Tis' the season for scary story telling!
Halloween is approaching and the eerie vibe in the air is especially spooky when the Bay Area fog coats the horizon. It’s also the perfect season for telling scary stories!
If you're looking for a way to challenge yourself or perhaps just to have a little fun with your next speech, try telling your own scary story.
When writing your spooky story, start off with reading classics such as Dracula or try watching horror thrillers such as The Exorcist for inspiration. Apply plenty of details to describe the things that the audience should feel, hear, and see so they can transport to the scene with their imagination. Build up the details and be sure to use your best scary story voice. When telling scary stories, it’s best to start off with a quiet and slow voice and then increase your speed and decibels when the action starts. If you’re telling the story virtually, get creative and lower your lights, invite participants to lower their lights as well. Light candles in the background to add to the chilling atmosphere. Have props on hand to use for sound effects.
Be sure to have a suspenseful climatic point that has the audience intrigued. Drum up the thrill by acting nervous as the storyteller. Engage your facial expressions to add more effect such as widening your eyes and lifting your eyebrows to look frightened. Once you get to the punchline, use a theatrical option to deliver. Try yelling the last line or jump up out of your own seat. Plant some seeds that this story isn’t quite done so that the audience might have something to gnaw on for later.
Telling scary stories can be a fun way to add to your Halloween season this year; make it a speech for an extra spooky Toastmasters meeting!
RTM Opens its Doors!
Rockridge Toastmasters opened its virtual doors to a smash of an open house last month. With 21 attendees including 3 guests, we had our computer screens full with Toasties. A special thank you to Megan for hosting and for choosing a fun theme that surely had everyone thinking critically about myths. Also a big thank you to everyone who attended and for giving a warm welcome to our guests. With ten folks staying afterwards for happy hour, it was a sure success of an evening!
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