Narration of a story, memory, an experience or even an anecdote is not all about expression and experience. Engaging someone in your narration comes down to how you present it, your vocabulary, your emphasis on words, your tone and most importantly the pauses.

Emotions and expression always came easily to me, so for this exercise I focused more on what is to be narrated and the flow for it. While narrating, I realized that I made a sound of ‘umm’, to fill in the pause. Maybe I was processing in my mind. I remember doing that in my childhood. I worked on it after it was diligently pointed out by my mother. I never thought that it would come back. I wondered what made it come back… Unlike my childhood, I pondered upon it this time, and during the discussions it was pointed out that it might be because one is uncomfortable with the silence, blankness and one might subconsciously try to fill into it. Perhaps!

In the attempt of narrating about the narrations of others, I would say Ketki certainly had the listeners engaged and at the edge of their chairs. A simple story, yet told in a way that would make someone feel interested and invested into it. Maybe it was the way it was told in, or maybe it was its ability for everyone to relate to it. It’s a narration that is relatable to you.

Then there is a narration which makes you imagine. It’s descriptive and visually vivid. Prachi’s narration had that capacity to it, which would transfer you to her story.

The narration which generates a lot of questions, keeps you engaged but also triggers a thought process of your own. Charvi’s narration was about everyday life, which does not necessarily have a start nor an end. Things, which most of us get through with a certain unawareness and sense of routine to it. I was wating for something exciting to happen (maybe it was the effect of previous narrations). But it was all regular everyday experiences. During the discussion it was pointed out that social media has a role to play in bringing creative attention to everyday mundane activities. Though I related this type of storytelling to a realistic art cinema, where the stories can be about everyday life of a common person.

Maybe the intent and style of a narration makes all the difference than the actual story itself.