See a photo of Penelope, her bio, and Part 1 of this Q&A, Part 2, and Part 3.

Q&A with Penelope Starr, Question 5:

Q: If you could share just one piece of advice or wisdom about story/storytelling/narrative with readers, what would it be?

A: If you want to tell a personal story then just BE YOURSELF!

When people ask if the stories are true, we say they come from the lives of the tellers; things they’ve experienced or have been told (i.e., family stories) and they tell their version of the truth from their memories.

The tellers who have the hardest time with this form are professional storytellers, actors, and writers. Performers are used to learning their material and presenting a finished product to the audience. Writers fall in love with specific phrases and long to reproduce them orally. Neither of these approaches work especially well in personal storytelling.

We coach tellers to know the point of their story, have an opening line and an ending and remember a few points they want to make along the way. The stories we hear in rehearsal are always different from the ones people tell on stage when they are reacting to the response from the audience. The fluidity is part of the planned spontaneity of this unique artform.