I’ve gotten lost in a lot of different ways. Lost on a mountain, lost in a bottle, lost a relationship. I’ve been lost in a crowd and lost on a one-way street with nowhere to go but forward. I’ve definitely gotten lost in my own head.
One of the few things I know that can always bring me home is telling the story of how I got lost. I don’t know why, but I figured it out 12 years ago, and it hasn’t failed me yet.
I’m not sure if stories are the rudder that keeps me on course, or the stars that guide me through the night. I’ll work on that metaphor and get back to you. Feel free to send me your own metaphor for stories if you have one.
This month our theme is getting lost. It could be getting physically lost, mentally lost, spiritually lost, or even being on the show Lost.
We’d love to hear you share a story about getting lost and finding your way home. What did you discover about yourself along the way? Did you end up a different person than when you left? Did you swear you’d never leave the house again without four maps, a satellite phone, and a Thomas Guide? Or did you realize that getting lost can sometimes take you where you needed to be all along?
Our themes are just suggestions, so you can tell a story about almost anything as long as it follows our usual rules and guidelines: https://freshgroundstories.com/2013/01/22/storytelling-rules-and-guidelines/
The easiest way to come up with a story is to start with a moment that meant something to you. Once you have that, write down all the memories that have something to do with that moment, both before and after it. Then choose 2-3 of those memories to be the story.
Remember that a story isn’t just a series of things that happened. There needs to be something at stake that you overcome by the end.
Practice the story out loud to as many people as possible and time yourself when you’re doing it. Please don’t get onstage if you haven’t practiced your story. The audience is giving you their time and attention. It’s not fair to them if you get up there and try to wing it.
All stories have to be under eight minutes. Stories can be as short as you want, but no longer than eight minutes. Stories also have to be clean in both language and content. Send me an email if you have any questions about that.
Our free monthly online workshop is a great place to get feedback on your story. Our next one is Sunday, November 1.
I’m also happy to help anyone with a story they’re working on. Email me, and we can set up a phone call.
See you Thursday, November 19 at 7 pm. Normally we’re on the top floor of the Seattle Swedish Club, but the club is doing some renovations on that floor, so we’ll be in the lobby for a few shows.
The address is 1920 Dexter Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109. We have three lots and 109 spaces of free parking. When was the last time you got free parking at a show??
Paul
Freshgroundstories@gmail.com
