Our theme for September is “lessons learned.” As much as I hate learning a lesson, I have to admit I usually get a story out of it. Whether the lesson is big or small, I can usually work up a story around it based on my inner dialogue that was going on right when everything fell apart.

Yesterday, I was helping someone with a story when I said that most stories happen almost entirely in our heads. One of the best examples of that is a story I heard in 2021 by Stephen Tobolowsky. He spends the first two minutes telling us how he got to LA, and the rest of the story is spent in a car that doesn’t move. It’s a wonderful example of how great stories don’t have to come from bigger-than-life experiences.

[https://freshgroundstories.com/2021/02/07/youtube-finally-gets-me/](https://freshgroundstories.com/2021/02/07/youtube-finally-gets-me/)

Now that you know you can get a story from doing nothing but sitting in a car going nowhere, come tell a story about a time when you learned a lesson. Was it a big lesson that came from a tiny experience or the other way around? Were you surprised that you didn’t learn that lesson earlier in life? How did your life change afterward?

Of course, our themes are just suggestions designed to evoke memories. You can tell a story about anything as long as it follows our usual rules and guidelines.

[https://freshgroundstories.com/2013/01/22/storytelling-rules-and-guidelines/](https://freshgroundstories.com/2013/01/22/storytelling-rules-and-guidelines/)

Remember, all stories need to have something at stake. Ask yourself what obstacle you were trying to overcome, and build the story from there. Practice the story out loud on 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 8 minutes. Stories can be as short as you want, but not over 8 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.
[https://www.meetup.com/Fresh-Ground-Stories-Storytelling-Workshop/](https://www.meetup.com/Fresh-Ground-Stories-Storytelling-Workshop/)

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, September 18, at 7 pm at the Seattle Swedish Club 1920 Dexter Ave, N Seattle, WA 98109

Paul
Freshgroundstories at gmail dot com

Paul Currington

Fresh Ground Stories Seattle Storytelling Meetup Group

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FGS: Lessons Learned - Stories of surprising insights

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Fresh Ground Stories Seattle Storytelling Meetup Group

FGS: Lessons Learned - Stories of surprising insights

Fresh Ground Stories Seattle Storytelling Meetup Group

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