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Why do you want to learn how to tell powerful stories?

Do you have a goal/message/audience in mind?

What do you struggle with when it comes to story & what would you love

to be able to do?

I N A D E Q U A C Y N A R R A T I V E W A S G I V E N T O M E B Y S O C I E T Y .

Only I get to write the story of who I am.

No one gets to write my story for me.

I AM THE HERO OF MY LIFE STORY.

WHO AM I?

WHO ARE WE?

HOW IS THE WORLD?

WHAT MAKES ME,

ME?WHAT

MAKES US, US?

WHY IS THE WORLD

THE WAY IT IS?

WHATEVER ANSWER WE COME UP WITH TO THESE QUESTIONS IS A NARRATIVE.

Stories live in us, but we also live in stories.

We often forget that.

-Justine Musk

EXPERIENCE + MEANING = STORY

STORIE

S

STORIES

beliefs beliefsBELIEFS

What we believe creates our reality.Beliefs are embedded, learned and transmitted as stories.

stories

STORIES beliefs

belie

fs

OUR WORLD

When we consciously craft our personal stories

we are empowered to create the life we want for ourselves.

Our personal stories = the key to creating a better world.

Our brains are addicted to stories because

they teach us how to overcome problems.

STORIES allow us to create ORDER out of the chaotic.

story is the source code

of transformation.-Michael Margolis

And defining a cause for each effect.

STORIES SYNCHRONIZE BRAINSOur brain lights up, as it would if we were

experiencing the story ourself.

STORIES ARE SOCIAL GLUE.

Stories make us feel connected to one another.

When we can relate to a story, it makes us feel that

WERE NOT ALONE.

STORIES ARE HOW WE EXPRESS MEANING AND SHARE VALUES.

COMMUNITIES ARE GROUPS BOUND BY SHARED VALUES.

Through storytelling, you communicate your values so your audience can say,

Hey! I believe

that too!

Stories are your secret weapon to

BUILD A MOVEMENT.

UNEARTHING YOUR STORIES

We are going to identify your most powerful stories to inspire people to join you in changing the world.

PERSONAL TIMELINE EXERCISE

15 minutes

Plot the major turning points and experiences in your life.

Indicate at least 10 experiences that changed you.

EXPLORING YOUR PERSONAL STORY

IM BORN!

MOVE TO PASO ROBLES

MOVE TO LA QUINTA

MOVE TO SACRAMENTO

RECEIVE FULL SCHOLARSHIP

TO NYU.

GO TO NIGERIA

OUTWARD MOMENTS

INNER SHIFTS

PARENTS BREAK UP, START DATING Ex

I see injustice for the first time.

Commit to strengthening

humanity.

Leave Catholicism.

TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD WITH SEMESTER AT SEA

Comparative injustice.

Develop my philosophy on

the world.

Beliefs and worldview

rocked.

Ungrounded.

PALESTINE

I begin calling myself a photographerFailure in school =

Proving mentality.

YOUR STORY PORTFOLIO

The story of how your organization came to be. The story of your founders insight that led to your formation.

THE ORIGIN STORY

THE CALLING STORYEach person in your organization has a calling story. The story of when they knew they had to do this work. The person they met.

Stories about lessons that youve learned along your changemaking path. We realized we werent going to be successful on our mission unless we....

LESSON STORIES

Stories about how your supporters got inspired to take action and what they did as a result.

MOVEMENT STORIES

Stories about someone whose life changed as a result of your organization.

IMPACT STORIES

Think of:

-Challenges

-Moments you had to make tough choices

-Experiences when you felt ALIVE and powerful

-Important people you met

-Times you took a risk or tried something new

-When your worldview or perception of yourself

changed

INSPIRATION

HOW TO TELL A GREAT STORY

A protagonist faces a challenging experience.

THE HEROS JOURNEY(archetypal story told in many cultures)

When beginning a story,present a question in the mind of the

audience.

?Ask: what will make someone want to

keep listening to this story?

GREAT STORIES... have dramatic tension. THE STAKES are high.

