It was a dark and stormy night…
The words might be cliché, but you can easily conjure the scene in your mind. Setting is just one element of telling a good story, and that line could be the ideal opener for your next great campfire story. Whether you’re a storytelling aficionado or a narrative newbie, this article is for those who enjoy swapping anecdotes around the fire. RVT has compiled a list of seven pointers and other resources to help you create riveting narration the next time you park your class C RV or other rig and set up a roaring fire.

Storytelling Tips 

How do you spin a compelling yarn that will keep your audience on the edge of their seat?

These 8 tips will help you make a good tale even better: 

  1. Consider your audience. If you’re telling a scary story and there are children present, think about altering the tale or choosing a different one. You don’t want to send the kids to bed terrified and sleepless. 
  2. Make a spooky story more chilling by using the ol’ ‘shine a flashlight under your chin’ trick to cast creepy shadows on your face.
  3. Your posture and body language can add a lot to your story. Use gestures and movement to ramp up the excitement.
  4. Change the volume and tempo of your voice. No one likes listening to a monotone. Your voice can add a lot of personality to the story. Lean in and speak softly like you’re sharing a secret, or suddenly raise the volume if you’re doing a jump scare.
  5. Make use of a dramatic pause before pivotal spots in your narrative to help heighten tension and anticipation.
  6. Include sensory elements: Is the rain slashing down or merely falling? Does it smell like wet grass? Dead earthworms? Leaf mold? Can you feel your bare toes squishing through mud? Or branches scratching your arms? Can you hear the wind through the trees? A loud roar? Or maybe the sound of breathing. What can you taste?
    Give your audience a mental picture using the senses and they’ll be captivated.
  7. Use sound effects for emphasis. Instead of saying the door opened with a creak, make the sound.
  8. Use your surroundings for inspiration. Have a crazy tale about a bear that chased you through those very woods during a snowstorm in July? Tell it!

Storytelling Resources 

Not an experienced bard? Looking for fresh material? Here are a few books that could help add some extra fire to your next campsite gathering: 

Historic Tales

Campfire Stories: Tales from America’s National Parks
Author: Dave Kyu, Illysa Kyu
ISBN: 978-1680511444 
Campfire Stories is a compilation of tales about six of America’s iconic national parks. Some were written by well-known wordsmiths, others were taken from pioneer diaries or passed down through generations of indigenous peoples. The authors also share their own thoughts on each of the parks, as well as tips about how to be a compelling storyteller.

Spooky Stories

True Ghost Stories: Jim Harold’s Campfire 1
Author: Jim Harold
ISBN: 978-0989853651
Ready for some allegedly true stories? Dive into these spooky true tales that birthed the popular podcast. Covers ghost stories as well as tales of the strange and supernatural. The first of 5 in a series.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Author: Alvin Schwartz
ISBN: 978-0062682826
This classic horror anthology contains stories about walking corpses, dancing bones, knife-wielding madmen, and more. Want extra scares? There are two more books in the series—plus a feature film for those who would rather get their chills inside their RV.

In A Dark, Dark Room
Author: Alvin Schwartz
ISBN: 978-0062643377
This collection of scary stories was curated for kids who like a bit of a fright. Inspired by traditional folktales like “The Teeth,” “In the Graveyard,” “The Green Ribbon,” “In A Dark, Dark Room,” “The Night It Rained,” “The Pirate,” and “The Ghost of John”. This book is an I Can Read, level 2.

Rib-ticklers

Not everyone likes spooky stories, so for some laugh-out-loud fun, try these humorous campfire books:

Camp Daze Mad Libs
Roger Price, Leonard Stern
ISBN: 978-0843122398
This silly fill-in-the-blank book will have you howling with laughter! It’s a great way to remember the funny parts of your camping trips or moments from your childhood summer camp.

Naturally, there are many sources for campsite storytelling beyond bodies of written work. Maybe you have funny stories from camping trips you’ve been on, or know some local folklore. You could share an account from your parents or grandparents. Or make up your own tall tales. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. The most important thing is to have fun! 

We hope these tips and ideas for telling compelling campfire stories will help you next time you’re in the storytelling hot seat. Do you have a favorite anecdote you tell around the fire? Tell us in the comments.

Looking for an RV to transport you to your next narrative? Check out the latest listings at RVT. 

Happy storytelling!

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