I Want Your Story!

My goal is to be a good storyteller by using video, photography and the written word to convey not just my stories but the stories of people who want to share their experiences.  Everyone has a story to tell and their words are usually the best way to tell it.  Using video and photography, the trick for me is always how to put together a story with rhythm, cadence and heart by pulling the best from them while still keeping it genuine.  That’s important because it has to be their story and not just my interpretation.  When I can pull that off, the results are beautiful.  Check out one of my previous projects.

Finding prospective customers can be a challenge.  I love telling the personal stories but that requires willing participants.  Luckily for me, I have found some family members willing to share some stories, some of them pretty funny, some of them very serious.  I have put together a couple and have more to make.  It’s a great way to archive some of those precious moments.  This is also a great way for non-profits and small businesses to tell their own stories.  I have done a few of these already for other course assignments and they’ve had varying degrees of success.  These can be a lot of fun to be part of but in the end, if the customer isn’t happy with the product, then it’s all for naught.

The process for producing my first children’s book is similar to what I’ve described above, although the story is my own with my challenge being how to tell it in a compelling way that captures not only the interest of a child but of their parents as well.  After all, if the parents aren’t interested, the child will never see the book.  Also, it’s important the story has a message because otherwise, what’s the point?  My first one will be about “getting along with people not like you”.  I think that’s particularly important nowadays, just like it always has been, but there seems to be an added urgency to it – at least for me.

I’ve considered having giveaways as part of the process, although I haven’t narrowed down exactly what they would be or how I would handle that.  How much is enough and when is it too much?  What’s of value but not so much that it’s giving away important content to my business?  I’m still figuring this one out.

Once the book is completed, I will need to market it and get people interested.  That’s where social media will come into play.  Some of the social media platforms I will use are:

• FaceBook: I would publish weekly accounts of progress – kind of a running commentary on the creation process and what works and what doesn’t.  Also use it as a heads-up for new news items.
• Twitter: Not my favorite but mostly because I just haven’t gotten the hang of it yet.  Mostly when I publish on twitter, I’m just talking to myself.
• Instagram: Publish items kind of like FaceBook but only visual.  Maybe it would be a snapshot of something that pertains to what I’m creating.
• Blogs: My WordPress blog is where I keep most of the information, so it’s the easiest to post there and let it populate Facebook, although I do both.

I’d love hearing from anyone reading this blog about what other things you think I could be doing or should consider.  Also, if you want your story told – give me a shout.  You can check out earlier posts to see evidence of my work.  I’d love to hear from you!