- Joined
- Nov 17, 2008
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I've started going to The Moth (www.themoth.org ) story slams. They are each month in Detroit, 3 or 4 times a month in tcotu, and in Chicago and LA. There is a theme, say "Food" or "Danger." Here (Detroit) they get 25 people or so with a story- they draw 10 names and those 10 tell their story- 5-6 minutes only.
It really is fun. The down side of the one here is that it gets so packed you have to be at the bar before 5 to get a table and the stories don't start until 7.
Storytelling is important, but to win you need a good story- (the stories are supposed to be true)
On a recent night my friend and I went for "danger." I didn't get drawn, he did, the 2nd of the 10. He told the story of working with an insane guy who threatened him. He told it quite well and was in first until the 6th.
The 6th story was a girl who was riding a motorcycle with her friend on the back going 80 on the expressway and her friend passed out. Quite scary.
Technique not as good as my friend, but scores much higher.
None of it mattered, because story 9 was at 9:30 and the crowd was pretty trashed. Mr. Story 9 tore his foreskin masturbating in the shower and was forced to call his mother to help bandage and take hm to the hospital, and at the hospital it got worse. Poor technique, but a "tear your foreskin while masturbating" story scores high with a drunk crowd.
I wonder how that applies to written stories. My stories tend to be quiet things about people stuck in dull situations, so I'm dead if the whole world wants a "falling off the back of a motorcycle" story.
I'm sure it differs for genre, but I wonder how much of really hitting a short story out is the writing and how much is the plot one dreams up..
It really is fun. The down side of the one here is that it gets so packed you have to be at the bar before 5 to get a table and the stories don't start until 7.
Storytelling is important, but to win you need a good story- (the stories are supposed to be true)
On a recent night my friend and I went for "danger." I didn't get drawn, he did, the 2nd of the 10. He told the story of working with an insane guy who threatened him. He told it quite well and was in first until the 6th.
The 6th story was a girl who was riding a motorcycle with her friend on the back going 80 on the expressway and her friend passed out. Quite scary.
Technique not as good as my friend, but scores much higher.
None of it mattered, because story 9 was at 9:30 and the crowd was pretty trashed. Mr. Story 9 tore his foreskin masturbating in the shower and was forced to call his mother to help bandage and take hm to the hospital, and at the hospital it got worse. Poor technique, but a "tear your foreskin while masturbating" story scores high with a drunk crowd.
I wonder how that applies to written stories. My stories tend to be quiet things about people stuck in dull situations, so I'm dead if the whole world wants a "falling off the back of a motorcycle" story.
I'm sure it differs for genre, but I wonder how much of really hitting a short story out is the writing and how much is the plot one dreams up..
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