What Have You Learned Lately? The other day I attended a half day program where seven presenters — all with high level positions in the IT (Information Technology) field — gave us their “take” on career opportunities. Even though each focused on their own area of expertise and how they had reached their positions, each of the seven stressed that the two most important qualities considered when hi...

Stories Are for Adults Too! Very often when I tell someone I am a storyteller, they will say, “Oh, how nice. Do you tell stories to children in the schools and at the libraries?” Well, yes, I do tell stories to children of all ages, but I also tell stories to adults. And, in my opinion, adults need and want the stories even more than the children. In this article, I am going to address why we, as...

What Do I Mean By Storytelling and Storyteller Ethics? Original source: http://www.creativekeys.net/StorytellingPower/article1047.html Both weekly and monthly, I receive a huge number of publications that deal with business and technology. Ever since the whole Enron scandal became news, these magazines have and are featuring more and more articles dealing with ethics, honesty and trust. In every...

What Do Editors Want? At a recent SCBWI conference in Denver, Melanie Cecka, Senior Editor for Viking Children’s Books, tried to answer that perennial question, “What are editors looking for?” Her answer–and this is a real kicker–is that because publishers are cutting back on the size of their lists, editors are looking for reasons not to publish your book. Does this mean that editors are plann...

What Audience’s Want From a Storyteller When asked about the personal characteristics that best describe the “perfect storyteller”, audiences say they want a storyteller who is: Enthusiastic. Show your audience that you are happy to be there. Dynamic. Wow your audience with your own sense of style and delivery. Sincere. Be believable through your words and actions. Confident. Know your storie...

What Can I Add? After brainstorming a great new idea for a nonfiction book, one of the most important questions to ask yourself is “What can I add to this topic?” To find out, you must check Amazon.com or take a trip to a couple of bookstores to find out what’s already been published about your subject. Agent Djana Pearson Morris says, “Take a serious look at the competition– if someone’s alrea...

Wave or Waive: Do You Know Which One to Use? It is no surprise that the English language (at least, as spoken by we Americans) is crammed full of words that turn our brains to mush when it comes to figuring out which word spelling to use, how to spell them, or just when exactly to use them. Our school systems have long since abandoned the “readin’, writin’, and ‘rithmetic” days when kids were gi...

Using Quotations: When You Need Permission First of all, here’s my disclaimer. I’m not a lawyer. The following is based on my own research and, as you’ll see, every situation is different. That’s why the use of quotes can be confusing. I do hope, however, that this can help you to make better decisions when preparing your own manuscripts or other creative projects. Quotes are wonderful little th...

Use Time and Timing Wisely for Powerful Storytelling Anyone who has told stories often knows the importance of time and timing. Used with planning, time can be a storyteller’s best friend. Used without thought, however, time can ruin a performance and rob a teller of credibility, reputation, and the joy of experiencing eager listeners. In this article, I will highlight the ins and outs of time ma...