What do you think?
Rate this book
Story Power: Secrets to Creating, Crafting, and Telling Memorable Stories
“…learn how to bring your own stories to life on the page, on the stage, around a campfire, or a dinner table.” — Mary Jo McConahay , award-winning journalist
Winner 2020 Indie Book Award for Non-Fiction Writing/Publishing
CIBA I&I (Instructional & Insightful) Non-Fiction Awards Finalist
#1 New Release in Writing Researching & Publishing Guides
The art of telling stories has been around as long as humans. And in today’s noisy, techy, automated world, storytelling is not only prevalent―it’s vital. Whether you're interested in enlivening verbal communication, building your business brand, making presentations, sharing family wisdom, or performing on stage, Story Power shows you how to make use of a good story. Tell your story. Telling stories is the most effective verbal communication―if you know how to use it. Story Power provides techniques for creating and framing personal stories alongside effective tips for telling them in any setting. Plus, this book models stories with unique storytelling examples, exercises, and prompts, as well as storytelling techniques for delivery in a spontaneous, authentic style. Learn from the verbal communication experts. Story Power is an engaging, lively guide to the art of telling stories from author and librarian Kate Farrell, a seasoned storyteller and founder of the Word Weaving Storytelling Project. In Story Power , more than twenty skillful contributors with a range of diverse voices share their secrets to creating, crafting, and telling tales. In this book Booklovers who have read Storyworthy , The Storyteller's Secret , Long Story Short , or the classic How to Win Friends & Influence People , will find Story Power to be a great read.
Winner 2020 Indie Book Award for Non-Fiction Writing/Publishing
CIBA I&I (Instructional & Insightful) Non-Fiction Awards Finalist
#1 New Release in Writing Researching & Publishing Guides
The art of telling stories has been around as long as humans. And in today’s noisy, techy, automated world, storytelling is not only prevalent―it’s vital. Whether you're interested in enlivening verbal communication, building your business brand, making presentations, sharing family wisdom, or performing on stage, Story Power shows you how to make use of a good story. Tell your story. Telling stories is the most effective verbal communication―if you know how to use it. Story Power provides techniques for creating and framing personal stories alongside effective tips for telling them in any setting. Plus, this book models stories with unique storytelling examples, exercises, and prompts, as well as storytelling techniques for delivery in a spontaneous, authentic style. Learn from the verbal communication experts. Story Power is an engaging, lively guide to the art of telling stories from author and librarian Kate Farrell, a seasoned storyteller and founder of the Word Weaving Storytelling Project. In Story Power , more than twenty skillful contributors with a range of diverse voices share their secrets to creating, crafting, and telling tales. In this book Booklovers who have read Storyworthy , The Storyteller's Secret , Long Story Short , or the classic How to Win Friends & Influence People , will find Story Power to be a great read.
- GenresWritingNonfiction
272 pages, Paperback
Published June 16, 2020
3 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 28, 2020
Even a brief visit to a good-sized bookstore will reveal row upon row of writing books. Not the blank books, waiting for your thoughts (although there are lots of those, too.) The books about how to write, and what to write and when to write—it seems like anyone with a published book or an MFA needs to share their secrets to help you, too, write your story.
So what is the appeal of “Story Power” by Kate Farrell? Is this just another “write what you know” lecture?
Not hardly.
Farrell’s approach is focused primarily on memoir, the writing of one’s own story. Rather than an airy wave towards the “share your truth” school, Farrell believes in setting out the steps, exploring, analyzing and taking notes. Put in the work, one can imagine her saying, and you will be rewarded.
In the first chapters, she takes broad themes, such as “Childhood & Coming of Age.” After a brief introduction with fairly standard advice—purge yourself of distractions, find a place to write—she gets down to business: ruminate on your childhood, find a bit of the past and let it into your mind. If it won’t come willingly, drag it, shape it, find it in tiny bits of memory that you may not realize you remember.
Summon the smells, the sounds, the feelings. Pile up these bits and pieces in your notebook until larger pictures form. Farrell provides useful (and some not-so-useful) questions to help revive the memory until it is a scene. Once a scene is created, one must judge whether the scene can be a story.
