skritttelling

Skritttelling is a term used in certain online and creative communities to describe a style of storytelling that emphasizes rhythm, compression, and auditory texture over linear exposition. The term appears in niche forums, fan- fiction communities, and experimental writing spaces, where practitioners seek immediacy and mood through clipped phrasing, sound cues, and rapid scene shifts rather than extended narration. Although not widely defined, skritttelling is commonly associated with performative delivery, whether spoken aloud, recorded as audio, or presented in text with attention to cadence.

Key characteristics include short, vivid sentences; the strategic use of onomatopoeia and interjections; a focus on pacing and breath; and a tendency to present events as a succession of snaps or fragments that the audience mentally stitches together. The style can serve as a voice for particular characters or as a technique for conveying intensity, ambiguity, or humor. It is used in informal storytelling rounds, game-mastering in tabletop or digital role-playing games, and in some experimental prose and poetry spaces. The term is mostly used descriptively by participants rather than as a formal category, and there is no standard taxonomy or corpus of canonical works.

Etymology is informal; skritttelling likely derives from an onomatopoeic “skrit” or “skritting” sound, combined with “telling.” As a relatively new or fringe term, it lacks broad lexicographic recognition; its meaning is defined by its practice rather than by a fixed definition.

See also: storytelling techniques; performance poetry; improvisational storytelling; role-playing games.