Storyteller Spotlight Q&A: Whatever You Do, Don't Start With "Soooooooo"

Silvana Clark on EPIC Fails

Welcome to Nutshell’s Storyteller Spotlight, where we give you a chance to get to know this month’s storytellers a little more. We asked our four storytellers to answer a few questions about stories and storytelling. August 28’s theme is “EPIC Fails.” It’s true, it’s personal, it’s LIVE, and it’s gonna be a lot of fun.

Meet Silvana Clark

What kind of storyteller are you? What is your storytelling “style”? What kind do you tell?

I do mostly personal stories.

How long have you been telling?

I was a corporate trainer for 25 years and told more business-oriented stories. I’ve been doing “storytelling” for about 5 years.

What do you do when you’re not storytelling?

I’m retired. We’ve traveled to 76 countries and want to hit 100 before we’re too old to find our way home! I also tell my three-year-old granddaughter very dramatic, flamboyant stories.

Does the story you’re telling have a name?

Poor, Poor Randy.

Tell us a little bit about this story. Why did you choose it for “Epic Fails”?

It is about a time when my husband [and I] wanted to do a great job as pet/house sitters. No matter what we tried, we failed.

Any thoughts on failure?

Don’t complain about it. Try again or try something different. I’ve had 12 books published by major publishers, and all but one were duds.

What makes a fail “Epic”?

I think the emotional aspect connects to an epic fail. If I fail at making a cake, it’s not a big deal. But if I have a dream of having a baking show on TV (📺 don’t!), and I dream, work, and study to become a great baker, only to fail the TV audition, that makes it epic.

Who is your storytelling idol and why?

*Silvana didn’t answer

What’s your best piece of advice for someone who is a beginner and wants to learn how to tell a story?

There are so many books on storytelling! Or just Google “10 tips to tell a great story.” People think rambling about an incident is a story. As basic as it sounds, have a beginning, a middle, and a strong ending! Also, start your story with a strong sentence. My pet peeve is storytellers who begin with “Soooooooo.”

Why should people come see “Epic Fails” on August 28?

You’ll laugh and sympathize with what others have gone through. It might make your failure not seem so bad!

Thanks, Silvana! If you want to see Silvana tell her EPIC Fail story, she’ll be at our show on August 28!

Silvana Clark

began telling innovative stories to get a hall pass out of boring high school classes. Since then, she’s told stories to audiences ranging from the Canadian Llama Association to the Nude Recreation Association. She’s written twelve books, appeared on Fox’s Trading Spouses, and considers one of her greatest achievements to be training her dog to star in TV commercials and print ads.

Storytellers like Silvana travel a long way (sometimes 76 countries' worth!) to stand on our stage and tell us their truth. Paid subscriptions are how we help make sure they're paid for it, and how we keep The Nutshell True Story Hour podcast free for everyone. If you're enjoying these spotlights, consider joining us. It genuinely helps. xoxo, Amy

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