"The Changeling": Practicing Starts Somewhere

The first time telling a story out loud is always rough and tumble for me.

That is why it is called a practice.

The shaky results from telling the Irish story of "The Changeling" was similar to the first times I told "Forsaken Brother" and "The Gardener's Wife".

While attending storytelling or writing conferences, often the workshop presenters teach that you have to get the stories out in the open whether that is telling them or writing them on paper.

Rarely are the first thoughts the ones that make it to the final draft of telling of the story.

Joanna Huffaker, my story buddy, was not expecting perfection for this first time through "The Changeling".

On the positive side, Joanna felt that the neighbor characters were clear and real. She shared images that lingered even after the story was done.

I did have to be aware of the different stages with the neighbors. When Mrs. Sullivan wants to show off her baby to the neighbors, I forgot to link the warnings from the neighbors so the baby would not be switched for a changeling from the fairies. It was not until after the switch had been made of Mrs. Sullivan's baby for the changeling that I realized that I skipped that part.

Joanna pointed out that whenever the changeling was a character in a scene, that the scene seemed to go too fast rather than expanding on the feelings that Mrs. Sullivan had whenever the changeling glared at her so that it seemed to burn through her skin.

This could have a mood much like a ghost story if that is what I desired.

More practices will come and improvements will be made.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Song Recording: The Stress of It All

Holly Robison, my story buddy for "The Gardener's Wife", could be counted on to determine the right harmony for the two songs within the piece.

She loves singing. . .perhaps more than me!

When she was a seven-year-old, she sang a song about her Dad for a talent show. Time has passed and she has continued this talent by singing with choirs that have toured from the Western States to Germany. Today she is part of The Choral Arts Society of Utah and the We Also Sing, a woman's choir in the Salt Lake valley.

Sometimes it is nerve-striking to sing around her when I reflect on her background.

Then I remember, "Hey, Holly is my friend!" and I am calm again.

Then there are the times when stress gets the better of me.

Holly held her recorder towards me so she could have the songs within "The Gardener's Wife". Since she would be out of town on January 16th, we would have to have practice over the telephone. We would need to have the harmony for the songs done by then.

The tune was still new for the grieving/pleading song as it came together only yesterday. Suddenly I wondered if I would be able to remember. The thought was enough to create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Again and again I asked for Holly to start the recorder to catch the tunes.

Always something went wrong.

It went so bad that I had to play the recording I made from my mp3 recorder so Holly could make a copy on her recorder.

I promised Holly I would be more confident with the tune by the time it was the premiere.

That was when Holly's normally-smiling-face stared at me seriously and said, "You know you can relax around me."

I thought about what she said.

The recording was made and I knew that in good times or in bad that Holly would be there for me.

Thank you, Holly, for being a wonderful friend!

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Utah First Friday: Passing out Postcards to People

Thanks to Kevin Martin and Norene Jensen for giving permission to post their picture from the Utah First Friday event.

I rushed to the Utah First Friday event, which was a monthly gathering of business owners and entrepreneurs, as I wanted to pass out "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" postcards.

I asked permission of Kevin Martin, the director of Utah First Friday, if passing out the postcards would be allowed. He is also over the Salt Lake Small Business Development Center and the Miller Business Innovation Center.

He granted permission.

Utah First Friday begins the first hour with networking as well as nibbling on breakfast foods. The last hour always spotlights a speaker so that us entrepreneurs could improve our skills. When the speaker ended, I positioned myself by the door. Everyone would have to exit that way.

I had my wooden bowl filled with postcards and I gave them to people as they went by with such sayings as "This would be great for your colleagues and employees to celebrate."

I passed out about 40 postcards.

Then I peaked into the room when the crowd thinned. A couple people were chatting in the room.

I recognized one of the ladies: Norene Jensen.

I quickened my walk to her as she is a fellow storyteller. She was part of the Utah Storytelling Guild as well as Toastmasters.

We talked for about an hour on various topics, though most of the time was on the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love". She expressed great interest in the program and promised she would attend. We talked about the importance of stories that address child abuse and abandonment, though the sharing of such stories is best when the audience leaves the place with hope.

