Good stories
Good stories are not necessarily lengthy or brief. They often have the quality of a good snap at the conclusion of tension built in the process. They also do not necessarily colonize our imaginations with conclusions-to-go. Some of the juiciest stories have an impressionistic sense of appearing unfinished.
June 3rd, 2007 16:15
One time I told a story to a christian congregation, It is the hasidic story of the Treasure- how a story is revealed to the main character by the dream of another. It leaves the listener on the edge of one’s seat wondering ‘what’s next?’ One woman chastized me that I did not tell the whole story. She showed me a children’s book that told the story, with all the loose ends wrapped up. It was a fine example of killing the questions, creativity and imagination of the listeners. Thanks for this reminder!