The Story Toolbox - Issue #3
Welcome back to The Story Toolbox, your regular dose of storytelling inspiration! Every two weeks, I’ll share practical steps to help you become a better storyteller.
In each issue, I’ll give you a question or prompt to make you reflect on what you know, getting you to brainstorm and explore what stories you want to tell. Then, we’ll highlight a great talk, article or story that stands out for you to learn from. And finally, you‘ll get one resource recommendation to check out to improve your storytelling skills.
Reflect: Find your stories
Your prompt for this week:
What's something that recently put a smile on your face? What made it special or magical?
Your exercise: Take a moment to reflect on this. Write out all the ideas that come to mind.
We often think stories have to be big or dramatic. But the small, joyful or fun moments can be just as powerful. Think of something that made you laugh or feel good: was it unexpected? Was it something someone said or did? Or maybe it was a quiet moment of being happy. Whatever it was, try unpacking it. There might be a story hidden in the details.
Learn: Stories to inspire you
Story spotlight of the week: Around the wwworld: Web MIDI, Web AUDIO and what the web does best by Katie Fenn
This talk is a live demo and a storytelling masterclass. Katie walks us through the Web Audio and Web MIDI APIs with charm, clarity, and confidence, all while coding live on stage and making a song from scratch.
What to notice:
- Katie introduces each element of the song and the Web Audio API individually, building up the complexity as the talk goes along.
- She's informative, relaxed, and full of delight.
- She ends with showing what it sounds like when you put it all together, creating a moment you'll remember.
Your challenge: Watch the talk and reflect on it. How does she keep you hooked? What techniques could you try in your own storytelling?
Improve: Upgrade your story skills
Disclosure: The links in this section are affiliate links to Amazon, meaning I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through them at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products that I genuinely find useful.
Recommendation of the week:
This quick talk gives you a feel for what Duhigg unpacks more deeply in his book Supercommunicators. He explores how we connect across differences, how to ask better questions, and how to shift between different “conversation types”. If you want to level up how you connect with your audience (whether on stage or in a meeting), this is a great place to start.
The book, Supercommunicators, is also packed with examples, from FBI negotiators to everyday conversations, and is full of useful insights for anyone wanting to communicate better.
Your homework: Try to spot the three conversation types next time you're chatting with a friend or colleague.
Feel free to reply to this email or leave a comment on the post with how you get on with the exercises, challenge or homework. I'd love to hear what your responses are!
That’s all for this week! Reflect, learn, and improve: your story is waiting to be told, and I’m here to help you tell it. See you next time for more storytelling inspiration.
Until then, happy story hunting!
Melinda