Norene and I discovered that we needed to hang out more often, as the times we saw each other most was at these Utah First Friday events.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

"The Gardener's Wife": Heart-Rhythms Put to Song

I paced the kitchen and sometimes the wooden planks would creak as I wondered what could be the tune of another song within "The Gardener's Wife" story.

The lullaby within the story with the words and lyrics came so fast to my mind that I half expected the same to happen with the grieving/pleading song.

As there is not a piano in my home, I could not tinker with the keys. Instead, I had to resort to humming, pausing, and determining if that tune was one I wanted to pursue.

My mp3 recorder was in my hand, always at the ready, in case a tune came.

I had the words for the song, which had three verses to be sung at different times in the story. Upon the whiteboard that hung by the refrigerator, I created words that Holly Robison could sing. This way she could harmonize on some lines and also sing different words at the same time I sung others.

Whenever Holly would sing within the story, I imagined that she represented the thoughts of the Gardener's Wife. Whenever I sang, then these were the words the Gardener's Wife sung out loud. I would sing solo the first three lines. Holly would sing a different tune for the first two lines of the chorus and then harmonize with me on the last line.

Below are the verses with Holly's extra parts in parentheses.

Verse 1:
A silent cradle.
A silent room.
A silent home much like a tomb.

Chorus:
Oh when oh when (please tell me when)
Will my wish be (deep in my heart)
In my arms to see.

Verse 2:
A lonely heartache.
A lonely hand.
A lonely baby from another land.

Chorus repeated

Verse 3:
An empty table.
An empty chair.
An empty family that should be there.
Chorus repeated

Finally, after recording a couple tunes for the lyrics, one stuck in my head.

I noticed that this tune was similar to the tune of the lullaby. That made me smile.

In life we have joy and we have sorrow. You cannot have life without one or the other. In this way, the lullaby and the grieving/pleading song complement each other. The lullaby becomes more sweet and the grieving/pleading song becomes more sad. Together, we have a complete person who sings these songs. For this story, it meant the Gardener's Wife.

Even the rhythm of the song had a kind of heartbeat to it with a "thum, tha, tha" and "thum, tha, tha" sound throughout.

I was excited to share this discovery with Holly, especially as I could not sing both parts during the chorus to make sure that the tunes created would work.

Though deep in my heart, I knew.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

"The Gardener's Wife": Completed French Scenes

It was time to sharpen the pencil as it was apparent that the French Scenes for "The Gardener's Wife" needed to be finished before having a successful practice of telling the story.

It was not enough to read a story over and over again to understand its essence. By reflecting on the environment, character feelings, and what made the plot move forward, the whole story became real.

Despite the pondering, I never wrote out what exactly I would say. I did not want the story to become frozen to certain words. I wanted a flow that could change after each telling.

Here are the complete French Scenes for this Colombian story--
***Please note that the Gardener's Wife will simply be known as Wife. I have also included the first 4 scenes from a previous post so that all 15 scenes could be seen here.

Scene 1:
Enter Wife
Exit Husband

Environment--

• Inside house looking out to garden
• Fall time for Colombia (or late summer)
• Beautiful day--sun, blue sky, hear birds and breeze

Character/Feelings--

• Wife--longing, wishful, hopeful, happy/sad, bewildered at husband's view
• Husband--happy, befuddled at the answer that his wife wants of him, preoccupied with work

***Both have feelings of love and playfulness

Moving Plot Forward--

• Establish that the Wife and Husband are childless

Scene 2:
Enter Thoughts about the 3 Sisters
Exit with Triple Weddings

Environment--

• Garden--flowers will trigger memories about the village gossip
• Same day as Scene 1--still beautiful day
• Eventually memories transport from Garden to the Castle and Castle Grounds for weddings

Character/Feelings--

• Wife--reflecting on comical "story", eye to detail, honored
• All Sisters--joking, playful, dreamy, hungry
  
• 1st Sister--(oldest)--leader and turns jealous and resentful
• 2nd Sister--(middle)--follows the oldest Sister but likes the 3rd Sister's answer best
• 3rd Sister--(youngest)--has bigger vision and spoiled

