The Business of Storytelling

I don't know if I mentioned that I was in graduate school earning my Masters of Science in Entertainment Business. I am an online student at Full Sail University. I am currently in a course called Business Storytelling and Brand Development and this post will be about an assignment I received. 

As an assignment, I was to listen to TED.COM and find a speaker that inspired me. I found one and his name is, Joe Sabia. It wasn't necessary the speaker that inspired me but the topic that he was presenting. That topic was the evolution of the book and how we tell stories.

I would like to find new ways to tell stories. Traditional ways of storytelling has been through painted on walls, written in books, performed, orally and various other ways. I would like to use the   Internet to tell the world some of the stories that I have in my head.

Not too long ago, my husband showed me a book called Operation Ajax, and it was an interactive graphic novel that completely blew my mind about how stories could be told to this new generation of onliners, Ipad'ers and iphone'ers. 

Joe Sabia began his presentation describing how Lothar Meggendorfer changed the way children's books were made by inventing the popup book. It was a new way to see and read stories. As a child, I loved reading popup books. It bothered me that the stories never evolved but I enjoyed them because they were visually stimulating to me. 

The reason I called this blog, The Business of Storytelling is because storytelling is a business. Hundreds of books are sold each year to children and that business makes money. What inspired me about Sabia’s speech was the evolution of storytelling and how it is not a new idea but an inevitable journey. 

I was inspired by Operation Ajax and now want to write my own interactive graphic novel. My novel is a story about three sons and their medieval adventures in a mythical world. The sons are bi-racial and reflect the positive images needed for minorities in the world of literature. 

Stop watching someone else’s dream and start creating yours!

Hello Gorgeous,

Years ago I heard something that I can't seem to get out of my mind. When I heard it, I knew that I would remember it forever because it rang so true to my situation at the time. That “something” always pops into my mind when I am watching television for a while. It is the amount of time that I spend doing exactly what someone else planned for me to do. That I have been brained washed into watching complete nonsense and spectacle. I am watching someone else's dream that came true.

I start to think about what I could have accomplished in that amount of time. Can you imagine what you could create if you turned off the TV and wrote your own 30-minute situation comedy? What could happen if you created an idea of the next hit show?

This is what motivates me to write while I watch my addiction of MSNBC. It is hard for me to just turn my TV off when I want to know what’s going on in the political world. I need to know but I get mad at myself when I look around and have spent two hours watching it.

The point is that someone thought about that show that you like to watch every week. It was their idea and they worked hard to get you addicted but what about the show you thought about five years ago. Watching TV for hours on ends is a waste of your time and creative talents. 

Of course I am not really asking you to give up on TV because what happens when I do get my show on TV and no one is watching. I am simply saying that when you are watching; take some time to pursue your dreams. Plan to write something that day or use that TV time to think of ideas during the commercials.

 Stop watching someone else’s dream and start creating yours!

5 Reasons why you should not cancel the show!

Hello Gorgeous,

After weeks of rehearsals, costume malfunctions, forgotten lines and crying spells, you may be at the point where you feel the show needs to be cancelled. The kids don't know their lines, the parents don't bring the kids and your set is nowhere to be found. Did I mention today is Tuesday and the show is on Saturday?

I can't tell you how many times I have been here. I have just wanted to walk out on the show and find a beach. On the beach, I would open a drink stand and never where shoes again. I have had this thought more than once.

5 Reason why you should not cancel the show:

1) You’ve already listed your season

If you are like us, your season was decided, printed and promoted months in advance. Whether you believe it or not, there are people coming to see your show. You can't let them down. If you do, then they will not ever come to another show. 

2) You need the money

If you are like us, you have already spent money on the production and you need to get some of your money back. Set pieces were bought, costumes have been stitched and rights have been bought. Going through with the show will bring a return to at least help you break even. 

3) You will regret it

I live with so many regrets that adding another would be devastating. I would think everyday about whether I should have gone through with the show. You know the old expression, "The show must go on." No regrets.

4) The parents will come through 

Sometimes my parents drive me crazier than the kids do. They really believe that their kid is all I think about day in and day out. They take vacations in the middle of tech week. Yes that has happened. I wanted to pull my hair out and then theirs. I have found out that if you really communicate with parents, they will see the vision and provide help. All you have to do is ask, and then ask a few more times. 

5) It will be a great show!

This is my last point. You may not believe it right now but it will be a great show. No one will see the bad costumes, the chaos backstage and know that the lead forgot two scenes. Parents love to see their kids onstage and will be forgiving about just anything. I know as a professional you want it the best it could be but you sometimes just have to accept the way it is. I have not EVER had a good dress rehearsal. EVER! I have now realized that a bad dress is a prerequisite for a good show. 

So, just hang in there and push through. You won't regret it. 

All things creative,

Enrika