Winner of Storytelling World Award & Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice AwardReading a story silently is a private act; hearing one told aloud is a communal act. Like musical scores that come to life when played, stories take on an added dimension when shared aurally. Carol Birch--storyteller, children's librarian, and teacher--tackles the slippery topic of the difference between memorizing a written story and reciting it aloud, and telling it directly and engagingly to a group of listeners. We all recognize the difference when we hear it. But how does one bridge it? The same way, Birch asserts, that we take home most prizes: you must be present to win. Meaning, the storyteller must know much, much more about the story than he or she tells. How can you communicate the fortunes of a character you don't know yourself? How can you convey a story whose setting you have not fully imagined? In addition to her own infectious prose--bursting with the "attitude" she encourages her readers to embrace--Birch provides a series of guided imagery exercises. These prompts walk the reader through the nuts and bolts of learning and imagining a story from the inside out in order to be fully present in its telling. Includes notes and bibliography.