#Telling my story series

If you're considering telling a story rooted in vulnerability or trauma, it's important to consider whether you're emotionally ready to share that story. Ask yourself if you're ready to share the story. 'There's the 'you' we met in the beginning and the 'you' at the end,' she explains.Ħ. The key to a good ending is showing the audience your transformation over the course of the story, even if it's a slight transformation. 'You just have to end the story in a different place than you began.' 'Stories in real life usually aren't tied up with a bow,' Jenness says. Writing the ending can be the hardest part. Understand how you've changed by the end.īy this point, you know the moment your story is centered on, what the stakes or tensions are and how you want to tell the story. 'You want to take people through the journey so they can experience what you experienced, ' Bowles says.

#Telling my story series

From there, ask yourself if you'll tell your story in chronological order, or if you'll start at the end and find your way back to the beginning, or if you want tell it in a series of flashbacks instead of a linear structure.ĭon't worry about getting too fancy with the structure – often, telling a story chronologically is the best way to go. Figure out the structure.Ī good rule of thumb is to start in the action of the story – this will draw people in. Remember that in any great story you're not just sharing events that happened, you're also sharing the thoughts and feelings running through you during those events. Life Kit Every family has stories to tell.

Tell us about a moment you were reunited with something you treasure.

Tell us about a time you had to follow your heart.

What's something someone said to you that you'll never forget?.

If your life were a movie, what's one scene you'll never forget?.

If you're not sure how or where to start mining for your own stories, here are some helpful prompts: Within these kinds of prompts you can begin to explore moments of vulnerability. Think of a time you did something but it didn't go as planned.

'You start to see patterns of your story arise,' says Bowles.īig decisions are a good place to find stories so are embarrassing moments and mistakes. When you think of a moment, ask yourself, 'Why did that moment stick with me? What about that moment was important to me?' How do we know which one to pursue? 'I always say to think back to moments in your life that really shifted you in some way,' Bowles says. Select a meaningful story.Įach of us has hundreds of stories we could tell. You're telling us how that moment felt emotionally, how you were affected, how you reacted and how you're a different person after having endured that moment. When you're telling a story, you aren't just describing what happened when you walked into the coffee shop and saw your ex on a date.