FGS: It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

May's theme is, “It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time.” This is always the start of the backwards journey I go on when I try to figure out why I did what I did and how it could have turned out so bad.

I must have had a good reason for moving to LA with almost no money and a 1974 Opel station wagon. I must have had a good reason for hiring a singing telegram to give my two-week notice at the office party. Surely I must have thought out the consequences of playing tag with my eight-year-old son at the bus station, where everything there is harder than his head.

But if I'd thought all those things through, I wouldn't have the stories, and my son wouldn't have a Harry Potter scar on his forehead.

Come out on the 15th and tell a story about doing something with the best intentions, but it didn't turn out quite the way you thought it would. What did you learn afterward? Did you ever figure out why you made that choice in the first place? Was it worth the lesson, or do you wish you'd never made that choice at all?

Remember, all stories need a beginning, a middle, an end, and something at stake. Practice your 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.

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 on Thursday, May 15, at 7 pm at the Seattle Swedish Club 1920 Dexter Ave, N Seattle, WA 98109

Paul
Freshgroundstories at gmail dot com