I moved to my neighbourhood in early November, and quickly learned that there is a thriving community Facebook page where folks from all corners of the block come together to indulge in the hot local gossip. Needless to say, scrolling through these posts has become one of my favourite afternoon tea time hobbies. The typical weekday posts include cute pics of cute dogs (and the occasional cat), parents quoting strange things their kids say, or – my personal favourite – the (gentle) reminders to use one’s common sense. It’s truly a great little spot for bonding and venting to your local community.
Last week, our neighbourhood went into high alert after a concerned neighbour posted an owl sighting to the Facebook page, and warned everyone to keep their small pets inside.
This post was buzzing with comments and was quickly pinned to the top of the page. Some neighbours went back and forth to confirm whether or not the accused was indeed dangerous or “just a little harmless barn owl.” After much back and forth, it was concluded that this owl was, indeed, concern-worthy.
Very quickly, alliances were formed and a vigilant owl watch committee was created. The brave members strolled the streets, searching for our terror owl.
A week went by, and the owl buzz slowed down. No sightings had been seen, and we resumed our daily nonchalance.
Until today…
OWL SPOTTED:
The terror owl was spotted this afternoon, perched on a neighbour’s window pane, making some seriously sinister eye contact.
BREAKING NEWS:
Moments after the spotting, we learned that a beloved neighbourhood pup, Ellie, had gone missing.
While venturing off isn’t entirely out of character for Ellie, whose photos are often on the Facebook page’s “lost and found” posts, we couldn’t help but wonder if she had crossed paths with our terror owl…
To learn what happens to Ellie and the nightmare owl, read the rest of the story here.
What makes this a good story snippet?
If at any point during this story, you thought “oh my gosh, where is my little DOG/CAT/CHILD,” then I’d like to think that this was a successful story.
Right off the bat, there’s a hook— a lure in– that makes you wonder: why is this neighbourhood being terrorized by an owl? How is that possible? Does anything happen to the pets??!
Setting the stage and the emotion (in this case, fear) from the beginning lets you know that something is happening that doesn’t normally happen in this neighbourhood.
You’re introduced to the main characters: the terror owl and the concerned neighbourhood dwellers. You’re invited into the conversations between neighbours and the actions they take to fend off this owl and protect the pets.
Just when you think that the owl’s flown off to terrorize another community, the plot thickens and things get complicated, thus keeping readers at a heightened state of anticipation.
Visual elements including screenshots and gifs are used to emphasize key points and evoke/enhance reactions, while hashtags are used minimally so as not to detract from the storyline.
EXSM 3989 - Digital Storytelling Class Blog 