Overheard - True stories told live

Everyone has a story.

At Overheard, we invite you to get up and tell a 5-7-minute true story on the selected theme. Come ready to write your name on a slip of paper and throw it into the hat! If your name is called, you’ll stand up and share a true story that could only have happened to you.

There’s a chance we might not have time for everyone who signs up to share, but don’t worry—at the end, we’ll invite these brave souls to tell us the first, last, or best line of their story. Leave us feeling sorry we didn’t get to hear it!

Our theme for Overheard is “unexpected journey.” Perhaps your summer included unexpected travel plans. Maybe you have a story about a big life change that’s put you on a path you weren’t prepared for. However you want to interpret the theme—literally or metaphorically—come out to tell, or just sit and overhear, some incredible stories.

Overheard Storytelling Guidelines
What’s ‘Overheard?’
Overheard is a live storytelling event, which means that anyone who has a story related to the night’s theme can throw their name in a hat for a chance to be called up to share it. It’s called ‘Overheard’ because we often pass on great stories that we overhear to our friends and family—it may not be exactly true to the original teller’s story, but what you took away from it lives on. And you’re going to hear some great stories that you’ll want to tell someone you know (or don’t).

How do I tell a live story?
It’s not that different from writing down a story on paper. It might even help to write your story down first, but only to get your thoughts out—at Overheard, you don’t just want to memorize a story you’ve written down. For one, it makes getting up and telling a story harder, because you’re trying to remember every word you’ve put down on the page. It’s best to be in the moment when you’re sharing your story with an audience.

Here are some tips to help you prepare a story to share out loud:
1.) Make an outline. Instead of writing out your full story, write down the key points you want to hit to help you find your story’s flow. Once you have the outline of your story in your head, you won’t feel like you have to memorize every word.
2.) Give your story a beginning, middle, and end. Every story needs these 3 elements, and you’ll want to emphasize them when you’re telling yours. Think of these as the guideposts that you’ll need to connect.
3.) Hook us from the beginning. Find the right opening for your story that hooks your audience and makes us want to hear more. A good tip is to be conversational. Maybe ask the audience a question to see if we can relate, or at least get us ready for what we’re about to hear
4.) Build up to a climax. Set the stakes and make us feel like your story is building to a crucial moment, a turning point. This usually comes in the middle of a story, so you can carry us to a resolution.
5.) Have fun! The goal is to have fun. If you’re having fun while telling your story, then we’ll have fun listening to it.

How do I know if I have an interesting idea?
If the story really happened and you find yourself sharing it with family and friends over and over again, you have an interesting idea. Remember: It should also fit the theme of the event, which is a creative restriction that’s fun to work in.

Can I talk about anything?
We don’t believe in censoring what you have to say, but obvious hate speech or a story that sounds like it was purposefully written to hurt someone or a group of people will NOT be tolerated. We’re also in a bookstore with kids around, so try to keep swearing to a minimum.

How long should my story be?
Keep your story to 5 minutes. I’ll subtly let you know if you’re verging on the time limit and should start wrapping up.

How can I be a good audience member?
Pay attention. Listen. Clap at the end. Even if you didn’t like the story, remember that it’s hard to stand up in front of people and share the truth. If you think you could do better, feel free to throw your name in the hat, and we’ll give you the same respect while you’re at the mic.