read write prompt #31: being told a story
Published by Tom June 11th, 2008 in Read Write Prompt, Tom.
I struggled a bit to come up with a topic for this prompt. Absolutely nothing seemed like a good idea. Idly, I was flipping through feeds in Google Reader, and came across a post by Kristin Gorski of “Write now is good”.
Our lives are full of the stories we tell: bits about ourselves and those we hear from others….When we are not telling stories, we are listening to them: from close friends and family, from media outlets, from advertisements and marketing campaigns….
Suddenly, I was put in mind of Shelley’s “Ozymandias”:
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter’d visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp’d on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock’d them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
(Wikipedia link for further info on “Ozymandias”)
Shelley is telling us a story here, both a narrative and metaphoric one. The story he is telling us, however, is not the story of the traveller, but the person hearing the traveller. We hear the traveller’s tale, but with a certain distance. We’re told about the statue in a second-hand way, and the framing changes our perceptions of the story.
As writers and artists, we’re the ones telling the stories. Sometimes the stories are narrative, sometimes they are ephemera. As Kristin points out, we are also absorbing stories from others as we go through our day. Your prompt this week is to write a poem where you are being told a story. Perhaps you’ll choose to be as literal about that as Shelley, perhaps you’ll find another way to frame it, but do not let the “I” of the poem tell the story. For this one, let someone else tell the tale.
~Tom.
22 Responses to “read write prompt #31: being told a story”
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Great prompt, Tom. I am drawn to telling stories and I like your take on this: the ‘I’ of the poem has no more seen the statue than us the readers. What we’re getting is a received perspective rather than the original telling, which we modify further in our reception as readers - a sort of Chinese whisper.
What a great challenge. The epic poem by Stephen Vincent Benet, “John Brown’s Body” has always been a favorite of mine. I have toyed with several pieces of my own for years and while not of epic proportion I have several that I like. I believe your prompt has moved me to finish one. Thanks.
I for one would be grateful for advice about narrative or tips on where to get advice. This is a tough one.
Sheesh. I haven’t been around much (my fault) lately…didn’t want you all to forget me, so I posted my “when I watch you” poem today. And now I discover I have to think of a STORY….but I can do this!
Nathan,
I’m with you. I need help. I am not a very good storyteller, so this will be a challenge, even with the I removed!
But because I’m not a natural storyteller, I’ve honed in on what a favorite creative non-fiction teacher told my class recently about story.
” ‘A king died; a queen died.’ This is not a story,” she said.
” ‘A king died; a queen died of a broken heart.’ Now this is story.”
Story requires a change, not just facts or observations.
I hope others will chime in. I’d love to hear more!
another interesting prompt this week… the links were good reads as well.. kristen’s article was excellent for a quick and thoughtful read… kept for reference later… thought provoking prompt and look forward to stretching the mind and pen…till next week
Here you go Tom. I offer up Maerwynn The Plumed Feathered Snake. I will post it again. Hope this is what your you have suggested in your prompt.
Okay, the damn snake bite me. So try this link: Maerwynn the Plumed Feathered Snake.athered-snake/
I give up!
Hello, Tom and Read Write Poem! Thank you so much for including my post in your post. I’m happy to make your acquaintance and to find this poem community! I’ll be back.
Maerwynn the Plumed Feathered Snake
Donald, link your poem next week.
Kristin,
Thanks for visiting; swing by anytime. (And I’ve noticed your blog is a favorite with many of our participants.)
I’m glad you all seem inspired by this prompt; it’s like a chain of inspiration starting with Ira Glass and ending up on your blogs. I’m looking forward to seeing the directions everyone takes this because I am sure there will be some surprising ideas.
I don’t know any particularly great resources on writing narrative, but perhaps this article at Machinima.com would be helpful. It’s about structuring a story and some techniques to make it interesting.
Happy poeming!
I tend to write stories in my poetry, this should not be problem for me. However one never knows. My muse has kind of dried and dying a slow death.
deb, your creative writing teacher was quoting EM Forster’s classic lectures collected as essays in Aspects of the Novel. Awesome book, can’t recommend it enough for anyone readers writers etc.
PS but have no idea what i will post for this prompt!
ok I broke out Forster: “What the story does…is to transform us from readers into listeners” (40)
Acc to Forster (86) “the king died and then the queen died” is a story; “the king died the queen died of grief” is plot.
story makes us ask “and then?”
plot makes us ask “why?”
hope this intrigues folks to check Forster out!
Excellent, AP, excellent!
My teacher did (and does) quote EMF a great deal, and you’ve unmangled the quote (which was probably my doing), and intent.
Thank you. And now I know where to go read for myself.