A CHECKLIST
In his book Storytelling Bausch lists 13 things a good story must be. Paraphrased, they are:
1. Curiosity-arousing
-- from the first sentence it presents such an unusual, curious event that the listener or reader wants to find out what happens next, like an angel's visit (Abraham, Mary).
2. Mythical
-- it shows we are connected with everything else in the world, should help us get in touch again with ourearthly natures, like the Middle Earth or Eden stories do.
3. Traditional
-- it not only connects with the Earth, and Earth's creatures and our fellow son and daughters of Adam, but also with our own cultural heritage, our roots.
4. Human
-- it exemplifies our common humanity,even if by "non-humans"
5. Mnemonic
-- it helps us remember the past
6. Daydreamy
-- it uses the languages of dreams, imaginative, creative language,wishfulfilling language not usually found in our day-to-day existence
7. Wordpowerful
-- it appreciates and uses the power of the word.
8. Escapist
-- it helps us escape from the worst effects of our fallenness, loneliness, boredom, pain, disesteem.
9. Right-brainy
-- it does not have much to do with analysis or reasoning, but a great deal to do with synthesis, intuiting and getting the big picture.
10. Healing
-- it repairs the damage done to the psyche, the spirit, even the body by too much of the "real" world and too little of the Real.
11. Ours
-- it's a story we can identify as our own.
12. Hopeful
-- it inspires hope by presenting a eucatastrophic alternative, our deepest dreams can come true.
13. Ministering
-- it ministers not only to the listeners or readers, but to the storyteller as well, making intimate sharing possible.