THEY MAKE the audience wonder,

WHAT WILL happen next? How will they overcome this challenge?

How will this end?

They struggle to overcome the challenge,

But then they discover the answer and strength within

themselves.

GREAT STORIES... Make the audience have

an A-Ha Moment.

The moment the protagonist learns how to get through the challenge.

Most emotional moment of the story.

THE AH-HA MOMENT

Its when your audience suddenly understands the message within the story.

It reveals the purpose and meaning of the story.

In your story, include twoPARTICULAR MOMENTS/SCENES,

where we are pulled into a specific place and time.

GREAT STORIES... Include memorable, sensory details that are relevant to

the core message.

Paint a scene with words.

Their reward for overcoming the challenge is the gift of the insight/lesson.

At the heart of every story is A CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE.

The protagonist is not the same at the end as they were at the beginning.

GREAT STORIES do not just describe a series of

events, they are about how that series of events changed the way

the storyteller sees the world.

YOUR STORY SAYS, I WENT ON [THIS JOURNEY],

WHICH CHANGED ME IN [THIS WAY], ULTIMATELY TO GAIN [THIS LESSON]

IM SHARING WITH YOU.

Stories describe the journey from:

PROBLEM SOLUTION

I faced [this problem] which affected me [in this way].

Then I had [this realization] which led me to [this solution].

Stories describe the journey from:

QUESTION ANSWER

I was in [this situation], which made me ask [this question],

I faced [these challenges] as I searched for the answer,

then I had [this experience], which made me realize [this answer].

Stories describe the journey from:

MISCONCEPTION DEEPER TRUTH

I had [this experience] which led me to [this misconception],

which had [this cost], then I had [this experience]

which made me realize [this deeper truth].

GREAT STORIES... teach us something about

how to be human on this earth.

PRESENT LESSONS that

encourage people to pursue their higher values.

GREAT STORIES... Have an element of surprise or

something unexpected

When something makes us FEEL, we remember it.

GREAT STORIES... Are emotional.

They convey the internal

motivations and emotions of the characters.

GREAT STORIES Show vulnerability.

Vulnerability =

Emotional Exposure.

VULNERABILITY IS THE ONLY BRIDGE TO CONNECTION.

GREAT STORIES... Are simple- they only

include details that illustrate the message.

Take out everything that doesnt serve the story.

ONLY include the details that add up to the Ah-Ha moment.

HOW TO CRAFT YOUR PERSONAL STORIES

Two Methods:

EXPERIENCE BELIEF

BELIEF EXPERIENCE

Start with an experience. Something that happened- a trip you had,

a person you met, a project you started.

Reflect on what you learned from that experience and how it changed the way you see the world.

Craft a story that adds up to that realization/belief.

EXPERIENCE BELIEF

Start with your core messages.

What do you want to say to the world?

Whats the message that you just have to share as a result of your experiences?

Try to remember experiences youve had that taught you or confirmed that belief in you.

Build a story that adds up to that belief.

BELIEF EXPERIENCE

DIGGING UP YOUR STORIES WORKSHEET

Experience Belief

Work on first part of worksheet.

Questions to consider:

-When was a time when you were surprised?-What challenges did you face?

-What did you discover within yourself?

CHOOSE 1 EXPERIENCEthat was particularly transformative

SHARE WITH A PARTNER IN 2 MINUTES:1. The story of that experience2. How it affected you. 3. What you learned from it.

PARTNER:Be a story detective: -What catches your attention? -What makes the story powerful? -What are the ingredients that make it work?

To spark you: If you had a megaphone for one minute to say something to

the world, what would you say?

What do you wish other people would realize?

What lessons have you learned that you would like to share

with others?

What insights helped you overcome challenges in the past?

BELIEF EXPERIENCE

5 STEPS TO A POWERFUL STORY

STEP 1: IDENTIFY YOUR AUDIENCE.

CREATE AWARENESS

INFLUENCEBEHAVIOR

CHANGE ATTITUDES

What is your goal in telling this story?