She gives us examples. A memory of crabbing with her brother, bringing the catch home, watching her mother cook the crabs is a sweet, evocative and warm scene. But, Farrell admonishes, it isn’t a story. There’s not enough action and no conflict. In contrast, she offers a tale of sneaking into the garden of a seemingly abandoned house, exploring the garden and almost being caught by an angry caretaker. It isn’t “Moby Dick” but the piece has all the elements of a story.
How did a scene become a story? Under the heading “Crafting,” Farrell explains. Then, to share her process, she strips down her story to the barest outline. 1. Setting; 2. Characters; 3. First scene; 4. Second Scene, rising action… And so forth.
Then, it’s your turn. Farrell provides a generous supply of prompts and exercises to begin
your own collection of scenes and stories.
The early sections follow roughly the same pattern:
A theme—Adventure Stories, Family Secrets, etc.
“Crafting”—the nuts and bolts of coaxing memory from scraps to full scenes with examples of a scene and a story.
“Layers of Meaning,” discussing how the story is more than meets the eye.
“Telling”—the barebones outlines of the story.
“Creating” the story.
The parts most people will flip to are “Exercises and Prompts.” The prompts are, again, not a blithe “Today I found the most wonderful….” sort. Rather, they are the nuts and bolts: create a timeline. Find the action. Detail the characters. Trace the climax. On first reading, this strict array of examples and rules caught me short. Wasn’t this a bit, well, old-fashioned?
Yet, as I continued to read, the sheer good sense of the method struck me. Every writer has faced the blank page, the unblinking screen, or even the implacable voice recorder, wondering how to start. Farrell starts from that point. This is how the words come out—first, as disconnected images and sensations, tied into scenes, then woven into stories. She uses her own work to demonstrate both success and failure, or at least, not quite success.
If you resist the concept of outlining as akin to performing dentistry on yourself, Farrell lets you explore other paths to writing. She opens up the book to other writers, providing a view to their process. KJ Landis tells of writing as a means of creating a one woman show. Waights Taylor Jr. uncovering the bigoted stranger who was his father. Joan Gelfand speaking of “novel fever.” So many different writers, different styles, different voices sharing their methods of producing a story. As a bonus, Farrell has a chapter on how to tell a story orally. How to break it down, find the rhythm, converse with your audience or present more formally.
There is a selection of tools in the back, that, frankly, I found unnecessary. A blank story board, “mind map,” or empty outline seemed more like filler. With the wealth of stories, prompts, and examples provided, why have a page of six grey boxes captioned “Story Board?” But that is a nitpick.
“Story Power” is one of those books which will become dog-eared and messy, studded with paper slips, crammed into the laptop bag or the back pocket. It is a book to get you writing. If you never read more than the first three chapters, you will be writing.
If you get to the end, you may just be inspired.
This book was reviewed for Story Circle Book Reviews by D. Ferrara.
So what is the appeal of “Story Power” by Kate Farrell? Is this just another “write what you know” lecture?
Not hardly.
Farrell’s approach is focused primarily on memoir, the writing of one’s own story. Rather than an airy wave towards the “share your truth” school, Farrell believes in setting out the steps, exploring, analyzing and taking notes. Put in the work, one can imagine her saying, and you will be rewarded.
In the first chapters, she takes broad themes, such as “Childhood & Coming of Age.” After a brief introduction with fairly standard advice—purge yourself of distractions, find a place to write—she gets down to business: ruminate on your childhood, find a bit of the past and let it into your mind. If it won’t come willingly, drag it, shape it, find it in tiny bits of memory that you may not realize you remember.
Summon the smells, the sounds, the feelings. Pile up these bits and pieces in your notebook until larger pictures form. Farrell provides useful (and some not-so-useful) questions to help revive the memory until it is a scene. Once a scene is created, one must judge whether the scene can be a story.
She gives us examples. A memory of crabbing with her brother, bringing the catch home, watching her mother cook the crabs is a sweet, evocative and warm scene. But, Farrell admonishes, it isn’t a story. There’s not enough action and no conflict. In contrast, she offers a tale of sneaking into the garden of a seemingly abandoned house, exploring the garden and almost being caught by an angry caretaker. It isn’t “Moby Dick” but the piece has all the elements of a story.
