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Bone Adding
In
storytelling, the bones are the series of protagonist’s efforts to resolve
the conflict of the story. Usually they are repeating patterns. It is this
repeating pattern that made popular folklore stand the test of time - they
are easily remembered.
The bones
are the fixating tools of the story; each cycle of the pattern whets the
audience’s appetite and readies them to the eventual end of the story.
It also
encourages the audience silent participation. In each bone they ask
themselves “ will it work this time?”
I was so
enchanted with this feature when I discovered its use; it improved my
storytelling skill dramatically. I was even convinced, (this could be an
unfounded belief) I developed a certain charisma while employing the tool.
Anecdotes
are sometimes too brief and “steep” for listeners to appreciate – you are
through with the story before the audience even gets its drift. Adding bones
to the story will remedy the situation; the bones hammer gradually the point
of the story and prepare the audience for the punch line. Try this technique
and soon you will notice better reception of your talk.
Even the
Lord Jesus Christ employs this technique on his stories. In the parable of
the Good Samaritan, a priest saw the wounded man and passed on, a Levite saw
him too and passed on…and then a Samaritan saw him and helped. The same
technique is present in the parables of the vineyard, the sower etc.
Most of the
Lord’s Parables and also popular folklores usually have three bones. With
that number of bones you could already whet the audience’s imagination for
the ending and yet avoid boring them. This is a time-tested rule of thumb;
use it.
Bones focus
the listener to the possible outcome of the story; they are to the story
what refrain is to a song. Learn how to use bone adding…
"wiggle by wiggle" if you
must.
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