This month we’re going back to a theme we haven’t done since 2015. “Fish out of water – Stories of not fitting in.”
Every one of us, no matter how mainstream we may look to others, has felt like we don’t fit in. Back in 2015, I told the story of how my mother was a missionary and how embarrassing it was as a kid to knock on strangers’ doors and talk about religion. It was 30 years before I revealed that to anyone. I suppose that experience might have prepared me to start doing comedy and storytelling later on but I can’t help but think there were better ways to learn those skills. At the very least, it taught me the importance of minding my own business, and how to go from a smile to a slammed door in two seconds.
But that’s the kind of story we’re looking for. Come tell a story about a time when you didn’t fit in. What was it and how did you handle it? What did you learn? Do you still feel that way today? Are you grateful for what you learned or do you wish you had never had to deal with it?
Remember to practice your story out loud on as many people as possible and time yourself when you’re doing it. All stories have to be under 8 minutes. Stories can be as short as you want but not over 8 minutes. Stories also have to be clean in both language and content. Send me an email if you have any questions about that.
The rest of the rules and guidelines are below:
Workshops are a great way to get feedback on a story you’re working on. Here is one I highly recommend. It’s run by two people who have told many times at FGS and other shows in the area:
https://www.meetup.com/Fresh-Ground-Stories-Storytelling-Workshop/
I’m also happy to help anyone with a story they’re working on. Send me an email and we can set up a phone call.
See you on Thursday, October 19 at 7 pm, at the Chabad of Queen Anne – Magnolia. 1825 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 (Remember, no non-kosher food in the building)
Paul
Freshgroundstories at gmail dot com