990 I was in college and a classmate/rapper asked me if I was a performer. I said, “Yes, I’m a storyteller.” He replied, “Oh man. Don’t call yourself a storyteller. Say a poet, wordsmith, spoken word artist—anything but storyteller.” Years later, not much has changed. the term storyteller often gets used in conjunction with other titles such as, “Teacher/storyteller,” or, “Storyteller/author.” Things are slowly changing, but there tends to be a stereotype that gets imagined by the general public when they think of storytellers. It’s possible this stereotype comes from people’s last experience with storytellers. That is, they were in Jr. High School and someone hired a storyteller to come and entertain a bunch of fussy 13-year-olds. Not cool. People don’t forget that sort of thing.

2. Master
The title “Master” gets used with several hands-on or skill-based traditions. You’ve certainly hear the terms master craftsman, Tai Chi master, and even master storyteller. But you never hear of a master manager or a master banker. The result is that people in the professions where the word master isn’t cool look skeptically at those with master in their title.

3. Weaving, Weaver
As in, “A Master word weaver, David tells stories that will enchant your heart and touch your soul.” News break: A master word weaver wouldn’t use such a cliche term.

4. Enchant, Enchanting
Often used like so: “David’s stories are enchanting and delightful.” Boring and so last-century! This is the new millennium. “Enchanting” is older than wires on phones. We engage now.

5. Imagination
Saying that storytellers touch your imagination is like saying cars have wheels.

5. Spell, Spellbinding, Spellbound
“Her stories will leave you spellbound.” Spellbound is how you describe a six year old sitting in front of a Disney movie. That might be what you’re after, but if you’re not telling stories for kids, this cliche will make everyone think you are.

6. Tapestry
I like the metaphor of story and knitting or weaving and feel there are many similarities. However, when you say certain words it makes us feel like we’re fifteen again and we’re about to be forced to hang out with our grandmother when we would rather be hanging out at a friend’s house. In other words, there’s a natural repellant inspired by words that have any visual reference to a doily.

7. Resonate
“Brands simply have to tell a story that resonates with the audience...” When people say that I often wonder if they could explain what they mean.

8. Captivating
Captivating has the word captive in it. Captive is how people often feel when listening to a boring story.

9. Journey
As in, “David’s stories will take you on a journey of the imagination.” For adults, a journey of the imagination is a fantasy. Say fantasy if you work with adults.

10. Energetic
Energetic storytelling means kids in the front row might get their foreheads slapped if they’re too close. Either that or they have to get up and act like lions and roar.

11. Delight
As in, “David’s captivating tales delighted the audience.” I hear a high pitched voice coming from a tip-toed fairy woman in my head when I write these sample sentences. 

12. Breathe Life Into
“He breathed life into the children’s imaginations.” Maybe he shouldn’t be allowed back if he’s gonna do that.

13. Magic
Storytelling is not magic! It is a real and everyday occurrence. It can feel like magic when it’s done right.