How did a scene become a story? Under the heading “Crafting,” Farrell explains. Then, to share her process, she strips down her story to the barest outline. 1. Setting; 2. Characters; 3. First scene; 4. Second Scene, rising action… And so forth.
Then, it’s your turn. Farrell provides a generous supply of prompts and exercises to begin
your own collection of scenes and stories.
The early sections follow roughly the same pattern:
A theme—Adventure Stories, Family Secrets, etc.
“Crafting”—the nuts and bolts of coaxing memory from scraps to full scenes with examples of a scene and a story.
“Layers of Meaning,” discussing how the story is more than meets the eye.
“Telling”—the barebones outlines of the story.
“Creating” the story.
The parts most people will flip to are “Exercises and Prompts.” The prompts are, again, not a blithe “Today I found the most wonderful….” sort. Rather, they are the nuts and bolts: create a timeline. Find the action. Detail the characters. Trace the climax. On first reading, this strict array of examples and rules caught me short. Wasn’t this a bit, well, old-fashioned?
Yet, as I continued to read, the sheer good sense of the method struck me. Every writer has faced the blank page, the unblinking screen, or even the implacable voice recorder, wondering how to start. Farrell starts from that point. This is how the words come out—first, as disconnected images and sensations, tied into scenes, then woven into stories. She uses her own work to demonstrate both success and failure, or at least, not quite success.
If you resist the concept of outlining as akin to performing dentistry on yourself, Farrell lets you explore other paths to writing. She opens up the book to other writers, providing a view to their process. KJ Landis tells of writing as a means of creating a one woman show. Waights Taylor Jr. uncovering the bigoted stranger who was his father. Joan Gelfand speaking of “novel fever.” So many different writers, different styles, different voices sharing their methods of producing a story. As a bonus, Farrell has a chapter on how to tell a story orally. How to break it down, find the rhythm, converse with your audience or present more formally.
There is a selection of tools in the back, that, frankly, I found unnecessary. A blank story board, “mind map,” or empty outline seemed more like filler. With the wealth of stories, prompts, and examples provided, why have a page of six grey boxes captioned “Story Board?” But that is a nitpick.
“Story Power” is one of those books which will become dog-eared and messy, studded with paper slips, crammed into the laptop bag or the back pocket. It is a book to get you writing. If you never read more than the first three chapters, you will be writing.
If you get to the end, you may just be inspired.
This book was reviewed for Story Circle Book Reviews by D. Ferrara.
August 8, 2020
This book is great for writers and non-writers alike. What I love so much about Story Power is that it feels like being at a storytelling adventure park — you can pick and choose what chapters call to you and what you want to experience/learn. Simply reading all of the stories in the book was so much fun for me. I love the variety of voices! However, I also got so much out of the teachings in the book, especially the chapter on “Trials and Challenges.” I’m writing this during the shelter-in-place of the pandemic and this chapter helped me to get a bigger perspective. It helped me to feel more empowered and positive. Whether you are wanting to connect to people more deeply for a business presentation, to influence someone, to have a closer personal relationship, or simply to communicate more clearly, this book is a great resource. I will turn to it again and again, depending on what kind of story I need to pull out of my pocket to help me with something in my life.
July 19, 2020
This book is aimed at women who want to make their own life experiences memorable, whether during a job interview, on a stage, in a written memoir, or elsewhere. Helpful hints and examples are given throughout. Highly recommended.
July 1, 2020
What is story power? The power of story is articulated in the foreword written by Susan Wittig Albert and guided by the examples, the process and the steps described by the author, Kate Farrell. Storytelling is so much apart of our lives as we share experiences, give advice and educate our children. We tell ourselves stories to explain our lives. We collectively tell stories and realize that others have common experiences. In the process we heal our pain, understand ourselves differently, discover community and even find a new identity.
Storytelling is art.
“We are all a story, a life story.”
