This year is THE year for writing a book and I’ve discovered a unique way to get started… or should I say, a unique way to begin found me six weeks ago when I was on my way to VegOut on Fitzroy Street, StKilda. Cold weather, wanted curry so I wasn’t really in an observant mood, more of an “I’m hungry, need to walk, want something spicy to heat up my insides and this is the shortest way” type of mood. Somebody stepped out in front of me to distract my food focus and I stepped left, into a sign with “STORYTELLING Thursday nights 8pm“, in big letters. I laughed and thanked the guy who had unconsciously pushed me ‘left’. He couldn’t understand why I was thankful, and I wasn’t going to explain…. just thought, looked up and said…. ok, OK, I got it. (By the way if you watch the video on Storytelling link, they’re still doing the short film nights on Mondays in the Storytelling room, “that’s why the hooks are there” – hey Chris)
When I bumped into the sign, the “this is the year for writing” narrative went a little crazy, I lifted my head and started to notice things around me and I was smiling from ear to ear “Oh YES” the narrative said, “you’ve been talking about it for ages, so this is it…. here’s where you start, right here, on Thursday – LIVE”.
Oblivious to me at that moment was the fact that the timing was really off, I mean really off… had I known what was around the corner I would never have gone that first night (figuratively speaking, I didn’t bump into anything else after the sign). I didn’t know tho’, my crystal ball wasn’t working and I had no idea what was instore for me, instead in my excited state of not knowing I arrived ready for storytelling 24 hours early. Embarrassing to be told by the person working there that it was only Wednesday and storytelling was on Thursdays, yeah, I know I um saw the sign. OOOhhkay, thank you very much, I’ll see you tomorrow.
I sat myself inconspicuously in the third row the following night, that allowed me to hide out a little, test the waters and deal with my nerves which were jumping all over the place. The first ‘teller was a young guy who made it look really easy when he sat in the big comfortable leather chair, complete with little lamp on a little table right next to it….. he casually shared his story into the microphone for the 40 or so people in the dark room. It probably was a really great story that he told, my head chatter was so loud I didn’t really hear much of it… I was caught between rehearsing and comparing in an effort to convince myself the whole idea was way out of my league. Before I knew it, it was open mic time, one guy put his hand up and introduced himself into the seat. All I remember hearing from his story was “you only have one chance” – how did he know I wondered?
I still didn’t put up my hand to take the mic the second time… the guy who did seemed a little uncomfortable with his personal story and finished in a not quite finished kind of way. All I heard him say was “if you don’t do it now you never will”… O M G that was it, my hand flew into the air and I jumped out of my seat for the third and final opportunity… before I knew it I was sitting in that big chair speaking into the mic… “I’ve lived a fairy tale which is ready to be told…”
The experience of the night made it clear my story is absolutely ready to be told, what unfolded was the beginning of a serial storyteller, I’ve been back each Thursday with new chapters – I’m now at chapter 6. As luck would further have it, that night was the beginning of each session being recorded… the recordings will be available once all the editing has been done.
Oh yes, editing…. the fourth night was an absolute disaster, I know that because when I told Chris I almost didn’t come he said “maybe you shouldn’t have” which quashed any tiny bit of hope that I was alright on the night. I knew then that I truly wasn’t. On the bright side, what that embarrassingly squirmish night did do was cause me to get serious with writing each chapter – so I’m now writing a week in advance and practicing reading out loud (ROL?) minimum 10 times before I go ‘live’. It makes a big difference, even though the airblogging was fun while it lasted… I’m also getting a sense of the next level and how this artform can evolve.
How cool is that, I said I’d write my story this year and I literally bumped into a sign leading me to start wagging the dog! I’m 100% aware that the universe provides when intention is clear… 6 years with Landmark Education concreted that belief into reality… now that’s an experience I’ll be sharing about here too… to right a memorable experience in more ways than one.
Meanwhile, I’m working out how to upload the chapters I’ve written and when to write the others… and maybe even create a newsletter for interested people to tune when there are updates…. yes, I really like that idea. And with WordPress, everything’s possible – just go to the plugin shop LOVE IT!