The Art of the Tale by Steven James

Author:Steven James [James, Steven]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-06-09T00:00:00+00:00

There’s a saying that you understand someone’s culture when you understand what makes them laugh. There’s a lot of truth to that. Watch and listen to the reaction of your listeners. When considering using dialect or colloquialisms, ask, “Will this offend those who speak in this dialect, or will it affirm them?” Usually, imitating someone’s dialect is not a good idea.

But what if you don’t know your listeners that well? What if you’ve never met them before?

Look for (1) bridges between their culture and yours, (2) similar struggles you have, or (3) shared experiences you can tap into.

When I was storytelling in India, I found that some of my word-play humor didn’t make sense to my listeners—especially when translated into Telugu or Hindi. However, the family unit is highly valued in India and I soon discovered that when I told stories about my children, the faces of my listeners brightened up. It was common ground.

By the way, the more confident you are when you tell your story, the more you’ll put your listeners at ease. There’s something very reassuring about someone who’s comfortable being himself. As famed improv instructor Keith Johnstone told me once, “When a great performer steps onstage, audiences relax.” A little confidence with a dash of humility goes a long way in bridging communication gaps between cultures, and between you and your listeners.

Also, let your audience know that they have permission to laugh at what you’re saying. These days, some people are so sensitive about the prospect of offending others that they begin to feel uneasy if you mention any differences between various demographic groups. The listeners (rightly!) don’t want to laugh if you’re making fun of others or putting them down; however, they haven’t necessarily been taught discernment that just because we’re pointing out differences between individuals doesn’t mean we’re judging anyone. Help your listeners to relax and rest in the confidence that you’re simply here to connect with them, not to mock or demean anyone.

TRUST YOUR AUDIENCE

After my daughter Ariel got her first pet, a hamster, I drove her home and we were setting up the hamster cage and the squeaky-spinny-wheel-deal when she turned to me. “I’m naming him Sniffer,” she announced in her enthusiastic, eight-year-old way, “because that’s the second thing he did when I put him in my hand!” When I tell the story, I say, “It’s just a good thing she didn’t name him after the first thing he did in her hand.”

Do I need to tell the audience that he pooped in her hand? Probably not.

Avoid overexplaining.

Often, listeners will “get it,” and the more you explain the point, the more impact you drain from it.

Sportscasters rarely ask questions that they don’t already know the answer to. You have a newscaster at the Olympics and the second-place swimmer is climbing out of the pool: “You just lost a gold medal by a hundredth of a second. What’s going through your mind?”

“I’d like to take that microphone and shove it up your—”

“And now back to you, Bob, at the studio.

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