STORYTELLING

 

Blended Stories

There are folk tales, fairytales, myths, and legends. What happens when we combine those with our personal narratives? Themes are magnified; ancient wisdom is connected to current experiences; and a new type of storytelling emerges. This class will guide you to locating an existing story with the same values and messages as your personal story to create a unique blending.

 

Solo Show Creation and Marketing

A solo show is basically a grouping of six or seven stories with an overarching theme or message. We will create and combine your stories to establish the beginning framework for a solo show. We will also cover the mechanics of marketing your show to special interest groups, fringe festivals, and storytelling festivals.

 

Working Paper-Free

Let go of the paper, iPhone, or iPad when you tell your stories. Each week we will explore a different strategy for connecting with your audience without anything that can come between you and them. Techniques include mind mapping, word association, bullet pointing, and nerve-fighting tricks.

 

Story Improv – 90-Second Stories

Individual seminars are loaded with prompts. The objective is to jog your memory with quick suggestions for themes followed by the opportunity to tell a 90-second story. These short, short stories should give you the raw material to create longer pieces for presentation.

 

​​Story Creation

This workshop explores a variety of approaches to telling a story. The first choice may not always be the best. Through a series of exercises, the workshop explores how to create material, how to manipulate material to discover the most effective way to share your story and how to create an environment that feeds your creativity and produces riveting stories.

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3C's: Character Development, Conflict, Conclusion

This workshop will explore the 3 C’s that are the backbone of an effective story - character development, conflict and conclusion. Each person will create the skeleton of a great story using exercises to develop these three powerful elements in their story.

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Story Presenting: Connecting to Emotions

This workshop will deal with telling emotionally based stories. Using present tense to go back in time to relive your emotions as you tell your story, you will connect with your listeners on an empathetic level.

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In Front of the Mic

This workshop will address the practical aspects of telling stories in front of a group of people. Preparation techniques, overcoming stage fright, working with a mic and doing a self-assessment post-mortem are elements that will be addressed through interactive activities.

 

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TAROT

 

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Beginning Tarot

Learn upright meanings of all the cards without memorization. Journaling and shared discoveries make the card meanings personal, not universal. Also, learn basic spreads right away so you can start reading for others quickly.

 

Intermediate Tarot

Learn to read reversals expanding the depth of your readings. Learn more unique and advanced spreads.

 

Advanced Tarot

Learn Tree of Life associations and the practical elements of reading professionally.

 

Tarot Card Reading Workshop

No memorization. Learn to read Tarot the natural way - by forming personal connections with the cards through daily one-card journaling. Begin actually reading cards by the second week. This 13-week program will teach you the Empowered Reading technique - practical, not mystical. The cards don’t predict the future. They give you the information to create the future you desire. Please bring two journals (one with at least 78 pages) and a Rider-Waite Tarot deck to the first class. (Link leads to tarot deck description and choice to buy.)

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Errol McLendon has been a Certified Tarot Grand Master since 2005 and served for five years as vice-president of Education for the American Tarot Association, redesigning the three-level curriculum and proctoring both the mentoring program and the free reading network.