|
Volume 3, Issue 15 - 9 August 2006
Brought to you by Aneeta Sundararaj
For the online version of this newsletter, please click
on this link:
http://www.howtotellagreatstory.com/gsn/09082006.html To subscribe
to this newsletter, please go to:
http://www.howtotellagreatstory.com/gsn/indextogsn.html
You are receiving this email because you have either
subscribed to the
Great StoryTelling Network
newsletter or you have invested in How To Tell
A Great Story.
The information we have on file is:
Your name:
[First Name] [Last Name]
Your email address: [Email]
To unsubscribe, please send a blank email to
unsubscribe@howtotellagreatstory.com
Please forward this whole newsletter to your friends and colleagues.
A WARM WELCOME TO ALL OUR NEW SUBSCRIBERS!
OVERVIEW OF NEWSLETTER CONTENTS ...
|
|
This newsletter is sponsored by
YOUR TEXT ADVERTISEMENT
COULD APPEAR HERE!
$20 for 1 issue
Subscriber
Base:
Over 2500+ with many joining each week.
Traffic:
We receive over 400+ visitors and 1000+ page views a day.
Click on the link below to place your ad or to find out
about all our other advertising options.
http://www.howtotellagreastory.com/adrates.html
|
|
from the editor's desk ...
Dear [First Name],
Welcome back! I had a very busy holiday doing absolutely nothing. It was
most relaxing indeed.
The winner of a signed copy of God Made Visible -
Diary of a Seeker by Merlyn Swan is
Herouini Reda. Herouini, congratulations and please contact Merlyn at
merlyn@easy.com.au to obtain
your copy of this book.
We
have a new contest running; scroll down to the Subscriber
Contests to enter and possibly win a copy of Quotes to
Write by: Daily Inspiration And Guidance for Writers by
Kristy Taylor.
In this edition, I
have a very 'local flavour' to the people I've interviewed for
Blow Your Own Trumpet!. There's John Ling who's currently a
Malaysian student overseas; Dina Zaman, who's a Malaysian based
writer; and, D Devika Bai who's the author of The Flight of
The Swans. Each one of them tells interesting tales of their
life, ambitions and dreams.
There are more fables
from Jack, advice from Kristy and stories from both Eric and me.
I know you'll enjoy reading them all.
Thank you all for the lovely comments you've taken the trouble to send.
It's much appreciated. Keep them coming. Please
continue to vote for this site/newsletter in
'The 101 Best Websites For Writers' and the other contest listed under
SHOW US YOUR SUPPORT ...
Thank you.
Here's to your storytelling success.
Aneeta Sundararaj
editor@howtotellagreatstory.com
|
|
SHOW US YOUR SUPPORT ...
There are many ways in which you can support this
site and keep this free newsletter going. For
instance:
1. If you would like to send us your feedback, you
can fill in the webform at
http://www.howtotellagreatstory.com/survey.html
2.
Please nominate us for 'The 101 Best Websites For
Writers' competition by sending an email to
writersdig@fwpubs.com with "101 Best Web sites"
as the subject.
3. Support the
Great StoryTelling Network
by casting a vote on the following page:
http://www.ezinefinder.com/vote.html?pub_code=gresto
4. Send us your monetary contribution to us. A big thank you
to our most recent supporters:
Christina Applewhite
Dolly Parker
Meneka Rajaratnam
For
more information on how you can support us, please click on the
following link:
http://www.howtotellagreatstory.com/support.html
|
|
INFOSYNTEHSIS
A time to sell
Is there any link
between synthesising information and selling? Yes, there is. Can you
synthesise information to achieve a desired objective? Yes you can
and one easy way to do it is storytelling. When you tell stories,
you are synthesizing information in a very natural way and there is
no research data or technical information to confuse your audience.
You can use stories
to sell without pain. And so as you read every edition of the Great
Storytelling Network, think beyond stories, think selling. If you
can make a good link between storytelling and selling, you will
expand your business.
To read more,
please click here ...
|
|
STORYASIA
The Perforated
Coin
A long time ago, most of the coins
used were not perforated. When a person did find a perforated coin, it
was believed that this perforated coin would bring him much good luck.
In a small village in India, a man had a
terrible job working in a factory. He was poor, not very successful and
felt miserable. One day, as he was walking along a lonely street, he
stepped on something hard and bent to pick it up. As he turned the item
over in the palm of his hand, he realised that it was a perforated coin.
Realising that it would no longer be considered legal tender, he placed
the coin inside his pocket and took it home.
|
|
Jack's Fables
Big Pat
Forged with history
We live in an age where increasingly heritage comes
with a price. A price often too high for communities, but affordable by
‘developers’.
