December 21, 2017

Interview, Part 9 - FIRE, the Hunger

The best question, how does the storyteller work up their stories.

First to find stories liked, then print them out, and read over and over to see if plots are suitable. Then I make what I called a ‘Summary Page’: how long the story is, my first sentence, my last sentence, a summary of the plot, and where I told the story, adding notes about the telling that I need to remember. 

If I have enough stories on a theme like the FIRE stories, I make a frame, bridge, or a segue through them. That means I plot out each story; have 'character bios' as on FIRE, humans, gods, hummingbird, beaver, Grandma Spider, monkeys, hunters, Bertha Digby. Then make a 'motivation sheet' on each character about their driving concerns that moves the plot forward to the next story. 

The beginning, the gods have FIRE and humans and animals want its warmth and light. So, the middle events: Hummingbird gives to the Pines, Beaver gives to all trees, Grandma Spider throws light to the night sky. Until the climax event, a hunter steals the FIRE from the monkeys to the final event, FIRE burns up the forest. The ending conclusion, Bertha Digby replants the forest for all of us.

If you join my newsletter called the EVENTING. . ., I talk about writing and storytelling. As a new subscriber, you receive the Story Charts used for plotting, character motivation, scenes, framing or the segue, with the bonus of the hero’s journey. There are 12 charts in all. The charts were compiled from storytellers, who shared how they organize their stories. I give this information to whoever wants to craft their best stories to tell or write, please honor this.

December 16, 2017

Interview - Part 8, FIRE, the Hunger

Have you verbally told or written any of the fire stories before?

The FIRE stories came about when I went to Feather River Family Camp, 2005, the first week of August when the outdoors is hot and very dry. I told the stories around the first night's campfire to children and parents. Later, I presented more FIRE stories at night on the Open Stage. And I have a spot for evening stories in the Crafts Circle just before dinner, what better than FIRE stories.

After telling at Feather Family Camp, I told stories for Oaklandish, 2006, who were building pride in Oakland and having a campout at Oakland's Chabot State Park. The FIRE stories went well
 with the crowd of young adults.

Next, I told the stories for a birthday party, 2007. Parents of a young girl called me about stories; I asked if they could have a fire; the parents said yes. I narrated the FIRE stories around the pit and related how we must constrain FIRE because of the horror of eating everything, and that now FIRE was held in candles on a birthday cake and blown out for a wish. The young lady liked the stories.

The last story, Bertha Digby was published in an anthology organized by the 4th Street Studio's Saturday Salons, The Livermore Wine Country Literary Harvest, ©2006. 'Saving the Woods' is on pages 67 to 69. My folktale honors a squirrel and all animals (a metaphor for people) who restore burnt forests that other humans destroy by one means or other.

The FIRE stories were bridged together by the desire for warmth and light and told monthly at a storytelling swap in 2008, which I helped run at the Orinda library.

The folktales were written out for the April 2017 NaNoWriCamp were enhanced, modified, elaborated and bridged together
 around one of the worst predator, who eats everything, 'FIRE, the Hunger.'

Now, the segued folktales are on wattpad, a great platform to connect with readers while writing and editing. Soon 'FIRE, the Hunger' will be posted on Bublish with 'bubbles' that appear on Twitter and Facebook for publicity.

December 1, 2017

Interview - Part 7, FIRE, the Hunger

What are the lessons learned about FIRE?

FIRE is our enemy, who eats everything but treated like a hero, a treasure to be sought, a prize to have as if a best friend. FIRE is a monster and humans, especially children, need to learn this and how to control its hunger.

FIRE is never to be free, never allow FIRE out of any container holding it. By container is meant keeping FIRE in a hearth of the bricks or rocks like our fireplaces, or a simple dirt pit in the ground. We must always keep FIRE confined.
When finished with FIRE while camping, cover FIRE with dirt or drown with water. If cooking on stove that uses gas flames, complete turn off the flame. If using matches, drown the burning part with water. If ever smelling smoke, investigate. Have a fire extinguisher ready and have the phone number of the Fire Department close. 

 FIRE has an enormous, ferocious appetite, always hungry, and eats furiously. From the lava formed from melted rocks in the volcanoes to the lightning that dashes through the air; fire's priority is to consume everything. 
  FIRE flickers with hypnotic light and dashes as it dances over a victim with penetrating heat to consuming its prey. Fire is formless and raises up to the sky as if praying. While eating victims, fire chants with sounds like hollowed crackling, sudden pops and snapping, or a long rumbling hum. Sometimes sparks like diamonds from FIRE spray quickly into the air reaching, this is to send FIRE to its next meal. Fire is dangerously beautiful, enchanting, and hypnotic.

 FIRE is a trickster using charms of heat and light as magic, this is to hide a ferocious appetite and is it always looking, searching for ways to escape a confinement to burn, sting, and roast victims causing enormous damage and pain. After FIRE eats only ashes are left.