- Hello, I'm Mara and I am a storyteller
and here are my top tips to help you become
the very best storyteller that you can be.
Tip number one is know your audience.
If you know who your audience is
then you'll be able to choose the right story,
and you'll be able to tell that story
in a way that is right, just for them.
If you have a wonderful, amazing, brilliant 20-minute story
and you decide to tell that
to a group of three or four or five year olds,
then you're likely to lose them along the way.
But if you know who your audience is
then you'll be able to use the right language,
you'll be able to use the right physicality
to really draw them into your story.
So most important of all is know your audience.
Tip number two is love the story you tell.
If you can picture every single detail,
even if you forget it along the way,
you'll easily be able to pick it up.
If you love the story you tell
you will easily take the stories that are in your head
and you'll be able to put them in the imaginations
of the people who are sitting in front of you.
So tip number two is love the stories you tell.
Tip number three is prepare.
Make sure you know what your story is going to be about.
If you think that you might forget it
maybe have some props lined up.
If you know that your storytelling audience consists
of four or five or 10 people
then maybe choose the setting and make sure
that they're comfortable and they're ready for a story.
If your story is taking place at bedtime
then make sure it's comfortable,
get nice in, snuggle in close, tight.
So prepare for how that story is going to be told.
Tip number four, eye contact.
Very important with storytelling
because when you can maintain eye contact with them,
they feel that the story is meant just for them.
If you look around and you are gazing here and there
and your eyes are moving all over the place,
then it can feel a little bit distracting.
But if you look them in the eye, then you're able
to bring them into the story with you.
Tip number five, use your voice, have fun with it.
You can go faster to create a sense of excitement.
You can go low and slow
for some dark and dangerous storytelling.
You can use a nice soft voice
to describe some wonderful adventure,
and you can use your imagination to use accents,
use the pitch, the tone, play with your voice
and make sure that that range will bring in
a whole range of different emotions.
So use your voice to the maximum, maximum effect.
Go squeaky, go large, whatever you want to do, use it.
Tip number six.
This is hugely important, your expressions.
The more you can exaggerate,
the more fun the audience will have.
If you are watching a film on television or at the cinema,
you know when that person on the screen is weeping,
you feel the sadness with them.
If you see somebody is full of excitement and happiness
then you get caught up in that wave too.
And it's just the same with storytelling,
whatever the audience sees, they are likely to feel too.
So that is how you're able to get your emotions across.
Tip number seven, use your physicality.
Some of us are big performance storytellers
that can use our arms and our legs,
we jump around, we spin around,
but not everybody has to do that.
But whatever you're doing,
even if you're sitting nice and still,
use your fingers, use your hands
to draw the audience into your story.
Use how you shake your head from side-to-side.
Maybe you could lean in a little bit more
for maximum effect, but whatever you do
just be aware of how you can use your head,
your shoulders, your limbs, your body,
use your physicality.
And tip number eight, have fun.
That's the most important thing.
If you are having fun,
your audience is guaranteed to have fun with you.
That's all for now.