Moving Plot Forward--

• Explains vengeance of two older Sisters towards the youngest (leads to babies switched)
• Emphasize indifference of the King

Scene 3:
Enter Pregnant 3rd Sister
Exit 1st Baby Boy

Environment--

• Castle and Castle Grounds with buzz by subjects of 1st born and turns to gasp/silence as discover the dog
  
• 10 months later
• Midwife Room
• River

Character/Feelings--

• 3rd Sister (pregnant)--loud, in pain, sleep deprived
• 1st Sister (leader of scheme)--even more jealous, conniving, vengeful, grumpy
• 2nd Sister (follower of scheme)--same as 1st Sister except nervous, worried to get caught
• King--unconcerned, indifferent
• 1st Baby Boy--quiet otherwise people would not believe the dog was born in its place

Moving Plot Forward--

• Strange reactions for Queen and King of baby "dog", though Queen feels like something is missing later on
• Baby will arrive to the Wife and Husband so the audience will know to whom the Baby belongs

Scene 4:
Enter Wife and Husband
Exit Wife with 1st Baby Boy into Home

Environment--

• Outside at Garden near River
• Beautiful day

Character/Feelings--

• Wife--grieving, longing, despair, hopeless (another 10 months childless), then turns to surprise, curious, joy, tenderness, love, celebration, praising, thankful, wonder
• Husband--happy, confused, worries more of where Baby comes from, otherwise same as the Wife
• 1st Baby Boy--loved, content, though ill from being tossed on the water, tired when hears lullaby until completely asleep

Moving Plot Forward--

• 1st Baby Boy has Home

Scene 5:
Enter Pregnant 3rd Sister
Exit 2nd Baby Boy

Environment--

• Castle and Castle Grounds with buzz by subjects of 2nd born and turns to quieter than 1st gasp as discover the cat as starting to get used to the idea
  
• 10 months later
• Midwife Room
• River

Character/Feelings--

• 3rd Sister--(pregnant)--loud, in pain, sleep deprived
• 1st Sister--(leader of scheme)--even more jealous, conniving, vengeful, grumpy
• 2nd Sister--(follower of scheme)--same as 1st Sister except nervous, worried to get caught
• King--unconcerned, indifferent
  
• 2nd Baby Boy--quiet (otherwise people wouldn't believe the cat was born)

Moving Plot Forward--

• Strange reactions for Queen and King of baby "cat", though Queen feels like something is missing later on
• Baby will arrive to the Wife and Husband so the audience will know to whom the Baby belongs

Scene 6:
Enter Wife and Husband
Exit Wife with 2nd Baby Boy into Home

Environment--

• Outside at Garden near River
• Beautiful day

Character/Feelings--

• Wife--happy yet grieving and longing for another child, as if someone is missing, baby needs a playmate, then turns to surprise, curious, joy, tenderness, love, celebration, praising, thankful, no longer wonders where baby came from--it is a blessing
• Husband--happy, confused, worries even more of where Baby comes from, otherwise same as the Wife
• 2nd Baby Boy--loved, content, though ill from being tossed on the water, tired when hears lullaby until completely asleep

Moving Plot Forward--

• 2nd Baby Boy has Home

Scene 7:
Enter Pregnant 3rd Sister
Exit Baby Girl

Environment--

• Castle and Castle Grounds with buzz by subjects of 2nd born and turns to rolling of eyes and is "same-o-same-o" as discover the stick
  
• 10 months later
• Midwife Room
• River

Character/Feelings--

• 3rd Sister--(pregnant)--loud, in pain, sleep deprived
• 1st Sister--(leader of scheme)--even more jealous, conniving, vengeful, grumpy
• 2nd Sister--(follower of scheme)--same as 1st Sister except nervous, worried to get caught
• King--unconcerned, indifferent, almost amused
  
• Baby Girl--quiet (otherwise people wouldn't believe the stick was born)

Moving Plot Forward--

• Strange reactions for Queen and King of baby "stick", though Queen feels like something is missing later on
• Baby Girl will arrive to the Wife and Husband and so the audience will know to whom the Baby belongs

