It’s Storytelling School with The Moth! We are grateful for this community of storytellers and listeners and especially thankful to all of you who have been engaging with our blog. For this month’s blog, we’re taking a look at a story about accepting everything that makes us beautiful.
This month’s Storytelling School story is:
“Beauty and Barcelona” by Nyla Gilstrap
Watch the video.
- You can read the transcript of Nyla’s story here.
After you’ve watched and read the story, you can do the following activities:
Talk to each other about Nyla’s story.
For each post, we’ll highlight a different crafting strategy for how to make your story compelling. For this post, we’ll focus on MOMENTUM. This story really moves. Most Moth stories in the Education program (and at Moth SLAMs) are just five minutes long. In that short time, Nyla gives us a very comprehensive view of an impactful time in her life. Telling a concise, compelling story with momentum takes skill and careful crafting work.
How does Nyla build the tension throughout the story and keep us on the edge of our seats?
Consider the critical choices Nyla made about what details to include. How does that thoughtful editing contribute to the pace of this story?
How does well built momentum help us really understand the *STAKES of a story?
Let’s Play “Have You Ever”
Raise your hand if …
You’ve ever been to summer camp
You’ve ever been late to join the group
You’ve ever had a huge crush
You’ve ever tried to be flirty
You’ve ever felt ugly
You’ve ever made instant best friends
You’ve ever taken a scenic hike in a new place
You’ve ever had ground rules to keep your friends safe
You’ve ever worried about a friend’s safety
You’ve ever cried happy tears
You’ve ever let go of other peoples’ standards of beauty
You’ve ever believed you were beautiful
Did you raise your hand? If you raised your hand even once, that’s a story you could tell! Find someone to tell it to and try out a draft!
Activity
Every single person is uniquely beautiful in their own way. Can you make a list of everything that is beautiful about you? Once you think your list is done, add one more because there are infinite things that make you shine!
And if you’re really feeling it, post a photo of yourself OR something you’ve created/been involved with that you’re proud of to share your beauty with others!
Share this post with a friend!
And check back the second Tuesday of every month for another story.
Storyteller bio
NYLA GILSTRAP originally crafted her story in a Moth Education residency through the All City Program in Spring 2019. In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with friends in Central Park and playing lacrosse. She just recently got a puppy named Louie that has been a real source of joy during quarantine, and she has been using the spare time to watch classic movies and read books. In the future, Nyla hopes to write for the New Yorker, but is currently enjoying working on her school newspaper.
The Moth Education Program works with young people and educators to build community through storytelling workshops, performances and innovative resources. To learn more, visit themoth.org/education
The Moth Education Program is made possible by generous support from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Charitable Trust, the Kate Spade New York Foundation, and Alice Gottesman, and The Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation.
Additional program support is provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the New York State Council on the Arts, ConEdison, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.