The other day someone at work asked me what kind of stories I tell. I didn’t know how to answer them. I mumbled something about telling true stories about stuff I’ve lived through but I was upset that I couldn’t explain it any better than that. For the number of times I’ve been asked this question I really should have a good answer by now.

If there are any career coaches reading this, they will say this is very poor marketing. You should always have an elevator speech ready to launch at anyone who expresses even a passing interest in what you do. Luckily, I have no desire to turn storytelling into a career. But I would like to be able to explain to people what kind of stories I write without having to tell one.

Tonight on the couch, I think I finally figured it out. I tell stories where my voice drops at the end because I’m about to reveal something I should have figured out a long time ago. It’s usually uncomfortably honest and something that only makes sense telling either your best friend or a room full of strangers. At the beginning of my stories, I’m usually embarrassed by what I’m about to say. By the end of my stories, I’m grateful there are people out there who are willing to listen.

And that’s the kind of story we’re looking for next month on November 21. Come tell a story where you learned something about yourself. It could be a story where you learned you were stronger than you thought you were or weaker than you thought you were. Is there a time where you discovered your true colors? Are you a cynic who deep down keeps a little flame of hope alive? Maybe you were a minister for 20 years until the day you realized you’re an atheist. Maybe you have a story about graduating with a degree in accounting and then realizing you really wanted to be an opera singer. Please, someone, have a story about that! I would love to end the show with someone singing an aria from Rigoletto 🙂

Remember to keep it clean, and practice out loud as often as you can. All stories must be under 8 minutes. It can be as short as you want but not over 8 minutes. We’re getting more names in Mr. Coffee and some folks aren’t getting to share their story because we run out of time. Thanks for understanding.

Here are the rules and guidelines for telling: https://freshgroundstories.com/2013/01/22/storytelling-rules-and-guidelines/

If you’d like help with your story, our next free monthly workshop is Nov 3. It’s run by two of our regular tellers who volunteer their time. You can RSVP here: https://www.meetup.com/Fresh-Ground-Stories-Storytelling-Workshop/events/26

I hope to see you all November 21 at 7 pm at the Olive Way Starbucks

Paul
freshgroundstories@gmail.com