"We don't have to detach ourselves from each other. Knowing the cultural awareness is essential for creating a healthy community ~ Luciana Padilla
Stories create bridges for people's different points of view that cause a evolution of new ideas. The web is a window into the lives of others; and through digital storytelling the separate paths are now made one. In the past stories were told orally around campfires, caves,or taverns, until these tales were put onto paper. Now we can access any form of writing on the Internet with a click of a mouse.
I admit as a Fiction Writer I was not excited about amateur writers creating stories on the web; believing that they were destroying the craft of writing. But recently I have viewed many types of storytelling on the web that have allowed me to be open to the idea of sharing stories online.
Canvas of Creativity:
The quote above comes from Luciana Padilla who created a video titled "My Shoes" on the site Center For Digital Story Telling. Luciana told her story about being a Peru refugee, crossing the border to America, escaping civil war in her home country. She talks about being a lesbian and immigrant suffering from the inequalities she faces everyday from a society that advertises "freedom." Luciana voice brings her story to life, which expresses her pain; the photos of her past, give the video depth and credibility. As a viewer I feel as if I actually know Luciana, since I know the feeling of being discriminated. http://www.storycenter.org/stories/
Collaborating the old craft of oral storytelling with modern day digital video tools, creates an inspiring piece of art. "My Shoes" is an example of how digital storytelling can connect people through experience or common interests.
Sacred Space:
Some Digital Storytelling Websites offer Privacy, but also want members to accept discussions and comments about their stories. Writers who need feedback on their work, want others to respond, to see if they are intriguing the readers. The downside of digital storytelling is that some sites only allow you a set number,a limit of how many characters you can use. For example on twitter, the Alice In Wonderland in Tweets page (Alice in Wonderland ), you can only add one line, then someone else continues.
I remember having to do a similar thing in my middle school Creative Writing Class. One kid started off the story, and everyone else had to give one line until the last kid reached the ending of their own design. Of course this lead to a messed up story that had loop holes, shady-non-descriptive characters, and a middle that didn't fit the conclusion. Writers love the freedom of releasing a river of text, full of imagery, and vivid diction. Except, the American Society today, doesn't want a bunch of text, we simply DON'T HAVE TIME to read it all. Everything has to be quick and to the point.
This need for "Speed" has called some online stories to lack texture, details that fill the gaps and old a completed story that readers can understand. The voice of the writer is very important, though the characters have their own points of views, the writer adds his own personality through the way the words flow on the page. This gives the text substance. The personality of the story teller can't be expressed in tweets, jumbled with other user's voices.
Balance:
You can't go forward into the future, unless you look back at the past. The same philosophy goes for writing. Through digital story telling is wide spread yet, its popularity is rising. More amateurs are interested in posting stories; but some seem to push aside crucial writing techniques. There has to be a balance between old and new forms of storytelling.
An example of this balance is the storytelling site: A Timely Raven created by Amber Simmons. The site has vignettes (short chapters), 4 parts that are supposed to spin off from one another; Amber started the story, then other uses are supposed to continue it. I noticed that there were transitions between each part of the Raven's Story, which flowed easily with together. The setting and characters' descriptions were vivid; the vignettes were full of imagery. Though the users have their own personality's and styles, the story line continued, there were no loose ends. As the reader, I could see that the users took pride in their work, and worked hard at keeping the story's theme intact. http://www.technicalpoet.com/raven/
I wish that beginning writers on these storytelling sites respect the craft of writing. By typing the first line of a story, you have to be dedicated to the piece, and see it through. By amateurs looking at stories from different authors can help them critique their own work.Then they can have a polished work of art to share.
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