5 ms·

Storytelling is a really valuable skill. However, it seems to me that it is one of those abilities that some people just seem to be born with and that it is inh

by jwellt 10y ago

Storytelling is a really valuable skill. However, it seems to me that it is one of those abilities that some people just seem to be born with and that it is inherently difficult to learn. Can anybody offer anecdotal insights into whether or not this is something that you can become good at through practice?

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
tent 10y ago
While I'm sure they exist, I've never met any young kids who were particularly good at telling stories. As with all things, some people have more natural talent than others, but I don't think anyone is very good right off the bat. Think of it like any other art. Not everyone is equally good at it, but with practice, everyone gets better.
- pbhjpbhj 10y ago
  How many young kids have you met? I used to be a Cub Scout (ages 7-10) leader in the UK. There were definitely certain children who could spin a yarn effortlessly. Though I can't rule out that being nurture it seems more likely to be based on a natural propensity. Even in toddlers, with almost no language, some seem particularly adept at entertaining, which to me is a precursor for story-telling. That's not being a novelist though, I think that's a different skill altogether. Novelists can be terrible story-tellers in person. As a parent I've made up a few stories on the spot, it's really hard. Indeed just the telling part, with a story you think you know well (eg, for me, The Three Bears) is hard work.
birdman3131 10y ago
There are two things involved. The first is a good imagination. Most people are born with a good one. Imagination tends to be more born with and can be harder to improve. The second is understanding how to take what you see in your head and tell it to others. This is the part that needs help. Speech class for oratory story telling, art class for telling stories with images, English class for telling stories with the written word and many others. (These also can overlap.) The basis behind story telling may be innate but the ability to share with the world is something that needs a lot of practice and training to be smooth.
kijin 10y ago
I'm not sure about the "born with" part, but I think exposure to good storytelling in early childhood might play a significant role in whether you grow up to become a good storyteller. A consistent theme among famous writers is that they loved to read from a very young age, their parents used to tell them lots of bedtime stories, etc. Maybe this early exposure to fiction influences a developing mind in a way that's much more difficult to achieve once you have grown up. Learning to jump seamlessly between Narnia, Hogwarts, the Hundred Acre Woods, Victorian England, Medieval Europe, the Arabian Nights, and back to the real world is a bit like learning a new language, a new culture. Children learn new languages much more easily than adults do, and the languages you learn in your childhood stick with your accents for the rest of your life.
Stanleyc23 10y ago
I'd take stand up comedians as an example. I remember watching interviews of now well recognized comedians recount how they started out doing terribly. but through persistence, learned the craft and became professional storytellers.
- icantdrive55 10y ago
  Tracy Morgan. He developed into a hilarious comedian. It took awhile. I didn't think he had the talent. I was so wrong. That said, besides Rodney Dangerfield, I can't think of to many comedians whom got better with age. I sometimes think the comedians whom get better with age need to have a few really big setbacks in real life. Oh yea, Louie Whatshisname got funny later in life, but kinda petered out. It almost seems like monetary success affects humor in some comedians?
- coldtea 10y ago
  Well, the one asking about this is a "dead" account, but still: >That said, besides Rodney Dangerfield, I can't think of to many comedians whom got better with age. Louis C.K. obviously.
charris0 10y ago
More and more I've come the opinion that there is no skill someone is just 'born with' that cannot be learnt. It may be the case though that some people are exposed to events and circumstances that help them practice from such an early age as to have a huge headstart above others. Anecdotally, I never thought I'd be able to draw, I used to think drawing (and art in painting, etc) was just something I wouldn't be able to do, though it's surprising and encouraging what you can do after dedicating some consistent time to practicing. Also something I've started learning about recently is the art that goes into public speaking (from the Washington Uni Coursera course). With knowledge broken down and explained by professionals, the mysterious becomes reachable through reasonable amounts of practice.
- iopq 10y ago
  At the same time, some people are just more talented. No matter how much I try, I'll never be that strong compared to other guys. I can barely bench press above body weight ONCE. It took me years to achieve a 210 lbs max. I've taken time off and even after months of working my way back I'm still not back at this strength level yet. Why can't the same be applied to skills that have a more mental component? Some people just don't get it.
  - street 10y ago
    Get on a decent program and eat more. Physical strength is an example of a skill that is absolutely a matter of hard work, not being born lucky.
    - sethammons 10y ago
      There is a genetic component for sure; not everyone can become an elite athlete or lifter. However, with consistent training on a decent program (like you say), I would believe that nearly everyone who does not have a disability could get to a point where they can deadlift 2.5x ideal body weight, squat 2x, and bench 1.5x. And if you get here, you are physically strong. I don't do specific training on those lifts, but I am approaching those targets. Hard work, eating right, and appropriate training. To me, eating right means a good balance of carbs, fat, and protein. I target my ideal body weight in lbs x 1.5 as grams (about 260g of protein a day). I don't always get there, but I try to get to over 1/3 of that by early morning with some overnight oats with added protein powder, a protein shake post early morning workout, and something with protein for breakfast right before I start work). If I am building, I eat around 3k calories a day. If I am cutting, I try to stay around 2k. Hard work means getting my heart going, sweating, and tracking and increasing my percentages. I enjoy crossfit style workouts. I track what my training max is, and lift an appropriate percent of that for given sets. Do varied lifts. Olympic lifts, power lifts, gymnastics, etc. Appropriate training. Find a program and stick with it a while. A 5/3/1 program can be solid. I got a lot out of a cycle of juggernaut training on my back squat a while back. I went from 240 lbs to 305 lbs in a short window where I thought I had plateaued. I'm currently at 345 lbs. I'm in no rush to add the last 35 lbs to that to hit my 2x target, but I'll get there. If I wanted to get there faster, I'd be back on 5/3/1 or juggernaut again.

