Chris Gaffney: "Suddenly there was a baby"

On episode #72 of the Speak Up Storytelling podcast, Matthew and Elysha Dicks talk storytelling alongside the first Great Hartford Storyslam winner, Chris Gaffney! In our follow up segment, we discuss (and decide upon) the name for the start-and-stop episode that was so popular with our listeners.  STORYTELLING SHOWS 2019-2020 November 23: Twenty-one Truths About Love book release, CT Historical Society, Hartford, CT December 14: “Crafty” at CT Historical Society, Hartford, CT January 11: “Still Life: Stories of Stopping and Slowing Down” at the Wadsworth Atheneum February 8: “Storytelling for Students at Henry A. Wolcott School, West Hartford, CT April 4: Speak Up at the Unitarian Universalist Society, Manchester, CT STORYTELLING WORKSHOPS 2019-2020 December 6-8: Storytelling workshop (advanced), Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health January 25: Storytelling workshop (Beginner), CT Historical Society February 22: Storytelling workshop (Advanced), CT Historical Society In our Homework for Life segment, we talk about how a story can hinge on the way a conversation can suddenly change the way you see the world.  Next we listen to the winning story from the very first Great Hartford Storyslam, told by Chris Gaffney. Amongst the many things we discuss include: Balancing tone in a story with a combination of humor, tension, suspense, and more.  Effective choices for the opening a story The effective advancing of space and time for both time and verisimilitude in a story Preserving surprise by allowing the audience to experience the events of a story in a way that is similar to how the storyteller experienced them The value (and possible danger) of subtlety in storytelling  Then we answer a listener questions about evoking emotion from an audience and make some recommendations.  RECOMMEDATIONS Elysha: What Your Child Would Tell You About ADHD If They Had the Words Matt: The 22 Rules of Storytelling According to Pixar Chris: Newspapers LINKS Uncommon Discourse: http://uncommondiscourse.com Purchase Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life Through the Power of Storytelling Purchase Twenty-one Truths About Love  Homework for Life: https://bit.ly/2f9ZPne Matthew Dicks's website: http://www.matthewdicks.com Matthew Dicks's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/matthewjohndicks  Matthew Dicks's blog: http://www.matthewdicks.com/matthewdicksblog Subscribe to Matthew Dicks's weekly newsletter:  http://www.matthewdicks.com/matthewdicks-subscribe Subscribe to the Speak Up newsletter:  http://www.matthewdicks.com/subscribe-speak-up Subscribe to Matthew Dicks's blog: http://www.matthewdicks.com/subscribe-grin-and-bare-it