When I say “Tall Tales,” what comes into your mind? A fourth-grade writing project? Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox? Tall tales have somewhat of a reputation for being kid-centric, easily written, and only enjoyed by children. However, it’s not as simple or childlike as one might think. For instance, the Westside Toastmasters (Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs.) challenged their members to write and deliver a Tall Tale in District 27’s first Tall Tales contest.
One of their tips for creating and delivering the story is: “Don’t be too childish, and don’t be too adult.” I feel that this wraps up Tall Tales in a brilliant way. They can be fun, speaking toward the child in all of us, but they also have heavy elements that would be issues adults may face.
The six things all Tall Tales need are:
1. A character who has extraordinary abilities. This main character will be just an ordinary person with superhuman abilities. The reader will identify with this character and push for her to achieve her goals.
2. A problem or issue that is keeping her from achieving her goal. When the character solves her problem, it will be in a creative and funny way that demonstrates her unique abilities.
3. Exaggeration. A Tall Tale isn’t “tall” without exaggeration. Not everything is exaggerated, but the parts you choose to exaggerate must point to the theme.
4. Realistic details. It’s usually within the details where humor lives. You’ll want your readers to picture themselves in the story; this way, they will connect with the theme, and the story will feel more personalized. Relate with realism, then add exaggeration and hyperbole to make them laugh.
5. Clever twists and puns. Sprinkle them throughout the story to make people groan, chuckle, grin, or laugh.
6. Funny ending. You’ll want the laughter to fill the room. So, if you read your story aloud or memorize it and deliver it to a group, your audience will thoroughly enjoy it. Laughter is the best way to make it memorable.
To plan your story, choose the following:
Character name: Choose a real person in history.
Character’s goal: the real goal of the historical figure that you’ve chosen.
Three problems or issues she must overcome to get to her goal.
Realistic details: Since a tall tale is usually about a real person, choose some details that actually happened.
The exaggerated trait or action: this can be exaggerating what their final goal is, overemphasizing them fulfilling that goal in a really big way.
Clever twists and puns along the way just to make it fun and memorable.
Ending
Here’s a Tall Tale that should follow this process:
Johnny Appleseed
Johnny Appleseed’s story is taking a real historical figure, John Chapman, and making his act of planting apple seeds across the country larger than life. His legend was first spread across the US through stories told by mouth until someone wrote them down. And I’m sure that the moment they put pen to paper, all the details were exaggerated even more.
John Chapman was really born in Massachusetts during the Revolutionary War. His goal in real-life was to buy and sell tracts of land that he cultivated for apple orchards. Perhaps he went west so he could supply apples to the settlers that he knew would eventually come west. Perhaps he just wanted to make a few dollars, and he saw an opportunity. Whatever his real incentives were, he planted apple trees along the way. Once the settlers arrived, Johnny had already left his impression on the land and created a more abundant place for some of the people who came west. Because of this kindness, he soon became known as Johnny Appleseed.
Legends spread and grew, changing parts of him to emphasize his larger-than-life persona. It was said that he slept in a tree-top hammock, that he had a pet wolf, and that he played with a bear family. We also have a famous apple tree in Vancouver, WA (at least we used to. Its offspring are still with us, though) that is said to be one of Johnny Appleseed’s trees. Was it really? Or is that just how effective this tall tale about Johnny Appleseed has been? A story that emphasizes the importance of helping your fellow human when they need it the most?
There is a Johnny Appleseed story written by Steven Kellogg. Read it and see if this story falls into my list of the six things all Tall Tales need. Find the link here:
Enjoy writing a Tall Tale! Think of, or research, an important person who has done something extraordinary. Exaggerate it, add some interesting pets, and embellish other facts, and you have a tall tale. Make sure it has something for the readers to learn, and then be proud that you are now in the history books of someone who began a tall tale!
