As I was discussing Aimee's story with her I thought about how a good story is built kind of like a good game (video game). In video games (I am a novice/amatuer/noob game designer) there is this concept of minimum viable product. It basically means, what is the minimum number of elements/mechanics/etc. you can put in a game before you play test, or bug test, or ship. So for a Super Mario Bros game, the minimum viable product to begin testing to see if the game is fun is basically movement, jumping, obstacles and pits. You don't need art, or goombas, or koopas, or mushrooms, or warp pipes or any of those other elements.
I think of a story in a similar way, but not so much about the product, but in learning the story itself. What is the minimum story that I can learn/practice/"memorize" (for lack of a better word)/and master before I try to add all of the flavor and details? In other words, in how few words could I tell the skeleton of this story? In how few steps could I break it up? This really helps me learn a story with confidence to get up and do a fair-to-decent job at telling it.
This idea is probably kind of redundant considering that we all already read Lipman's chapters on learning a story, but maybe it can help someone.
I like this Dwayne. There is a similar concept at work in the "What Is It?" game: what is the efficiency in the play? At How much is enough to get the idea across? In learning a story, I think this relates to what we call the "gist" of the story.
ReplyDeleteGist etymology:
gist (n.)
1711, "the real point" (of a law case, etc.), from Anglo-French legalese phrases such as cest action gist "this action lies," from Old French gist en "it consists in, it lies in," from gist (Modern French gît), third person singular present indicative of gésir "to lie," from Latin iacet "it lies," from iacere "to lie, rest," related to iacere "to throw" (see jet (v.)). Extended sense of "essence" first recorded 1823.
Etymology is really like Alice's rabbit hole, isn't it? It can just keep going and going sometimes. Yeah, the gist, is the minimum viable product of a spoken piece. Thanks!
Delete'Essence" yes this is what I look for when learning a story. What is the original intended essence and what do I want to say through this story. The message could be different at various times based on the feel of the audience and the introduction I'd use. David pointed this out today with the 4 variables he used as lead-ins to the Hansel & Gretel story. Each one gave a different emphasis, a different focus for the listeners.
ReplyDeleteI really liked hearing these different versions as well. David really has a way of getting you to turn your story upside down and reexamine it from a variety of different perspectives, doesn't he?
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