When I started StoryCraft in 2017, I was excited, thrilled even, to teach people about story structure so they could tell better stories. What I didn’t know then was that people didn’t need story structure, they really wanted to learn something else. My first clue was when clients and workshop participants asked over and over […]
You probably think your life is pretty routine and that you don’t have exciting stories to tell. You get up, eat breakfast, go to work, take kids to school, study yourself, write, whatever it is that you do to fill your days. This mundane life does not seem to be the stuff of stories, let […]
In the past, I’ve written about how you can start a story library and how you can pick the right story for the moment. Today, I want to share with you a method to customize your story for your audience while you’re telling them and offer you a free Audience Analysis Worksheet that identifies the […]
By now, you’ve got a few stories in your Story Library and hopefully, you’ve told them a time or two and are starting to hone those stories. If you don’t have a few stories selected for your Story Library yet, go download a free Story Library Cheat Sheet and get yourself started there! The problem […]
Even before they’ve started working on their story, many people are worried about the delivery. I get it. No one wants to be caught out unable to deliver a well-prepared story. My answer is: you don’t have to memorize your story. It sounds impossible, but it’s true. The advantage of telling personal stories is that […]
None of us have just one story. We have a multitude of stories. We have a multitude of identities and selves that all need their own stories. I am a mother and a reader and a writer and an entrepreneur. I am also an immigrant, Chinese, American, Dutch, woman, and so much more. So are […]
So, you’ve been in this situation. It’s the one where you’re at a function, social or business, and someone is telling a story. As they tell that story, you are drifting. Your mind wanders, you start to realize you’re a little hungry or thirsty or that your back hurts. You look at the person sitting […]
Introductions are hard. You’ve had very little time to read the room. You don’t know much about the person or people you’re meeting. And you know first impressions count. No matter how many times we’ve been asked to introduce ourselves, the moment when your turn comes around the circle or when someone in a group […]
Life feels wildly out of control these days. COVID-19 has taken all our plans and pulped them. Some of us have been thrust into the wild world of homeschooling and others are isolated like never before. It can feel like we don’t have many choices. It can feel like we don’t have control of our lives anymore. […]