All Blog Posts (45)

It happens the weekend of May 4^th, stories will be bursting out all over Mt. Vernon!  Yes, it is that time again when members of the Ohio storytelling group, OOPS! will be in town for their annual conference.

Friday many area school children will be treated to live storytellers from all over Ohio, in concert.  Tellers Joyce Geary, Stephen Hollen, Suzanna “Granny Sue” Holstein, Julie McGhee, Cristie Merce, Melanie…

O.O.P.S! willhost the 2012 Ohio Storytelling Conference the first weekend in May.  It is still not too late to make a reservation, contact me at seanachiemelanie@sbcglobal.net or call 614-481-9674.  We have such a wonderful line-up of presenters - with featured teller Elizabeth Ellis leading the list.  Her dulcet tones make you just want to become a sponge and soak up all her pearls of wisdom.  If you've not attended an O.O.P.S! conference,…

Tonight our President did her speech on body language and her speech title we "Survivors" She did a great narrative on her grandparents and their meeting during the war and surviving as Polish Jews. Then surviving a return home only to find they were still in danger- they immigrated to Israel and how they impacted her life. Her story shared how her grandmother's stroke left her body paralyzed but her mind active and her grandfather's alzheimer's left his body strong and his mind paralyzed -…

stepped in tonight to review the pending members!!!! We had 44 and we are now at 11. I sent messages for dues to two and deleted 33 for spam!  same 4 names and it is quite a story to tell .......

Busy spring coming up!  Sheila Baker Mudd volunteered us to do a workshop for the District 40 Toastmaster's conference in April. They wanted a workshop on voice and storytelling - but then said 30 minutes! Forget telling a story we will be just focusing on voice exercises and play! Wish us luck! Cincinnati will be will host the 2013 International Toastmasters Conference!! I think they are looking for Toastmasters to volunteer for the World Singing contest to get experience!!! 

CL so…

My wife and I had a wonderful time at the Sisterville WV. retreat hosted by "Granny Sue" at the Wells Inn with the climax being our Saturday evening concert.  Great tellers at the concert which was great fun and always good fellowship. Thanks Sue for your hard work.

Funny, I graduated with a BS in Education - after turning down a professor's request that I change my major to Theatre; became a whiz at getting information with phone skills; got thrown into storytelling in 1992; taught through visual media education, and December, 2011- I was finally recognized as a Competent Communicator -  Toastmaster.

I find myself using my skills as a storyteller and mentoring new Toastmasters. Communication skills make leaders. As Storytellers - we teach and…

I had never heard of Chesterville, Ohio before 1987, but I found my purpose sitting there in that tiny town hall.  I was full of shivers as God talked to me that day in May.  Storytelling was something I loved anyhow and tears began rolling as I realized this was my purpose, my ministry, my calling, my niche.  My favorite type of stories I tell are inspirational but not religious, ones that make you think about your life in another way, ones that have a funny twist at the end you didn't even…

Susanna “ Granny Sue” Holstein is a West Virginia storyteller. She tells and sings stories in the old-time front-porch style.

From mountain tall tales to poignant family stories to ghostly tales and beautiful…

Recently I have started to experiment with creating Youtube videos that use storytelling and images to tell stories.  The idea is to create a bed time experience for my nieces and nephews the way i use to hangout with my children when they were little. Here is one…

The holiday season is a time for looking back-- and looking forward. What happened last year? What is ahead? Only Time will tell and we have to wait for the tale it spins.

For me, and for you, in all likelihood, 2011 was an adventure story. In Ohio, we had record-breaking weather (more rain in 12 months than we usually get in 16). Other places fared even worse. Some of us found out "Your job is safe" can be a bigger lie than "The check is in the mail" and a few discovered new…

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to share the exciting news that I have a new book and DVD out!! The book, O Christmas Tree, is my third children's book and released just in time for the holidays. In addition to the book itself, I'm also offering interactive storytelling performances of it where I play the role of Treena the Christmas Tree, complete with full-body tree suit! :)

My DVD film is called, Flight to…

Hello everyone,

I'm going to be giving a writing/storytelling workshop to a group of 2nd grade students next year, and one of the things I'm interested in doing is giving them a list of ways to begin a story. (ie; Once upon a time. . . Many, many years ago. . . etc.)

I'd also like to give them some of the ways that stories start in other cultures (like Cric? Crac! in Haiti)  I know there are a lot of neat ways out there from all over the world! Those of you…

After scheduling my 105th gig for 2011 earlier today, several storytellers asked what I am doing different to get this many. So, without giving away the farm, I’ll share the process.  There is nothing terribly different, just a constant commitment to marketing.  Do note, one thing that is different is that I do not market myself as a storyteller.  I market programs.  That keeps me fresh for the audience I market to and does not make other storytellers “competition”.



First of…

Come see Bobby Norfolk on Nov 20 7:30 to 8:30 PM for a free program on Spooky Tales.   The address is the Ohio Dominican University 1216 Sunbury Road Columbus Ohio 43223.  It is in the Griff Conference room in the Student Center.   Feel free to call me at 559-213-0161  Don't be a stranger if you can come.

Kevin Cordi

more at www.bobbynorfolk.com

One of the things I learned along the way as a storyteller was a hard lesson that not all of us have picked up on.  I have to admit that I didn't follow the advice I am about to give for a good while.  It took me several years as a working storyteller to learn this lesson.

You've seen the promotional material, or maybe even have some materials similar to what I used years ago.  Beautiful, thoughtful, artistic even, promoting Stephen Hollen, Storyteller.  Trifold brochures…

Here is sample of my work on a Christmas Carol Dinner Theater in 3 Acts.

Sorta a combination of Master Piece Theater and Saturday Night Live

I have a second track that focuses on the comedy audience interaction section at …

I put together a little montage on Lindsay's OLLIO. 

Dave

Eric Wolf, known in the storytelling community as Brother Wolf, will lead a Summer Storytelling Intensive and Workshops June 3–7, 2011 in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Designed for storytellers at all levels of ability, each day will offer workshops that focus on attitude, skills, or business aspects of storytelling. Participants can choose to attend for part or all of a day, several days, or the entire five days.…