This post is timely for me as I am working on a project that involves
recording women's personal birth stories.
What Makes a Good Story
1. Learn to tell stories about your own everyday experiences.
Someone who does this well in my life is Mary L.
Here are some pointers from chapter VIII of my book (pp. 66-67)
1. The title catches your attention.
2. The story is short and has few characters.
3. The story contains a number of definite ideas, or parts.
4. One idea leads naturally into the next; events are usually told in the time order in which they happened.
5. The writer uses many interesting details.
6. To sharpen the reader's curiosity the main point is left until near the end of the story.
So, when I interview mothers about their children, it is only one child instead of all of them.
I edit the interview to get the juiciest memories and the flow will follow their story-telling.
As for detail, what is more interesting than tiny babies!?
2 comments:
Nette, telling an everyday story to you somehow becomes more fun and lively just because of the way you listen! You always make me laugh and that's great, even if we're laughing at me.
PS- have I told you the one about using WD40 by mistake instead of window deicer? It doesn't work well at all...
I would love to help you out with your personal birth stories. I don't often come across someone who is willing to listen to the details of my birth stories :) Just let me know what you are wanting and which birth story. Each one is so different.
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