Soporific [Soppo] is a little village in Cheshire,
England. A couple of miles from Wuckey, a town the same distance from
Given Up and Madness.
A long time ago, there was a small factory in Soppo
making tools, spades, shovels, picks etc. Competition from larger
companies, plus other factors led to its closure about thirty years ago.
The factory was flattened, and on the site was built
a supermarket and about six shops. The centre was called the ‘Forge,’
and a couple of the machines from the factory were renovated and placed
at the entrance, making the connection with history.
To read more,
please click here ...
The Apprentice Millionaire
As a young boy, living in a modest house with is
mother and brother, Mike was always finding ways to earn money. His
childhood was broken up by moves to different countries [his father
worked for the American Air Force]. Education was never going to be his
passport to a better life.
He acquired an ‘attitude’, which is another way of
saying he knew what he wanted, and refused to accept put downs.
Mike could always spot good role models, until he was
to become one himself. And Mike spent time with people he admired, and
quickly took on the qualities he wanted. He quickly realised to keep out
of the way of those who might do him down. In short, he was a brilliant
modeller. And like many of us, he was logging in his mind the kind of
childhood he would want for his offspring.
To read more,
please click here ...
|
|
Storytelling Nuts and Bolts
Title Your Short Story Right
No
matter how fantastic the short story you have written may be, without a
catchy title the chances are good that an editor will not read it. The
title is the most important part of the story as this is what first
captures the reader’s attention.
A good
title should grab the reader and make them wonder what the story is
about. A bad title will probably cause the reader to skip the story
altogether. This holds true when submitting your stories for
publication. Editors are busy people and will pass on the story, often
without reading the first sentence, if your title doesn’t capture their
interest.
The
title of your story will tell the editor a lot about your creativity. If
your title is strong, an editor will be more likely to look at your
story with a positive attitude.
So how
do you come up with a good title?
To read more,
please
click here ...
|
|
PROMPTS TO TELL YOUR GREAT STORY
...
Annette Brown and Tommy Davidson meet after a vehicular accident.
One of them loves to watch horror movies and the other loves going
on nature walks. Write a short story of no more than 5,000 words
with this theme in mind: "Dream turns into nightmare."
|
|
BLOW YOUR OWN TRUMPET!!
Swan Tales
- an interview with D. Devika Bai
Excerpts
...
Aneeta: Now, Devika, I read this
interesting comment made about you which says that you’re a
great-granddaughter of one of the earliest Tanjore Maratha immigrants to
British Malaya. Please explain a little about this fascinating nugget of
information.
Devika: I’ll have to take you back
a little into Indian history first in order for you to understand.
Tanjore Marathas originated from
Maharashtra in south-west India. They came as conquerors to Tanjore (now
Thanjavur) in South India when their great warrior-king, Shivaji
Bhonsle, ousted the Moghuls and ruled a great swathe of India, from
Delhi to Tanjore (during the 17th century).
The ancient city and district of Tanjore
became a home away from home for the Marathas. Here they lived in and
around the Rajwada (royal palace) under the rule of Bhonsle princes,
preserving their language and culture amidst the Tamil majority. And,
over time, they came to be known as Tanjore Marathas.
To read more,
please
click here ...
Diamond
Writing - an interview with John Ling
Excerpts
...
Aneeta: On your
website,
http://www.johnling.net a
question is asked: Is your story Diamant real? I’m curious, what
does this question mean and what did it relate to?
John: Many
Malaysians are not aware that diamonds have financed several wars in
Africa. In Sierra Leone in the late 1990s, a particularly vicious group
of rebels called the Revolutionary United Front terrorized the country
by abducting young boys, injecting them with heroin and cocaine, and
turning them into drug-addicted child soldiers who would fight in order
to get their fix. Worse still was their trademark act of violence, which
was to indiscriminately amputate arms, legs, noses, lips, ears, even
entire faces, to force the population into supporting their cause. Slave
labour was also rampant, with many villagers being forced into the
diamond fields to harvest diamonds for the RUF, which were then sold on
the world markets. Hence the term blood diamonds.
My story—though it
features fictional characters—documents many of these atrocities, up
close.
Quite a number of
readers have approached me, asking whether my story was based on fact.
To them, it was so horrible that it couldn’t possibly exist outside the
realm of fiction. But sadly, it is not fiction. It is true.
People must be careful
not to buy diamonds from wholesalers, discount outlets, or even street
side peddlers. These are the primary channels by which blood diamonds
circulate. If possible, stick to established and certified diamond
retailers.
