The Lego Method of Tale Telling with Bil Lepp

The Lego Method of Tale Telling is a method by which Bil shares ways to combine several stories or snippets of varying length, and often diverse subject matter, into one relatively coherent, interlocking piece. This allows the teller to tell several short stories within the body of a larger tale without all the stops and starts. And, just as with Lego, the teller ends up with a solid structure that is built with pieces of different shapes, sizes and colors.

Bil began telling stories on stage at the WV Liars’ Contest. Stories for that event can only be 5-7 minutes long. The first time he had to tell for an hour, he had to tell seven stories which meant seven beginnings, seven endings and six transitions from one story to the next. That many starts and stops are laborious for the teller and the audience alike.

This workshop will help tellers locate markers/ characters/themes/ on-ramps/jumping-off points and landing zones in their own material which help them couple, triple, even quadruple their various stories and ideas into an interlocking pattern.

Sometimes you have to tell for five minutes, sometimes you have to tell for fifty. Sometimes you have to tell to adults, sometimes to children. Lego Method allows a teller to drop content or add content of a story without affecting the overall impact or message of the tale.

There will be breakout sessions if time permits, and participation by the workshop attendees is expected. Folks should bring paper and writing utensils.