You can be a story teller- start with anecdotes

You can be a story teller- start with anecdotes
Story telling is an art. Strive for the state-of-the-art of story telling.
Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature School on Blog

The word anecdote means unpublished. True to its nature an anecdote is typically oral and ephemeral.It is a short tale narrating an interesting or amusing biographical incident. It is always based on real life, an incident involving actual persons, whether famous or not, in real places. It sets a stage of provocation, more than mere entertainment or narration.

Abraham Lincoln is regarded as the father of the Anecdote. He used it effectively in his administration as president of the United States. And people today use the same technique on many occasions.

Abraham Lincoln, master of the art of telling stories in anecdotes.

What make a good anecdote?

A. It is characterized by

• Witticism

• Humor

• Positivism and inspirational

• Informative and educational

B. It is a combination of these elements that make a good story, depending on the topics and application.

• As a speaker/ resource person

• Presiding in meetings and conferences

• Informal gatherings /parties

• Writing, news, features

• Broadcasting – radio and TV

C. Stories are used as tool in

• Driving a point indirectly and diplomatically

• Hitting the nail on the head, so to speak

• Friendly advice and reminder

• Admiring a person, institution or place

• Tapping a shoulder in words, kudos, congratulations

D. An anecdote is never

• Moralism (Even a homily should strive not to proselytize.)

• Criticism, especially on persons

• Bulgarism – discreet, dignified, unkind words are avoided.

• Familiarism – not all too familiar topics

• Fatalism – bato bato sa langit syndrome

• Propagandism – and not politicizing

Here's a popular anecdote about US President Abraham Lincoln after delivering his famous Gettysburg Address. As a background to the story, Edward Everett a popular elderly to his community was the first to deliver a very long speech before Lincoln delivered his very brief address.

This is how Quote Magazine describes the occasion in an anecdote.

Perhaps Edward Everett talked a bit too long at Gettysburg, but he was an old man then, by the standards of his day – within a few months of his seventieth birthday. And this was the culminating glory of a long career. But Everett was among those who perfected the classic qualities of the Lincoln address. In a note to the President the following day he said: “I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes.”

With his customary graciousness President Lincoln replied: "In our respective parts yesterday, you could not have been excused to make a short address, or I a long one.”

Story telling is an art. Strive for the state-of-the-art of story telling.~