Story telling is an ancient and honored art. Story tellers entertained during the long dark hours before sleep arrived after the sun disappeared over the western horizon. But the story teller' s job is more than just entertainment. Before the printed page appeared, story tellers provided cultural continuity, preserving the past to serve as guide through the future.
Storytellers told tales of heroes to provide positive examples, the legends that held the tribe together and provided its identity, and the stories of foolish or evil beings to remind young and old the penalties for not living correctly. Even behavior. too horrible to speak of directly, such as cannibalism, cowardice or death, could be examined through the mediation of a story.
Even today, books, magazines, radio, television and movies still have not replaced the storyteller. None of these permanent, reproducible media are able to deliver a personal, individualized message with the impact of a well-told story.
Whether the purpose of a story is to set a mood, to entertain, to teach a lesson, to amuse or to scare, nothing works like a good story at the right moment. A story with an obvious message concerning the results of another person' s misbehavior. can deliver a warning and deterrent that a direct confrontation can not produce and the story will do so without hurting egos. A positive relationship can be maintained and, sometimes, even strengthened while still delivering an unwelcome message. This is the power of the storyteller.
Not every story will fit every situation. The story teller needs to select a story which will meet the needs of the situation and then the story teller must tailor the story to fit the time available, the age of the audience the location and the mood desired. A good story choice will capture the interest of the audience. Audience members will relate to a location, experience or emotion that they share in common with the story teller and will suspend disbelief long enough to be drawn into the story as it unfolds. Good stories build to a climax with a beginning, a middle and an end. The elements of the story revealed in each section will lead to the next. Predicaments and solutions will depend on the details of the story revealed in an earlier section. However, better stories may add a twist to make the ending unexpected and, therefore, more interesting.
Scary stories should be matched to the age of the audience. A little feeling of fright as the story is told may be beneficial in learning how to deal with scary things, but the use of lingering fear that is carried away from the story is simply terrorizing a susceptible person and helps no one. it is the responsibility of the story teller to determine what is appropriate and not to abuse the audience' s good faith.
Stories can come from nearly anywhere. Folk tales, myths, legends, history (especially local history), Indian stories, adventure yarns and other story tellers are all sources of inspiration. A short listing of collected stories is appended along with several examples of good stories. However, the best sources of stories for good story tellers are their own experiences.
When inspiration and opportunity unite, a story is ready to be born. No matter what the source, the best stories are those of which the story teller has some personal experience or knowledge. This can be combined with other sources and a little practice to produce the tale to be told. When personal experience is the base on which a story is built, the story will" ring true" to the audience and have a greater vitality. A dislike of insects crawling on your skin, an encounter with a w/Id animal or the memory of a weird noise experienced when you were home alone can each provide the experience or feeling that will form. the basis of a story. The experience need only be a wee part of the story, but that can be enough.
When you have chosen a

A. perpetuate culture
B. provide role models
C. discourage bad behaviors
D. make horrible behaviors honorable