Scene 8:
Enter Wife and Husband
Exit Wife with Baby Girl into Home

Environment--

• Outside at Garden near River
• Beautiful day

Character/Feelings--

• Wife--happy yet grieving and longing for another child, as if someone is missing, then turns to surprise, curious, joy, tenderness, love, celebration, praising, thankful, no longer wonders where baby came from--it is a blessing
• Husband--happy, confused, worries even more of where Baby comes from, otherwise same as the Wife
• Baby Girl--loved, content, though ill from being tossed on the water, tired when hears lullaby until completely asleep

Moving Plot Forward--

• Baby Girl has Home

Scene 9:
Enter Queen into Garden
Exit Queen to Castle and Wife/Boy to Home

Environment--

• Garden
• Beautiful day

Character/Feelings--

• Queen--empty, lonely, silent--much like the grieving/pleading song of the Wife (something is missing and stirs inside when she sees the Boy, but she mistakes it and asks for three things for the Garden)
  
• 1st Boy--afraid at first when sees the Queen (royalty), then calms when Wife comes
• Wife--senses that she just met the birth mother, though does not voice it

Moving Plot Forward--

• Quest is given for the 1st Boy, which will soon go to all the Children

Scene 10:
Enter 1st Boy into World for Quest and Hermit
Exit 1st Boy as transformed being

Environment--

• Jungles
• Mule for transportation

Character/Feelings--

• 1st Boy--honored to go on quest, surprised by Hermit, saddened by insults, never knew his real mother, conflicted because he loves Wife as mother, grieved so Insulting Voice overcomes him
• Hermit--senses insecurity, gives warning
• Bird/Tree/Water--quiet
• Wife--worried as sees glass of water turns half blood
  

Moving Plot Forward--

• 1st Boy fails Quest and 2nd Boy must go

Scene 11:
Enter 2nd Boy into World for Quest and Hermit
Exit 2nd Boy as transformed being

Environment--

• Jungles
• Mule for transportation

Character/Feelings--

• 2nd Boy--honored like his brother to go on quest, though wonders why he always has to be 2nd, surprised by Hermit, frustrated and angry by the insults and shouts back (insults bird, tree, water, and voice), Insulting Voice overcomes him
• Hermit--senses anger, gives warning
• Bird/Tree/Water--quiet
• Wife--worried as sees glass of water turns all blood
  

Moving Plot Forward--

• 2nd Boy fails Quest and Girl must go

Scene 12:
Enter Girl into World for Quest and Hermit
Exit Hermit

Environment--

• Jungles
• Mule for transportation

Character/Feelings--

• Girl--humbled to go and find brothers and fulfill Quest
• Hermit--senses quiet confidence, encourages it, kinder to the Girl, knows she will succeed
• Bird--shouts "Hail the Hero comes forth"
• Tree-dancing
• Water--jumping and leaping
• 1st and 2nd Boys--revived through Girl's breath from crystal balls to humans again, relieved, ashamed (given names Bama'n and Pa'rvis)
  

Moving Plot Forward--

• Quest fulfilled through Girl
• Boys are revived
• Able to return and present items to Queen

Scene 14:
Enter Queen, King, and Two Sisters to Wife/Husband's Home
Exit Two Sisters for punishment

Environment--

• Garden
• Inside Home
• Beautiful day

Character/Feelings--

• Queen--senses there is something more to this meeting
• King--impressed by the pearls in the squash, money talks more to him
• 1st Sister--surprised that the King and Queen did not figure out the baby switch before
• 2nd Sister--regrets following the 1st Sister than the 3rd Sister, knows with that decision comes the consequences
• Wife--senses there is something more to this meeting
• Husband--nervous to be host for the King
• 1st Boy--insecurity melts when knows he is of noble blood
• 2nd Boy--temper melts when knows who he is and must act with dignity
• Girl--same as she ever was as had strength from Wife (the one who raised her)
• Bird--wants justice for the Two Sisters and blessings to come on the family of the Wife
  

Moving Plot Forward--

• Scheme of Two Sisters discovered
• Queen (birth mother) reunited with Children
• Wife/Husband/Children invited to live in Castle
• Mother who brought them into the world together with Mother who taught them how to live in the world

Scene 15:
Enter Wife as Grandma
Exit with Grandchildren and Lullaby

Environment--

• Within Castle
• Goes for walks with Grandchildren to the Garden

Character/Feelings--

• Wife/Grandma--content, sings lullaby for Grandchildren
• Grandchildren--beaming with their Grandmother

Moving Plot Forward--

• Mother who once had no Children now has many

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Wisconsin Parents Fly for Utah Premiere

This picture was posted by permission of my parents.

