Telling Your First Story Online

Why Tell a Story Using Online Formats?

Many will say that storytelling online is not the same as telling to a live audience. And that’s true. But it doesn’t mean that online storytelling can’t be effective if used properly.

There are many good reasons to tell virtually. You can reach many more people with your message. There are people in distant areas of the world, home bound and hospital bound people, and so many others that would never be able to share in your stories otherwise.

What Kind of Stories Work Best?

Should I Tell Live or Have It Be Prerecorded?

This is a personal decision but one that should be given a lot of thought. How comfortable are you with the online world? How comfortable are you with technology? If you have never recorded yourself telling stories before, you may want to start there. Get comfortable telling in front of a camera. You may very well have to tell the story a little differently than you would in a live performance. Share your recordings with friends and ask for feedback. Once you are comfortable in front of the camera, then perhaps it is time to try live storytelling. Two options are Zoom and Facebook Live.

How Do I Get Started?

First decide if you are going to offer prerecorded or live storytelling
Start with a story that you think will work best in this format
Will you be using props, instruments, etc.? How will you maneuver these in relation to the technology?
What kind of equipment do you need?
What kind of backdrop do you want behind you? If you want something other than the walls of the room that you are recording in, do you have a green screen or even a plain colored sheet that could serve as one?
What will you wear? Often a top that is plain (not green if you’re using a green screen) works best. Do you look your best?
Once your set up is complete, try making a recording.
Where will you upload your recording? To your own website? To YouTube or Vimeo?
If you are doing a live storytelling, you will still have to do most of the steps above. You will also have to think about scheduling the telling? What time will work best for your audience? How will you interact with a live audience? You may want to mute them while you are telling the actual story otherwise there will likely be a lot of background noise. Make sure to practice with some willing friends so that you can get comfortable with the format.

Things to Consider

Is the video quality high enough? Video that is blurry, choppy, bouncy or distracting in some other way will impact the viewers experience negatively.
Is the audio that you have created of a high enough quality? Static, shifts in volume, and other audio issues can turn the listener off even if the content is good.
Do you have all of the permissions that you need for music and recordings created by others?