STEP 2: IDENTIFY YOUR AH-HA! MOMENT

WHAT DOES YOUR AUDIENCE NEED TO

REALIZE TO GET THERE?

WHERE IS YOUR AUDIENCE AT

NOW?(ASSUMPTIONS,

EXPERIENCES, BELIEFS)

WHERE DO YOU WANT YOUR

AUDIENCE TO BE?

Think about the shift in perspective you want the audience to have.

Do you have a story of when you had that shift in perspective yourself?

STEP 3: BUILD A STORY AROUND YOUR AH-HA! MOMENT

Instead of describing how you see the world,

tell a story about HOW you came to see the world that way.

TIP:

THINK:What story can I tell to make my

audience have [this] ah-ha moment?

I HAVE POWER OVER MY PERSONAL STORY AND MY STORY IS POWERFUL.

IM BAD AT STORYTELLING.

I AM GOING TO SHARE MY

STORY.

AUDIENCE: WORKSHOP ATTENDEES

I AM POWERFUL. CHANGE IS POSSIBLE.

I CAN CREATE SOMETHING THAT MATTERS.

APATHETIC. THEY DO NOT BELIEVE

THEY CAN CREATE CHANGE.

TAKE ACTION. CREATE A BETTER

SOCIETY.

EXAMPLE: YOUNG PEOPLE

THIS PROJECT IS CHANGING LIVES IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.

THEY DO NOT KNOW IF YOUR

PROJECT IS WORTH THEIR INVESTMENT.

THEY WANT TO INVEST IN YOUR

PROJECT.

AUDIENCE: POTENTIAL FUNDERS

THIS WILL BE A POWERFUL EXPERIENCE. JUST BY SHOWING UP, I WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

DO NOT KNOW IF YOUR PROJECT

IS WORTH THEIR TIME.

SCARED OF NOT BEING GOOD

ENOUGH.

THEY WANT TO VOLUNTEER FOR YOUR PROJECT.

AUDIENCE: POTENTIAL VOLUNTEERS

STEP 4: BUILD THE STRUCTURE OF THE STORY

CLIMAX

CHAL

LENG

E

RESOLU

TION

The Beginning Middle End

Ah-Ha Moment

Setting &Introduction

STEP 5: MAP OUT THE STORY.

Practice out loud or write it out.

STEP 6: WRITE YOUR COMPLETED STORY FROM BEGINNING TO END

STEP 7:

PRACTICE SAYING YOUR STORY OUT LOUD

HOW TO STRUCTURE A POWERFUL STORY

HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR STORY: STORY ARCH

CLIMAX

CLOSURE

CONCLUSION

The A-Ha Moment. Ground it in a specific location.

How is life different because of this realization? Include a detail

or anecdote about how the impact was experienced.

Relate the story back to your audience.

Empower them to apply the moral

of the story to their lives.

CONTEXTThe hook: set the stage and introduce who, what, when, and where.

CONFLICTPresent the problem. Include a detail or anecdote about how the challenge was experienced.

JOURNEY TO CHANGEStruggle of the journey makes the character change.

CONTEXT: THE BEGINNING OF YOUR STORY

Set the stage and introduce who, what, when and where.

CONFLICT: PRESENT YOUR PROBLEM

Set up what the character wants, so the listener wonders how they will get it.

Include a memory/scene at the moment of realizing the problem/asking the question.

JOURNEY TO CHANGE:Struggles on the journey that make

the character change.

CLIMAX:THE MOMENT OF CHANGE

THE A-HA MOMENT.

Include a memory/scene at the moment of realizing the solution/finding the answer.

Take people to where you were and what you remember seeing, feeling, thinking, hearing,

smelling.

CLOSURE: What happened as a result

of the Ah-Ha Moment?

CONCLUSION: FUTUREState what the future looks like for the protagonist. Relate the moral of

the story back to the audience.

www.AwakeStorytelling.comFacebook.com/AwakeStorytelling

Annie@AwakeStorytelling.com