We all have a few classic, timeless stories that we can tell over and over, year after year, and continue to amuse, impress or entertain new audiences. What is your go-to story that you keep in your back pocket to tell at cocktail parties or lulls in conversation on a first date?
Maybe it’s the time you won a raffle prize for a round-the-world vacation, and you quit your job the next day to take full advantage of it. Or the time you started an underground poker ring at your elementary school and earned close to $100 before the principal found out and suspended you. Or the time you worked for a summer as a make-up artist in a funeral home.
Think about your very best, can’t-believe-this-really-happened-to-me story, and retell it to your journal. Journaling a familiar story can allow you to add vivid details and see it from a fresh perspective.
1. Before you get started, jot down the 5 W’s: Who, What, Where, When and Why of your story. Who were you with? What were you doing, and what happened that was unusual or interesting? Where were you? When did this happen? How old were you? Why has it stuck out as a great story in your life?
2. Now imagine that you are telling this story to a group of new friends. What reaction do you want to achieve as you tell the story? Do you want them to double over with laughter or cringe in embarrassment or stare open-mouthed in amazement? Keep this emotion in mind as you weave your tale through journaling.
3. Work your storytelling magic! Start with a catchy first line that will grab your audience’s attention, and write the story exactly the way you would tell it out loud. Let your voice and personality show through the words and expressions you choose—you can help the journaling process flow better by actually reading the words aloud after you write them. Leave out unnecessary details that aren’t important to the story, but add descriptions that help the audience see, hear, taste and smell what you experienced.
What do you have to add? What’s your favorite go-to story? Please do tell!
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