I don’t just write stories – I tell them. At camp, in schools and here, at our creative writing space in Toronto. Some of my yarns take an hour or more to spin, and it’s safe to say that as such lengthy stories unfold, I am as immersed in the tale as my audience. I was thinking about that today, selecting tales to tell this coming Friday at the Centauri Arts Academy, and it occurred to me that for this writer at least, writing a novel and telling an epic story in front of an audience are really not that different.

Often I’m asked: how long does it take to memorize a story that takes an hour to tell? The honest answer is, about fifteen minutes. Why? Because telling a story is not that different from structuring a novel, and you have to understand novel structure to be a writer. Whenever I choose a traditional story to tell – usually a Celtic or Chinese epic – I ask myself the same questions I ask whenever I start work on a new novel, or support one of my writing students as they plan a novel of their own. Who is the protagonist, and how are they unique? What is the key challenge they must face? How is their world the same and different from ours? How is the hero transformed by their experiences? Once I understand these important aspects of the story, it’s all about getting the elements of story in the right order, and giving them the prominence they deserve. I look for the inciting incident, the doorway moment, the defining events in the story, and the climax. I ask: what is this story about, and how can I signal that to a reader, using repeating motifs and symbols? And then – so important not to miss this one: how can each member of the audience see themselves in the story I tell? What should remain with them after the story is done?

Our Storytelling Night at the Centauri Arts Academy in Toronto is open to anyone aged 9-18 – and it’s free! Join us Friday 25th October, 7-9pm at Studio 218A, 2323 Bloor St. West. We’re a 5 minute walk west of Runnymede subway station, and there’s ample parking nearby. Don’t forget to bring a pillow, and RSVP to julie{at}centauriartscamp.com