See a photo of David, his bio, Part 1 of this Q&A, and Part 2.
Q&A with David Sidwell, Question 3
Q: How important is it to you and your work to function within the framework of a particular definition of “story?” (i.e., What is a story?) What definition do you espouse?
A: I’m actually pretty specific when it comes to what a “story” is and what a “telling” is. Storytelling is a performative sharing of an oral narrative through words that evoke images in the minds of the teller and the audience. This “telling” can be formal, such as when a storyteller performs for an audience at a storytelling festival, for instance, or it can be informal such as when friends tell stories to each other over lunch. It is always live, though, and there is ideally a personal connection between the teller and the audience. It can be complete, as when a full, well-made-story is told in a concert setting, or incomplete, as when one might allude to a familiar story through a quotation or situational quip.
We like to call people “storytellers” if they are effective at communicating with images, even if they make videos or movies or video games. When we do, we are actually referring to the live storytellers that bring images to life so effectively on a stage or around a campfire. Charles Dickens, for instance, has a real knack for writing that evokes similar feelings when reading as a good storyteller evokes from an audience during a live performance. He is therefore referred to as a “master storyteller.” “Digital storytelling” is a field wherein, through video, feelings are similarly evoked. In both of these cases, “storytelling” alludes to that primal event in which a teller is orally creating images and narrative in the minds of an audience. I think it is important to realize this allusion and connection so that the event archetype can always be looked to in its purity for inspiration.