To read more,
please
click here ...
Many Hats
- an
interview with Dina Zaman
Excerpts
...
Aneeta: A writer, an
editor, public relations, broadcasting, script-editor, events manager,
worked in marketing … Dina, is there anything you
don’t
do?
Dina: Eh… I just
write. That was before. You know when you’re employed, your bosses
tended to throw you into departments… but now I’m unemployed you might
find me hawking laundry detergent at TMC.
I think Aneeta, for many
writers in Malaysia, and for a lot of people for the matter, we have to
put on many hats. I’d love to just write and be done with it, but let’s
be realistic. We don’t have that kind of literary support here. So
instead of bitching about it, we work in order to sustain our art.
Sheesh. That sounds pretentious. How about, our creation?
I see all this work I do as
material for my writing, fiction and non-fiction. I hope one day all the
money I make will tide me by and allow me to write fulltime.
To read more,
please
click here ...
If you'd like to be interviewed for this column, please
contact me at
editor howtotellagreatstory.com
|
|
ARTICLES FOR STORYTELLERS
How to Capture Your
Family's Stories for Posterity
Every family
has years and years of stories — happy, sad, exciting, humorous,
adventurous, historic, good, bad, and ugly. These stories are often
shared when the family has holiday or annual get-togethers, but without
being recorded on tape and/or paper, they are soon forgotten and never
enjoyed by the following generations. Don’t let that happen to your
precious tales.
Write your
family stories down as you remember them.
And, don’t be dismayed if others have a different perception of what
actually happened or the worth of this work. One Christmas, I decided to
treat my five children to a booklet filled with family stories. I made
sure that I had at least one memorable story with each child as the main
character. When they opened their copies, I was surprised at the
reactions. My oldest daughter thanked me again and again for taking the
time to put this “treasure” together. My second daughter read a bit,
turned to me and said, “You have it all wrong. Nothing happened the way
you have written it.” My son, the middle child, read the whole booklet,
laughing hysterically throughout. And my two younger daughters said,
“How interesting.” But I am not sure that they ever read their gifts.
The important point to remember is that writing down your family stories
in your own manner is a great way to start and will also prove to be a
wonderful experience for you.
Start
with the elders in the family. Before your parents, grandparents,
and/or aunts and uncles are no longer here, sit down with them and ask
lots of leading questions. If you say, “Tell me your story,” they will
answer, “Nothing exciting ever happened to me. There’s nothing to tell.”
On the other hand, if you ask thoughtful, open-ended questions about
places they’ve lived, people they’ve known, teachers they’ve had, places
they’ve traveled to, their remembrances of first dates, embarrassing
moments, and happenings and important events that made a difference in
their lives, they will fill up tapes and books with interesting stories.
You will have much more than you need for meaningful stories, but you
can always edit later.
Where can
I find good questions to ask? Donald Davis, master storyteller of
personal stories, has written an excellent book filled with thought and
story provoking questions called
Telling Your Own Stories (American Storytelling .
Another great resource for questions and getting family members to
recall and tell you some of the most surprising and revealing stories is
the game, LifeStories. For ages 6 to 106,
LifeStories is different and interesting every time. The more people
and the more generations who participatg and story capturing process.
You will have many extra details and facts that will detract, rather
than enhance, the final story. Keeping in mind the attributes of a
successful story — time, place, character(s), conflict, crisis, change,
and resolution — you will pull everything together for a story that will
interest, entertain, and last. It is OK to embellish and add the
emotions you felt when listening to the story for the first time. Once
you have it in a tellable and/or readable form, start sharing it with
others in the family at get-togethers and reunions. You will soon
discover the parts that work and don’t work. Make note of reactions and
points of laughter and tears. Ask for feedback (don’t listen to negative
remarks).
Create a
written version. I know that this whole process sounds time
consuming and like a lot of work. It is both, but once you have these
“treasures” written in final form, you and the whole family will be
delighted. You can’t give a better gift to family members — beginning
with the whole process of gathering and listening to the final product
of sharing.
Remember,
everyone in the family who takes part will be excited and proud, and,
hopefully, will continue the process of capturing family stories for
posterity.
About The Author
If you would like to try an issue of our FREE
eclectic e-newsletter, Portfolio Potpourri, sign up by clicking
HERE and hitting SEND. Just
for trying it, you will receive "10 Tips of Ways to Develop Your
Personal and Professional STYLE."
We never sell names and/or e-mail addresses, and
if you ever wish to "opt-out" that's never a problem.