by jwellt 10y ago

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

tent 10y ago

While I'm sure they exist, I've never met any young kids who were particularly good at telling stories. As with all things, some people have more natural talent than others, but I don't think anyone is very good right off the bat. Think of it like any other art. Not everyone is equally good at it, but with practice, everyone gets better.

pbhjpbhj 10y ago
How many young kids have you met? I used to be a Cub Scout (ages 7-10) leader in the UK. There were definitely certain children who could spin a yarn effortlessly. Though I can't rule out that being nurture it seems more likely to be based on a natural propensity. Even in toddlers, with almost no language, some seem particularly adept at entertaining, which to me is a precursor for story-telling. That's not being a novelist though, I think that's a different skill altogether. Novelists can be terrible story-tellers in person. As a parent I've made up a few stories on the spot, it's really hard. Indeed just the telling part, with a story you think you know well (eg, for me, The Three Bears) is hard work.

birdman3131 10y ago

There are two things involved. The first is a good imagination. Most people are born with a good one. Imagination tends to be more born with and can be harder to improve. The second is understanding how to take what you see in your head and tell it to others. This is the part that needs help. Speech class for oratory story telling, art class for telling stories with images, English class for telling stories with the written word and many others. (These also can overlap.) The basis behind story telling may be innate but the ability to share with the world is something that needs a lot of practice and training to be smooth.

kijin 10y ago

I'm not sure about the "born with" part, but I think exposure to good storytelling in early childhood might play a significant role in whether you grow up to become a good storyteller. A consistent theme among famous writers is that they loved to read from a very young age, their parents used to tell them lots of bedtime stories, etc. Maybe this early exposure to fiction influences a developing mind in a way that's much more difficult to achieve once you have grown up. Learning to jump seamlessly between Narnia, Hogwarts, the Hundred Acre Woods, Victorian England, Medieval Europe, the Arabian Nights, and back to the real world is a bit like learning a new language, a new culture. Children learn new languages much more easily than adults do, and the languages you learn in your childhood stick with your accents for the rest of your life.

Stanleyc23 10y ago

I'd take stand up comedians as an example. I remember watching interviews of now well recognized comedians recount how they started out doing terribly. but through persistence, learned the craft and became professional storytellers.

icantdrive55 10y ago
Tracy Morgan. He developed into a hilarious comedian. It took awhile. I didn't think he had the talent. I was so wrong. That said, besides Rodney Dangerfield, I can't think of to many comedians whom got better with age. I sometimes think the comedians whom get better with age need to have a few really big setbacks in real life. Oh yea, Louie Whatshisname got funny later in life, but kinda petered out. It almost seems like monetary success affects humor in some comedians?
coldtea 10y ago
Well, the one asking about this is a "dead" account, but still: >That said, besides Rodney Dangerfield, I can't think of to many comedians whom got better with age. Louis C.K. obviously.

charris0 10y ago

More and more I've come the opinion that there is no skill someone is just 'born with' that cannot be learnt. It may be the case though that some people are exposed to events and circumstances that help them practice from such an early age as to have a huge headstart above others. Anecdotally, I never thought I'd be able to draw, I used to think drawing (and art in painting, etc) was just something I wouldn't be able to do, though it's surprising and encouraging what you can do after dedicating some consistent time to practicing. Also something I've started learning about recently is the art that goes into public speaking (from the Washington Uni Coursera course). With knowledge broken down and explained by professionals, the mysterious becomes reachable through reasonable amounts of practice.

iopq 10y ago
At the same time, some people are just more talented. No matter how much I try, I'll never be that strong compared to other guys. I can barely bench press above body weight ONCE. It took me years to achieve a 210 lbs max. I've taken time off and even after months of working my way back I'm still not back at this strength level yet. Why can't the same be applied to skills that have a more mental component? Some people just don't get it.
- street 10y ago
  Get on a decent program and eat more. Physical strength is an example of a skill that is absolutely a matter of hard work, not being born lucky.
  - sethammons 10y ago
    There is a genetic component for sure; not everyone can become an elite athlete or lifter. However, with consistent training on a decent program (like you say), I would believe that nearly everyone who does not have a disability could get to a point where they can deadlift 2.5x ideal body weight, squat 2x, and bench 1.5x. And if you get here, you are physically strong. I don't do specific training on those lifts, but I am approaching those targets. Hard work, eating right, and appropriate training. To me, eating right means a good balance of carbs, fat, and protein. I target my ideal body weight in lbs x 1.5 as grams (about 260g of protein a day). I don't always get there, but I try to get to over 1/3 of that by early morning with some overnight oats with added protein powder, a protein shake post early morning workout, and something with protein for breakfast right before I start work). If I am building, I eat around 3k calories a day. If I am cutting, I try to stay around 2k. Hard work means getting my heart going, sweating, and tracking and increasing my percentages. I enjoy crossfit style workouts. I track what my training max is, and lift an appropriate percent of that for given sets. Do varied lifts. Olympic lifts, power lifts, gymnastics, etc. Appropriate training. Find a program and stick with it a while. A 5/3/1 program can be solid. I got a lot out of a cycle of juggernaut training on my back squat a while back. I went from 240 lbs to 305 lbs in a short window where I thought I had plateaued. I'm currently at 345 lbs. I'm in no rush to add the last 35 lbs to that to hit my 2x target, but I'll get there. If I wanted to get there faster, I'd be back on 5/3/1 or juggernaut again.