When I worked in corporate learning, the rule of thumb was that each 23 minute module took an average of 67 hours to develop (td.org) when you factor in research, interview, development, editing, reviews and production. A Facebook livestream group revealed that each 30 to 45 minute episode takes a month to prepare (brianhonigman.com). So when you see a storyteller take the stage for a 10 minute story, consider the work that occurred before that moment.
I recently prepared a story for the Annual Gathering of The Labyrinth Society. I wanted to bring a story that audience members may not be familiar with, so I started by searching online for ‘folktale labyrinth.’ Google returned 311,000 results, the majority of which dealt with Theseus and the Minotaur. It is a great story to be sure, but also one well-known. So I started searching for alternate words. I searched specific cultures for references to labyrinths. After several hours, I discovered the Icelandic word for labyrinth, völundarhús, which translates to Wayland’s house. In addition, I found a paragraph summary of the Poetic Edda, a 13th century collection of Norse narrative poems, part of which chronicles the life of Wayland.
This was the spark I needed. After many more hours of searching, I had a copy of the stanzas with an English translation as well as a second document from the 14th century with a different version of the tale. However, there was much more work to be done. How could I condense an epic saga into a 10 minute story? So I began the work of crafting - determining what was important, what elements of each version contributed to the images and the narrative, what precious details I would have to set aside for time.
I told the story over and over to myself and also to my husband, continually editing the outline I use as guideposts to navigate the story. I then told it to a class at South Mountain Community College for more feedback. What worked well? Were you able to follow the complicated tale? What could I lose to shave off an additional 60 seconds? I will be telling this story to The Labyrinth Society in just over a week. My time on stage will be around 11 minutes. I would estimate that it took me approximately 60 hours of work to bring this story to life.
Now, I don’t want to scare you off of storytelling. Not every story is this deep or complex. Stories that are well-known or well-researched can come together much faster. This week I’m telling a fact-based story about Nicolai de Raylan. His life and death were documented in newspaper articles, and his story was rediscovered in 2018. Having reliable sources and focusing on the period following his death, the research was quick. Following the chronology of events limited the amount of crafting necessary. This 6-minute story will come together with only 4 hours of preparation.
So a rule of thumb is just that. Every story and every storyteller is different. With experience, I will learn which research rabbit holes to dive into and which I need to crawl out of. And most importantly, I have learned that one of the most important drivers for a story is a deadline.
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