Contact Chris King at:
chris@creativekeys.net
or at: P.O. Box 221255
Beachwood, Ohio 44122
Phone: (216) 991-8428
If you
have a comment to make about this piece or would like reprint
rights (as this piece may not be reprinted for free), please
contact Aneeta at editorhowtotellagreatstory.com
If you would like to submit your own article on storytelling,
please click here...
|
|
1000 Stories
Life of Pi
Excerpts ...
Pi Patel, an East Indian youngster,
has two loves—religions of the world and animals. The son of an
owner of an Indian zoo, Pi grows up around the animals of the world.
As times worsen in India, however, his father decides it is time to sell
the animals and move to Canada. Some of the animals end up being
shipped to their new zoos on the same ship as Pi and family are on.
Mysteriously, the ship sinks and Pi finds himself on a large lifeboat.
He is not alone. His companions are a zebra with a broken hind
leg, a hyena, an orangutan and, ...
To read more, please
click here
If you would like to submit your own article on storytelling,
please click here...
|
|
RESOURCES FOR STORYTELLERS...
|
|
WEBPAGES FOR STORYTELLERS
Merlyn Swan:
http://www.howtotellagreatstory.com/webpages/merlynswan.html
|
|
TELL EVERYONE ABOUT ...
How are people going to know about your great storytelling
resources [books, websites, newsletters, forums, e-books,
manuals, ideas, thoughts, tapes and so much more] if you
don't tell them? Here's your chance - Send info about your
stuff and we'll post it here for free. Please keep the
number of words to no more than 125. Send an email to
editorhowtotellagreatstory.com
with 'Tell Everyone About ...' in the subject line.
|
|
WHAT OUR READERS ARE SAYING ...
And we can both be thankful
to Aneeta for providing yet another way of making the world smaller
through networking.
Dr. Neill Neill
Yes, one of the beautiful things about Aneeta's work is that it
brings people together.
Rosemarie Skaine
I have just ordered your e-book and read your bonus #4 Great
Storytelling Articles. WOW! did I enjoy. I heard a lot of wisdom
coming from your printed words and look forward to reading the
rest of your book. From what I've read so far, I know that I'm
in for a treat. ...
Looking forward to consulting with you (a first for me),
|
|
READERS
WANT TO KNOW ...
Thank you for your regular newsletter. I would to know if you have
contacts or know people who have worked on story telling for
business development and corporations. Do you have any study on
dreaming as part of storytelling. Is there any University that gives
Master or PhD degree on corporate storytelling and corporate
dreaming through lifetime experience. Your feedback will be
appreciated.
firoz55@hotmail.com
If you have a
query you'd like to post to our readers, please send it to
editorhowtotellagreatstory.com
and we'll see what we can do to help you.
|
|
|
|
RESOURCES YOU TOO CAN USE TO MARKET
YOUR BUSINESS ...
Would you like to put your business on 'auto pilot'? Find
out how by clicking on this link:
Visit
http://www.marketingtips.com/mailloop/t.x/814293
Did you know that in three years email providers
are planning to move away from filtering SPAM based on the
content of an email (and looking at things like your reputation,
instead)... and many more!
To find out more about this, I suggest you read Derek's
ebook and you can get more information about it here:
http://www.marketingtips.com/emailsecrets/t.cgi/814293
For more resources, please
click here.
|
|
|
|
HOW TO CONTACT US
We hope that you have enjoyed reading this issue of
Great StoryTelling Network!
The information we have on file is:
Your name: [First Name] [Last Name]
Your email address: [Email]
To unsubscribe, please send a blank email to
unsubscribe@howtotellagreatstory.com
If you prefer to
unsubscribe by post/fax please send your request to
How To Tell A
Great Story
c/o Sensations Pro
Sdn Bhd
P O Box 1123 Jalan
Pantai Bharu
59700 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: + 60 3 7960
7048
Fax: + 60 3 7960
7049
|
All rights
reserved. ©
www.howtotellagreastory.com
Note: The
Great Storytelling Network,
How To Tell A Great Story and Sensations Pro Sdn Bhd
will not be held liable for any direct or indirect
losses or damages originating from the use of any
information listed on our website or in our
newsletter. By using this site and newsletter you
agree to indemnify and hold all owners and
representative parties of the
Great Storytelling Network/How
To Tell A Great Story/Sensations Pro Sdn Bhd
harmless from any claim or demand originating out of
your use of this website. Use of our website and
newsletters is an indication of your complete
understanding and acceptance of these Terms of
Service. Thank you. |