A story usually begins with someone in some situation that is for some reason unstable. The context in which a story starts is usually too good to be true or too unbearable to endure. Either way, there is always an undercurrent of pending imbalance. This underlying dramatic tension will feed the story and propel it forward.

For little Red Riding Hood the imbalance is illustrated by the fact that she always wore her red riding hood – so much so that people forgot her real name and called her Little Red Riding Hood. There is the hint of an undercurrent that says to the reader/listener: This situation can not last long, something must change…

In our story class this week we created 4 very promising characters:

1. Lady Mariana who hates violence and has managed to keep peace in her land with the help of her magic sword. But now she longs for purpose and meaning. She has her peace, now what?

2. Lord Charles the can’t-sit-stiller, who loves adventure and action, but has never really felt like he had done something worthwhile. He itches for something full of action and risk, but also meaningful so that he can feel he deserves some rest. Until then, he feels, he can not ever sit still.

3. Queen Elizabeth, the control freak, who reigns her kingdom with a strict hand and a clear understanding of what is right and proper. Yet, she is lonely and longs for a companion to share the responsibility so that maybe for a moment she could let her hair down and have a minute of fun.

4. Gemima the extravagant drag queen who loves beautiful expensive things and who knows how to have a good time. She is popular and successful on the outside, but longs for a lost love from a long time ago whom she cannot pursue. She is also aging and she knows her moments in the spotlight are counted.

There is great potential for character development and transformation for all four these characters. Our challenge for the coming week is to present them with a Call to Adventure that will focus their energy and propel them into their journeys.

It may be helpful to think about a last straw kind of experience. This is an event or opportunity that grabs the attention of the character and forces them to take action of some kind.

Ideas we have already mentioned are:

1. Queen Elizabeth organises a big celebration in her palace to which she invites all manner of performers to come and entertain her guests. Gemima is one of the first to respond…

Questions:

- What is the occasion that warrants such a celebration?

- What does this opportunity offer Gemima that she is so keen to jump for it?

2. A huge battle breaks out in the Land of Isle (where our story takes place) and pulls in both Lord Charles and Lady Mariana.

Questions:

- Who started the fight and why?

- Why is Lord Charles involved? What is at stake for him and why is it so important?

- Why is Lady Mariana involved and again what is at stake for her and why is it so important?

3. The very same battle happens to interrupt the Queen’s celebrations and she is forced to break her her routines and change her plans.

Questions:

- How did the battle come to involve her?

- Why was she unaware or unmoved by it at first?

Idea: Was this perhaps the Queen’s battle and she was already celebrating her victory when she met unexpected resistence…?

With all this in mind, please finish your stories for the coming week using the following as a guideline. Always remember that the formula or template I offer is just to spark your thinking. Use it to make sure all the elements are there, but don’t necessarily follow it to the letter.

The first stage of your story needs three elements:

1. Protagonist: The main character is introduced and the scene is set.

Once upon a time there was… (someone somewhere in some situation)

2. Ordinary World: All is well, but there is an underlying problem. Usually the protagonist does not see the problem, but can experience some sense of dissatisfaction. They are either stuck in something too idyllic too last (Lady Mariana) or in a situation that is becoming unbearable (Jamima).

Everyday he/she/they would…(they do something that shows who they are now, but with underlying dramatic tension)

3. Call to adventure: The hero (protagonist) becomes aware of the problem and is asked to address it somehow. The enemy or antagonist often shows up in this scene.

Then one day…(a crisis calls them to action and potentially change. They may meet an enemy).

Looking forward to next week!

Petro

Boy with soccer ball in Kayamandi

Once upon a time

there were leaders who saw young people full of potential all across Stellenbosch.

Every day they would do their bit to help the kids discover and utilise their potential. Yet they felt alone in their struggle against the lack of opportunities, the hopelessness and the moral degeneration that threaten to steal the futures of the kids they work with.

Then one day South Africa, is chosen to host the soccer world cup. With it came the promise of economic influx, more money and more hope for everyone. Also along with it came the predators, those who promise the same, but exploit instead: human trafficking, commercial sex, child abuse, substance abuse. The leaders knew the kids would need to be kept safe. They also knew that the world cup would unleash a wave of opportunity for change and transformation – a wave that they needed to ride…

Yesterday I shared with you that most projects contain at least 2 stories: the story of the organisers who dream the dream and put together the project and the story of the target audience for whom they are designing the project.

Keep Them Safe is the story of the leaders and adults who embarked on the journey of realising the dream of a holiday programme for kids and young people all across Stellenbosch for the entire 4 week Fifa World Cup tournament.

The Perfect Pitch is the story of the kids and young people who sign up for the programme.

I am sharing with you the chronological unfolding of each of these stories stage by stage. Every story has 5 stages:

I               The Call to Adventure

II             Preparation for the Journey

III            The Journey itself

IV            Ordeal and Reward

V             Returning Home

In real time today 22 June, the stories are both in the Journey stage, but  let me tell you more about the Call to Adventure of Story 1 – Keep Them Safe.

Every Call to Adventure contains 3 essential elements:

1. an introduction to the protagonist or hero – once upon a time there was …
2. a description of their Ordinary World which includes a problem which they are either unaware of, or unable to overcome – every day they would…
3. a once in a life time Opportunity that promises a solution, or a way out – then one day…

We issued our Call to Adventure in two main ways from September 2009 to March 2010.

First we(and I really mean Henko, the project leader) had one on one coffee conversations with everyone he identified as possible partners – possible heroes for this story. In these meetings they would share their common concerns about the youth – their Ordinary World and the problems they face. Then Henko would introduce his dream… Because of his heartfelt identification with the plight of the prospective hero (being one himself) and his enthusiasm for his dream, the idea spread like wild fire. OF course Henko would never take credit for the idea since it was sparked in him after a conversation he had with people from The Ultimate Goal, the SA Sports Cohalition and the Stellenbosch municipality.  Still he saw the opportunity and started to call everyone and any one to join the adventure.

The Second way we issued the Call was more formalised. In March 2010 we launched a KTS Taster. The aim of this event was to gather everyone who had had a coffee conversation with Henko or one of the others he had ignited, into one space. We wanted to launch our dream formally and explain it to as many ;people as we could gather.

Representatives were brought in from all over the Stelenbosch district and put together in one room to get all the hot coals together and start a bonfire.

Yet now everyone had had time to ponder over the project and some concerns, doubts and reservations had begun to surface. We were moving into the next stage of the story: preparing for the journey… I will tell you all about that tomorrow.

In the mean time, if you have a project that you want to ‘sell’ figure out:

1. Who is your target audience/protagonist? Is there more than one?
2. What is their context (Ordinary World) like? What problems do they face that seem insurmountable?
3. What solution can you provide that will speak directly to this need? What once in a life time opportunity can you identify and optimise (The Call)?