It is easy enough for superior persons to scorn the story-teller's art and patronise his unsophisticated audience. Story-telling (so they say, and I will not deny it) is a knack often possessed by very vulgar and illiterate writers; the eagerness to know 'what happened next' is (no doubt) a mark of the eternal child in …
Continue reading Quote on Story-telling by Dorothy L. Sayers (and Reflections)
Nice little article in the Atlantic Magazine, "The Six Main Arcs in Storytelling, as Identified by an A.I." by Adrienne Lafrance. (Click Here). It looks at some interesting research as far as how stories flow in terms of emotional arcs. That particular research can be seen HERE. There are many ways to categorize stories, but …
Back in the 1800s were two small companies that made buggy whips… Smith Brothers and Jones Brothers. The vision statement of Smith Brothers was “We seek to make the best buggy whips in the world.” Jones Brothers had a vision statement “We provide navigational control solutions for the world.” The first vision statement makes a …
"In Christianity and Judaism, which have beliefs and principles but regard them as having emerged from history and events, expressing the faith may take either of two general forms: narrating and interpreting the events, or describing and clarifying the principles. Thus the dramatic as well as the expository form of expression is inherent in these …
Continue reading Seward Hiltner Quote on Stories and Principles
Storytelling affects human biology, beliefs and behavior, say DARPA researchers.
I wrote a little book called "Theo-storying: Reflections on God, Narrative, and Culture." It wasn't for formal publication. It was just an exercise in my own theological reflections. I put it up on this site (under "My Books") and on Scribd. I reread it in the last couple of days and was pleasantly surprised that …
I have talked a bit before about stories that have a mythic or parabolic function. I feel that it is more useful to define myths and parables in terms of their function within a specific culture rather than their structure. If a story is resonant with a specific culture and challenges beliefs or assumptions in …