Storytelling: An Art beyond time

 [Published in Section II of The Statesman on Mar 15, 2012]

You and I shall pass but our stories shall linger. From yesterday, today and tomorrow, stories come from all time for all ages, keeping us unwearied, untrammelled, unburdened in its magical realm: a realm of make-believe where no matter how desperate things seem there is always a right way to go, a choice that in the end would nourish our hero’s soul. We learn so much from great stories, learning that changes the way we see our world, the way we act or think, the way we are supposed to live. All stories have something to teach if only we pay attention. But it is up to the story teller to keep it interesting while it is entertaining. Strange characters coming to life, fairy tales where wondrous fiction is always enchanting, naturally jogging our minds to think ahead all the while rendering us in awe, dredging out of us positive emotions. In a way good stories have shaped our lives, giving us morals, highlighting virtues, even painting our future, always leaving us with a sense of goodness in our hearts.

Science Fiction detrudes all past notions, trampling them under its long traversed and worn out heels to furnish the conveniences of today’s reality; and yet bringing forth new ideas, new hopes for a better future. Medicine, Communications, Defence, even Space Exploration has been developed because of great ideas imagined by many science fiction writers. Masterpieces once imagined by pioneer story tellers paved the way for a great many inventions. Leaving the past behind, humanity on a whole has to evolve, gradually though, and I believe these incredible feats of human endurance written down will facilitate this change. Real life stories or made up, each has its own unique characteristic that affects us in ways only as different as our perceptions. And however different we may think we are from each other our ultimate essence is the same and through an inner need we share our perceptions subconsciously, moving together into the unknown future.

We are all story tellers at some point. Every now and then we do make up stories, fantastic or fabulist or just plain lies. It is a hard job to imagine characters to life, but in the end it is gratifying to see those characters alive and living up to your expectations, intertwining with the plot, giving it form and ultimately the effect a good story needs. Watching these characters evolve as the story goes by is simply magical, and there are times when a character takes the story to a whole new level eventually changing the outcome of it. A story teller is stoked whenever this happens. Even comic books have an effect, not only on children, when it comes to learning morality. The encounters between good and evil – virtuous Superhero fights malignant villain(s), laying his/her life on the line altruistically – are similar to mythical stories of any or all religions. I’m still inspired when I read a comic book where our hero is fighting for justice.

Who knows what the future holds but what we can be sure of is that stories will render true and right messages, helping us perhaps to evolve into a level that may open new avenues for our souls. All we have to do is retain the art of storytelling without losing our enthusiasm and fervour until that time comes.