Storytelling - "My Father and the Spell of the Blue Light" by Kristi Marie Gott

My father was able to invent a story at the drop of a hat. He told the stories to us in such a realistic way that as children we listened seriously, thinking he was telling us the truth. Then after the story was over we could tell by his facial expression that he had made it all up.

Some of these stories were obviously not true, but we enjoyed them so much that we wished to suspend our belief systems for awhile. and enter into the stories fully.

Once my parents brought home a beautiful antique light made of blue etched glass and hung it from the ceiling. It cast a blue glow over the antique pine dining table.

When we all sat in the dark living room, viewing the blue light in the dining room with awe, I noticed my father's green eyes narrow. He raised his eyebrows at the same time, a sign that he was about to say something interesting.

Thus began his story of "The Spell of the Blue Light." It was like sitting by the campfire listening to stories, except we were home. I was in the third grade or somewhere near that age.

In the semi-dark living room, with the blue light washing over us, my father explained in a soft voice, "I didn't tell you right away, kids, but this blue light casts a spell. When you turn the light on the ghosts of the family who first owned the light, over 100 years ago, come back and sit under the light. If you look closely you can see something now. You can feel that someone is there."

We really did look closely, just in case someone or something was there. It did seem that in the blue glow there might be something different in the air, like shadows, under the light around the dining table. We looked at my father, hypnotized.

His quiet, sing song voice went on, describing the people and what they were doing. When he said, "and that's the story of the spell of the blue light" we were sorry the tale was already over.

I never went through the dining room again without looking at the blue light and
seeing if I "felt" anyone was there.

Having a father who was a storyteller made everything so much more fun. The real spell was the one cast by my father with his storytelling. It was like a magic spell that made ordinary things seem more interesting.

How to Tell Anecdotes, Ira Glass of "This American Life" Explains Storytelling, Anecdotes, and Building Suspense

To see the whole Ira Glass series on storytelling just click to watch the episodes on youtube. Visit Ira Glass and his award winning show that's on Chicago Public Radio at http://ThisAmericanLife.org. Enjoy listening to a master storyteller online.

Biography Example: Leonardi di Vinci Part 1 of 18

Antiques Awaken Early Memories for Life Storytelling

A visit to the local antigue mall awakened childhood memories of a house filled with antigues. At the mall I saw a Primitive Early American "dry sink." The sink was a metal pan sitting in a recessed area on the wood counter. The roughly made drawers wobbled when you used them and the cabinet doors fit with gaps. It took me back to the house in the country full of antiques where I grew up.

Our antiques were mostly from colonial times, Early American, and were more primitive than the elegant antiques found in the later times.

Over the pot scorched pine dining table hung an antique light fixture. Etched blue glass cast a light that was almost like a spell when it was turned on at night. Sitting at the table, next to the rough hewn pine sideboard it was easy to feel like a time traveler going back.

We had a family legend that when the blue antique light was turned on time went back to colonial days, and an early American family appeared, sitting around the table in their colonial clothes. My father, a green-eyed Irishman, was a natural storyteller. He would spin yarn after yarn about the "spell of the blue light."

To this day I prefer antiques for home furniture because they tell a story. All you need is your imagination.

Today, my house has an antique spinning wheel, a pine table from the 1800's, and some early 1900's pressback chairs. Living surrounded by antiques and their stories is a way of life. History and nostalgia are always part of the surroundings.

Storytelling Native American Cherokee Style

81 Year Old Has Over 5,000 5-Star Ratings, Over 360,000 Views on Youtube for this Life Story Telling Video

Peter Zimmer, an 81 year old widower from England, has done an incredible video on his life story. His youtube channel has had over 2 million views. You can also visit his youtube channel at:

Geriatric1927

Or visit his website at:

AskGeriatric.com

How to Narrate a Video in Windows Movie Maker to Tell Your Life Story - Video by Kristi Marie Gott

You may be using photos instead of videos when you tell your life story. As you can see in this Movie Maker video both camcorder video footage and photos can be used to make a video.

For telling your life story with multimedia you can use photos and camcorder video of highlights, and record your own narrative to go with them. As you can see in the video above, it's not very difficult.

It helps to view the silent video and then write either the whole narrative or a list of topics. When you are speaking and recording you won't have to pause to think of what to say next, and it helps eliminate the "ummm."

Video: Tools for Telling Your Life Story

Autobiography - How and Why to Write One - John Graden from eHow, International Speaker Gives Tips

Make a Timeline of Your Life Events

One way to organize the life events before you start writing is to make a timeline.

Divide the timeline into sections, perhaps every 5 or ten years. In each section list the events that stand out as highlights that changed your life.

Later when you tell or write your life story you can launch into anecdotes about these events, the people involved, and the details of the circumstances. Remember, the historical data of each era adds background.

A tale about Christmas during the early 1960's might involve receiving a hula hoop or a pogo stick as a child for a gift. In the 1970's maybe you gave someone a "liesure suit." Gifts in the late 1990's might include electronics and computers.

As you tell your story you'll move through history. Everyone has a wealth of historical data in their memoirs. Your life story is especially important from this standpoint. It's a part of history!

Major Life Changing Events - An Important Part of Your Life Story

The direction of your life is often changed dramatically by major events.

A move to a new place and home, an award for an achievement, the death of a loved one, someone new coming into your life or any number of events can turn life upside down. When the pieces of life are broken up and rearranged it's like a new chapter, or even a new book about your life story.

We can learn from these major life events. There are experiences of trial and error. Adaptations that we make to adjust to new lives are all part of the life story. Telling a life story can involve the following questions.

1- Which events changed you the most?

2- Did you learn something new?

3- Is there some wisdom you would like to share in your life story that has made a difference?