Twain - How to Tell a Story

How to Tell a Story (1895) By Mark Twain.

Unlike the previous essay, I enjoyed this one without reservation. My favorite part came in the beginning though - "There are several kinds of stories, but only one difficult kind - the humorous. I will talk mainly about that one. The humorous story is American, the comic story is English, the witty story is French. The humorous story depends for its effect upon the manner of the telling; the comic story and the witty story upon the matter. The humorous story may be spun out to great length, and may wander around as much as it pleases, and arrive nowhere in particular; but the comic and witty stories must be brief and end with a point. The humorous story bubbles gently along, the others burst" (Twain, 70). I thought that was a very succinct and true speculation of the differences in storytelling between the three countries that holds relatively true even today. I like to think of myself as being born on the wrong side of the Atlantic, but after reading this and examining my own storytelling I find that I am alas, a humorous writer and not a comic one. I always knew I wasn't overly witty, I rely to much on wordplays and puns for that moniker. I wouldn't have made it at a French court to save my life. But, here I am bubbling along and not arriving anywhere in particular.

Twain finishes the essay with two tales, The Wounded Soldier and The Golden Arm. These are humorous tropes and quite frankly I can see myself telling a tale like this and interposing and intertwining completely unrelated details to arrive at the end, which really isn't all that fascinating or important. I've just got to work on my timing I guess. That's what Twain says to do anyway. Where was I again? Oh yeah... Who's got me golden arm? I think the soldier lost it and that's why I'm carrying him. No, I haven't got my timing down yet. I'll practice that some more and come tell you about it later...