Why "Story Teller?"

The Power of a Story

Everyone that knows me knows that even in conversation I describe myself as both a writer and a story teller. (I even purchased business cards recently that have "Writer, Blogger, Storyteller" as the description.)  Well recently a friend of mine asked why I refer to myself as a story teller. You know, instead of simply as a writer. The simplest answer I could give him at the time was that the two are not synonymous or mutually exclusive; just because you write doesn't necessarily mean you tell stories, and being a story teller doesn't mean you necessarily write books. But I think it's a little deeper than that.

You see for him "story teller" makes him think of oral storytelling; the people who learn and recite cultural myths and stories as a means to keep part of a culture alive. But to me a story teller is simply someone who shares tales with others. Those stories might be oral, but they also might be written or interactive like a video game.  They may be folk lore, or they may be historically accurate or even completely made up. And in a weird sort of way, I've begun to think about the world in terms of stories. President Obama's rise to Oval Office. The Seattle Seahawks' journey to become Super Bowl champs. The clash of warring nations. A friend's struggle with depression and substance abuse. Even though you might not be a fan of the character or the story line, all of those are stories. And that's what I see when I look at the world. A collection of stories.

So yes, I write. But I also hope to develop video games and screen plays, and even maybe tell stories orally. My goal in any endeavor is to tell a great story.  Stories make us feel. They teach us lessons. They entertain us. They change our lives. And for me, whether I'm working on writing a book or short story or a plot for a video game, my goal will always be to create a story that does all 4 of those things.

So there it is I suppose: I call myself a story teller because I want to put the emphasis on the stories I tell, not just the things that I write down. Man, I wish I would have thought of that when my friend asked me!