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Mary Margaret O’Connor, has an amazing concept hear that is on the cutting edge of digital storytelling. Are conversation on how to use the online and digital experience to support storytelling is eye opening for any storyteller to see the potential for the storytelling art form in the 21st centaury.
——–Mary writes…
iTales.com started as a simple enough idea; create a website to house bedtime stories I tell to my children. But what started as a simple project based on a love of storytelling, evolved into a much better and more complex idea, still based on a love of storytelling! That idea became iTales, a website that allows storytellers to upload and sell individual stories. Over time, iTales will be home to thousands of fantastic mp3 audio stories from around the world and will be a method of preserving the traditions and messages of stories that have been passed down, and sometime lost forever, through the generations.
I guess I did not come upon the world of storytelling purposefully, but the world of storytelling came to me. Plodding along in my role as a pharmaceutical marketing consultant, after years working in pharmaceutical companies, my colleagues often are bewildered by this “other side of me!” But as a person new to the world of storytelling, and just touching the tip of what is available, I have to say that professional storytellers are some of the most fascinating, intelligent and fun-loving people I’ve come across. (That is not to say, of course, that pharmaceutical marketers are not!) Through iTales, my hope is that many, who like me had not previously been exposed to many of the professional storytelling audience, will explore and embrace what historically has been one of the most constant and meaningful and important experiences of human nature – listening to stories.
iTales offers the power of the internet to reach millions of people around the world. Without the limitations of traditional storytelling venues, including how far one can drive for a show to sell their CD’s, iTales provides storytellers with another option for distributing their material to a targeted audience interested in audio stories.
And, just who is this audience? People of all ages and interests are potential story seekers. For children, listening to stories is fun, it increases their vocabulary and it allows them to actually connect with another human being. For young and older adults, iTales short stories offer an alternative to music or audiobooks for mp3 players and iPods. And, importantly, iTales offers entertainment that many will not have previously experienced.
To get great content for our site – high caliber stories – we are currently focusing marketing efforts on the professional storytelling community. Our hope is that you will join this podcast to learn more about how iTales works, our plans for the future and how the storytelling community can work together to help build something that is truly unique.
Post written by Mary Margaret O’Connor more info at www.itales.com
#1 by Brother Wolf on August 1, 2013 - 1:45 pm
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iTales has in fact become deceased – I am sorry to say. Mary spent a great deal of fortune and tears in a sincere effort to build a vehicle that serves the storytelling community. While the effort may have been in the end flawed – it was in the end – like so many such works an expression of love. I asked her to write an article on the her experience and she declined. It is not my place toe express her feelings however deep, real and meaningful they may be. Please continue to hold her in high regard for at least attempting what so few of us actually try – a small business the serves a wider good.
#2 by Elinor Benjamin on July 31, 2013 - 9:10 pm
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Ah … Has ITales disappeared? I used to buy stories there, but I see the site is gone and the domaine name is for sale.
#3 by Brother Wolf on February 29, 2008 - 7:46 pm
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I am currently working on a free e-course the storytelling school that I hope to have finished in a month or so. The only way to speed up the time line is if you where interested in participating in a trade where you received some instruction and you helped me to edit the writing.
Peace
Eric
(937) 767-8696
Please leave a time and # to reach you.
#4 by Christina Shepherd on February 29, 2008 - 2:46 pm
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I am trying to find story telling resources for my 8th grade students that have been identified as gifted. I am looking specifically for a list of guidelines that they can use to share greek myths about constellations with younger children. We are building a planetarium out of a giant piece of black plastic. My students will be pointing out constellations and telling the myths associated with them. It will be dark so they have to use voice inflections and interesting words to keep the kids interested. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I kind of need a “Storytelling for Dummies” type thing.
Christina
#5 by Larry Johnson on October 21, 2007 - 9:30 pm
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I think this was the first show I was able to listen to. I really appreciated finding out about this. Though
I worked since the 60s with teaching storytelling and videomaking, I’ve been a little out of some loops.
I didn’t really understand what “digital storytelling” meant till I got to listen to this show. Thanks.