Although all of us tell stories, we may not all realize how our stories can engage the listener, offer healing, be more powerful, and have greater impact. Farrell tells us how. She shares diverse examples to reveal the many possibilities and types of stories. These stories not only engage the reader but they help us understand the process of creating, crafting and telling stories. She offers exercises and prompts and delineates the “Seven Stops to Storytelling” demystifying the art of entertaining and meaningful storytelling.
I highly recommend this lively, well-written primer to becoming a master storyteller.
Storytelling is art.
“We are all a story, a life story.”
Although all of us tell stories, we may not all realize how our stories can engage the listener, offer healing, be more powerful, and have greater impact. Farrell tells us how. She shares diverse examples to reveal the many possibilities and types of stories. These stories not only engage the reader but they help us understand the process of creating, crafting and telling stories. She offers exercises and prompts and delineates the “Seven Stops to Storytelling” demystifying the art of entertaining and meaningful storytelling.
I highly recommend this lively, well-written primer to becoming a master storyteller.
July 9, 2020
Kate Farrell has compiled a wealth of information and guidance from storytellers extraordinaire. A flip through the pages brings fresh approaches, instruction, inspiration and clarity for your stories. After the first peruse, you'll keep this book next to your writing space and grab it up each time that ol' friend writers' block comes calling. A great addition to your writing library.
June 15, 2020
I received a complimentary copy.
A great grouping of tips and advice to get you on the way to creating really cool writings. You can easily reference certain pages to come back to later if needed. The book has so many ways to tell a story and great points to get you inspired.
A great grouping of tips and advice to get you on the way to creating really cool writings. You can easily reference certain pages to come back to later if needed. The book has so many ways to tell a story and great points to get you inspired.
September 9, 2020
Storytelling has been around longer than the written word. How can you make your stories more vivid, compelling, and engaging? The tools are in Kate Farrell’s Story Power: Secrets to Creating, Crafting, and Telling Memorable Stories.
According to the Foreword written by Susan Wittig Albert, “author Kate Farrell guides us in the craft of creating and telling unforgettable, true stories for any occasion. She divides her chapters into Creating, Crafting, Telling, Exercises and Prompts. Dozens of authors share their approaches and the result is a rich compilation of techniques and ideas that will turn you into an effective storyteller.
Two recommendations:
Get a copy of the book.
Google Kate Farrell events to find her next Zoom workshop. It will bring her concepts to life.
Whether you’re telling stories to kindergarteners or an audience in a comedy club, Kate Farrell’s Story Power can help you out. Highly recommended!
According to the Foreword written by Susan Wittig Albert, “author Kate Farrell guides us in the craft of creating and telling unforgettable, true stories for any occasion. She divides her chapters into Creating, Crafting, Telling, Exercises and Prompts. Dozens of authors share their approaches and the result is a rich compilation of techniques and ideas that will turn you into an effective storyteller.
Two recommendations:
Get a copy of the book.
Google Kate Farrell events to find her next Zoom workshop. It will bring her concepts to life.
Whether you’re telling stories to kindergarteners or an audience in a comedy club, Kate Farrell’s Story Power can help you out. Highly recommended!
August 27, 2020
Bring Your Stories to Life!
What makes you lean forward when someone tells a story? Why do you keep turning the pages of your favorite novel? The author or orator's ability to tell a story! Kate Farrell's Story Power provides easy-to-follow instructions and numerous examples of the process different people use to craft a wide variety of moving stories. Including topics such as coming-of-age, marketing, and folklore, former librarian Farrell's book gives us all the tools we need to get our stories told. A must have for every writer, public speaker, or entertainer and a great gift for anyone who wants to spin a tale.
What makes you lean forward when someone tells a story? Why do you keep turning the pages of your favorite novel? The author or orator's ability to tell a story! Kate Farrell's Story Power provides easy-to-follow instructions and numerous examples of the process different people use to craft a wide variety of moving stories. Including topics such as coming-of-age, marketing, and folklore, former librarian Farrell's book gives us all the tools we need to get our stories told. A must have for every writer, public speaker, or entertainer and a great gift for anyone who wants to spin a tale.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews