FGS: Comfort Zones - Stories of getting out of them

I love my comfort zone. I want to never leave it. I’m not exactly sure where it is, but it’s probably somewhere between the couch and the kitchen. That’s my happy place, on my way to one of those areas in the house.

Sadly, there are still things I want to do in life, and they all seem to exist outside my happy place. Such a paradox! I work so hard to find comfort and after about 20 minutes I’m ready to be uncomfortable again. Luckily, being uncomfortable can lead to some great stories, and that’s what were after this month.

Come tell a story about a time when you left your comfort zone. Did you do it on purpose or was discomfort thrust upon you? Do you rush in with excitement or get dragged in against your will? Did you quit a soul-crushing job? Jump into marriage after 50 years of living on your own? Maybe you learned to drive a car in your 40’s when you left NYC and moved to Boise.

Did you conquer your fear of mice by covering yourself with peanut butter and hiding in my pantry? It might work. I have a lot of mice in there.

Whatever you did to get out of your comfort zone, we’d love to hear about it. Or maybe you have a story about something else entirely. That’s fine too. 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/

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 to 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.

The rest of the rules and guidelines are below:
https://freshgroundstories.com/2013/01/22/storytelling-rules-and-guidelines/

Our free monthly online workshop is a great place to get feedback on your story.
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, October 16, at 7 pm on the top floor of the Seattle Swedish Club 1920 Dexter Ave, N Seattle, WA 98109

Paul
Freshgroundstories at gmail dot com