Last night it seemed my parents would not come to the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" premiere.

Mom explained how nervous she would be to fly during the winter.

Then that all changed.

Before I walked out the door to attend Cub Scouts Roundtable Training, I received another call from Mom.

She asked, "So. . .you have room at your house?"

"Whoo-hoo!" I yelled so my husband, Casey, and the whole neighborhood knew my joy.

I started to walk wildly back and forth, which is my way to release the energy during such a moment. I would be late for the Roundtable Training, but I did not care!

I thought about the journey to this "yes" from Mom and Dad.

My Mom had clicked "maybe" when I invited her to the event through the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" Facebook support group. That had given me hope for at least a month.

I called Elizabeth Ellis, my professor from the East Tennessee State University Storytelling Masters program and guest emcee for the event. I told her that usually a Mom "maybe" transformed into "yes". Elizabeth wished that it would be true, though she doubted, especially considering the distance from Utah to Wisconsin.

When it appeared that the "maybe" could really turn into a "no", I was disappointed though I could not blame Mom and Dad for that possible answer.

I stressed to Mom that I did not know when I would do anything even close to what I was doing for this premiere. I painted a picture for Mom as to all the details (and money) being placed into this premiere.

At this point, Mom mentioned that they wanted to come to Utah for the 2009 Christmas. I had to laugh, as December was a winter month like February. What happened to her fear to fly during the winter?

Then I said, "Would you be able to trade the Christmas trip for the premiere? There will always be more Christmases."

I expected Mom would want to discuss with Dad, which she did.

Then tonight I received the news: they would be coming.

Their seats have since been reserved on the front row of the Covey Center for the Arts Grand Theater.

Before my parents response, I had already heard from my brother, Nate. He took off work and committed to drive from Idaho to Utah. He also has a front row seat.

My sister, Care, will be missed as she has college classes in Wisconsin and cannot fly with my parents. She will be missed. I told her about what I plan to film on premiere day so she feels part of the event. (You will need to attend and/or pre-order the DVD to find out what that will be.)

And my husband, Casey? He will be there next to my parents and brother. Casey is my constant story appreciator through which we will live "eternally ever after".

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Poster Pick-up: Surprises that made me Smile

Thanks to Jennifer Sherman and Dean Hillan from the Bell Printing and Design for phenomenal service as well as granting permission to post their picture.

I received the call.

I could drive to the Bell Printing and Design to double check that the light blue background for the posters will really be light blue versus a blue-purple that happened to the postcards through PrintsMadeEasy.com.

Jennifer Sherman, the Customer Service lady, greeted me and showed how Dean Hillan, the Press Room Manager, converted my digital file to their machines.

Now Dean has a trademark of creating a smiley face on the artwork. When it comes time to printing, the smiley face is no longer on the file. Yet, the image usually finds itself on the box in which the posters are packaged.

Who could resist a smile with a tradition like that?

It was apparent that Dean loved his job and it made it a pleasure to work with him.

After confirming that the light blue was the shade desired, Dean asked, "When do you want your posters?"

I was unsure how to answer as I knew that print jobs usually took a few business days to complete.

"I would like them by Monday at the latest."

Then Dean surprised me and said, "How about in one hour?"

How else could I respond but with a beaming smile and a big "Uh, yes! That would be great! Really?"

During the short hour wait, my schedule was rearranged so posters could be placed at the Weber County Library and Davis County Library systems as soon as I had them.

When the posters were handed to me, Dean said that he printed 10 extra posters free of charge.

With the quick and quality service from Bell Printing and Design (in particular Jennifer Sherman and Dean Hillan), I knew I would work with them in the future.

