I first "met" Debbie when we were both selected to be part of the Scrapbook Answers Magazine creative team; we worked together on a number of assignments and found that we both shared a passion for writing. Unfortunately, Scrapbook Answers ceased publication, but I'm so excited that Debbie has carved out a niche for herself in the online scrapbooking education arena. Her layouts get to the true heart of what scrapbooking -- in my eyes, at least -- is all about, and I'm thrilled that she's sharing this knowledge with all of you today.
When are you at your storytelling best? Is it when you’re recounting recent events at coffee with friends? On the phone? At the dinner table with family? And what makes that your best? What are you doing at that point? Are you entertaining, informing, presenting your life the way you’d like it to be understood? Maybe all of the above? There
are common story forms that have been used through the ages, and you
can use them to tell your stories on your scrapbook pages.
Tell a “bear at the door” story.
The
beginning of your story is your hook, the element that you use to draw
your listener in. One of the easiest kinds of stories to “hook” a
reader with is the “bear-at-the-door” story. This is a story in which
there’s an immediate and pressing problem -- like, say, if there really
were a bear at your door.
When telling a bear-at-the-door story:
1) Make your reader immediately aware: a) of the problem; and b) of the urgency of the problem.
2) Be aware of (and share) how the personalities of your main characters impact the events you’re recounting. (Adding these aspects to the story takes it beyond an action-filled recount to a story that tells a longer-lasting lesson.)
3) Be sure to include how the problem was resolved, and, if it’s relevant, any longer-lasting impact.
The opening lines of the journaling on “Heroes of the Day” tell just what the problem is and why it’s pressing: we’re leaving for the airport and our keys are locked in the house. The story proceeds with character complications, and stress, and, then, finally a happy resolution.
Tell an “aha” story
In this kind of story a character comes to a new realization (aka epiphany). This could be
a realization about other people or about self. It could be a
realization about the past or a new understanding of current life. Tell
this story from the point of view of the person who arrives at the new understanding—which would most likely be you (and, thus, first person).
1) Establish your main character’s current view on the relevant subject.
2) Describe an incident that brings about a change in this view. This part should be in scene (i.e., in a place with people who do and say things).
3) Tell what the new insight is.
In “See Why” I write about what “we’ve all said about rather than to” my father, thus establishing my view. The journaling describes a bumpy tractor ride with lots of sensory details. By the end of the journaling my new understanding of why he has been a farmer all of his life is revealed.
Tell of a journey—small or large, figurative or real.
The
“journey” is the oldest story form known. It’s in the bible, children’s
storybooks, and Greek myths. It’s a story in which your subject leaves home on a “journey” and
returns transformed. The journey can be a true trip or a more
figurative journey of the spirit. Examples of real life incidents that
are “journey” stories include pursuing a weight-loss program, getting
through a year with an intimidating boss, or doing
something new that’s out of your comfort zone. In journey stories,
there are often unexpected meetings and events along the way that all
contribute to the effect of the journey.
1) Begin by conveying how the journey came about.
2) Tell of the events along the way.
3) By the end, be sure you’ve told about the impact of the journey on your subject.
The journey described in “Been There” begins with my own greatly desired departure from a small-town farm. The journaling is written in letter form to my nieces. My pursuits are encapsulated—college, early failed marriage, successful business career, and, then, finally a stay-at-home mom living a life closer to that I left than I ever imagined I’d have. The final paragraph describes the resulting impact: that I now appreciate the land I left in a way I never did as a child.
Tell the story of when a stranger came to town.
If the journey story is the oldest story form in existence, the “visitation” story is the next oldest. This is the story of an unexpected visitor—or demand or event—showing up at your door and the subsequent detour from everyday life as you know it. The detour you take because of the “stranger in town” may be brief or long-lasting, but it is caused by the intruder. Your visitor might be a new neighbor, an influential teacher, even a new family member.
When writing a visitation story:
1) Begin with the introduction of your visitor.
2) Proceed to make clear what disruption to life as you’ve known it the visitor makes.
3) Continue the story to an ending that shows and/or tells of the changes that have come about as a result of this visitor entering your life.
The journaling in “Campaigning with Victoria” opens by revealing how Victoria came into my life and how important she became to me for a short time. The middle elaborates on the time we spent together, and the end tells of her exit from town and my feelings about that as well as all that I gained from our brief work together.
While you may not use these story forms exactly as I’ve described, I believe that knowing about them and seeing how your own stories fit with them, gets you thinking about what the incidents in your life mean in a way that goes beyond the obvious, in a way that yields stories with complexity and multiple layers of meaning. I share many more journaling writing approaches and strategies in my online, self-paced class “Be Real.”
Debbie Hodge is the owner of Get It Scrapped!, a website offering online classes for scrapbookers and art journalers. She’s the author of the book Get It Scrapped! from Memory Makers Books as well as Embellishing with Alphas and Every Little Thing from DesignerDigitals.
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