They won a friend.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

"Forsaken Brother": When a Practice goes Right

After practicing the "Forsaken Brother" story, I had to smile.

Last week I was so nervous to tell the story for fear of making mistakes. Julie Barnson, my story buddy, had mentioned that I seemed to force the words out rather than have the flow I usually have when I tell.

Today I seemed to be on a journey to the lake, hills, and trees that permeate this story. I enjoyed the images and the words came more freely.

Not only had my confidence soured, but I told the story without stopping or major stumblings. There are still word choices to polish, but overall the telling was good.

Last night I reviewed elements of Ojibwa culture from the Juvenile Literature books. In particular, I focused on images within each of the seasons.

Summer = Neebing

• Wild strawberries, raspberries, cherries, and June berries
• Corn ripened
• Blueberries dot the forest floor

Fall = Dagwaging

• Splendor of red, yellow, and orange leaves
• Women harvest the crops
• Paddle in birch bark canoes on lakes and marshes to gather wild rice that grows as three to five feet tall grasses

Winter = Beboong

• Snowshoes on so to search for deer and rabbit
  
• Silhouettes against purple sky
• Rivers and lakes disappear under the snow
• Scattered and isolated camps so families can survive the long and bitter season

Spring = Zeegwung

• Tap maple trees for maple sugar
• Thawed earth is time to dig with sticks to plant seeds of corn, beans, and squash
• Spear hunt fish during night time when ice thaws from winter
  

Some of these images were shared for the story.

Of most importance was the night time fish spear hunting. When I read a version of "Forsaken Brother" for the first time, I always imagined that the brother went during the day. Reading about the culture let me know that it was at night, which made this scene of the story more eerie and haunting. The climax happens during this time.

Though it was a great practice, I still need to figure out how to tell the story "Nanabozho and Winter-Maker" within "Forsaken Brother".

As the overall mood of "Forsaken Brother" is sad and gloomy, the telling of "Nanabozho and Winter-Maker" is a chance to lighten the mood and bring in humor. This Nanabozho story could be told in a fairy tale type way. Besides, the audience will be able to better distinguish between the two stories easier if done in a different style.

Meanwhile, guitarist Joshua Payne experimented with soundscapes. He had a chime-like sound during the Nanabozho story that worked extremely well. When we got to the climax, the increased tension and energy to the story reflected in his playing, which, in turn, inspired me to increase my energy even more.

It is fascinating how the "Forsaken Brother" story has evolved since 2005.

When a story evolves, then it has life. When a story has life, then it continues to evolve.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Posters: Finding the Print Shop with Pizazz

Though my "Save the Date" postcards were printed, there were still posters for the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" premiere to produce.

I had to find a company other than PrintsMadeEasy.com to print the posters. That online company specialized in postcards and business cards.

This time I wanted to choose a local print shop so I could easily drive to the place and authorize the coloring before the mass printing. My posters needed to have the light blue background and not the blue-purple as what happened with the postcards.

If the print shop had a listing online but no website, then I automatically crossed them off my list.

Finally, I discovered Bell Printing and Design.

As I scoured the website, I looked for hints that Bell Printing was a print shop and not a copy center. Higher quality would most likely be at a print shop where heavier and more expensive equipment filled the building.

My trip to Belling Printing and Design happened to be on a slippery and snow-filled day. The drive was a little dangerous, but I made it into the driveway without a scratch.

I brought a poster I liked from a different storytelling event to show what I wanted for the premiere posters. As I was unaware of print shop lingo, then the workers could "translate".

While waving the poster I said, "I like thick and heavy paper with a glossy front".

Bell Printing and Design interpreted this to mean "I like 11 X 17 posters with Blue White Carolina C1S Cover Ultra Light 94 12pt, Digital Press on 1 side".

I asked for a quote on 100 posters. It would be $72.50.

I had budgeted one hundred dollars for the posters so I happy to have an extra $27.50 to apply to another area for the premiere.

I insisted on a color check before all 100 posters would be printed. Fortunately, there was no extra charge for this service.

I knew the printing would take a few business days, but I was excited to see the results.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller