Your Authentic Story Masterclass Series
with Dr. Cindy, The Expert's Ghostwriter®
Welcome!
Learn pro story writing skills and write your story. Get feedback and refine your unique voice.
replay of Session 1: Storywriting 101 Masterclass
Guidance to write your “time I thought I was right, but I was wrong” story
If you want to encourage someone to think differently, it's smart to have a story about when you also believed what they believe... and then how you realized that was wrong and something else (what you now believe) is true:
Like you believed you were too old or young, inexperienced or over-educated, too small or too big, etc. to do something, and then you did it.
Or you believed X was true, so you kept making this mistake/these mistakes until you learned that Y is actually true.
Another great one is to look at how when you were young and naive, you believed X about yourself/life, and then with maturity, you realized Y is true.
These stories are also great if you want to build rapport with people because they inherently show vulnerability.
Most of the time, it's not easy or fun to admit we were wrong or made a mistake, even when it was something silly.
But other people LOVE when someone does that because the truth is--we've all been wrong before and made mistakes, too.
You open others up to feel like there's more of themselves they can share... specifically, with you.
Have you ever noticed how after a speaker gives a vulnerable talk, people line up to talk to them?
It's mostly to share how they, too, have felt that way or made that mistake.
And when you write this story with the Authentic You formula, it's easy to make sure this story has all the right elements for maximum Story Power.
Replay of Session 2: Fairy Godmother Story Makeovers
Shannon Modrell’s sample story: Before and After
Kelli Forsythe’s sample story: Before and After
Doing story makeovers is so much fun for me, and it's a preview of the VIP Masterclass experience in my Authentic You: Six Stories Every Entrepreneur Should Be Telling, which starts next week.
I go over the Session 2 handout and relate the points to Story Power and the Authentic You story formula. During the story reviews, I also share these writing tips:
Don’t give away the plot. Trust the reader to discover it (which makes the reader feel smart).
Show what’s at stake with the friction in your story to make it richer.
End the story on a strong note to leave the reader wanting more.
Avoid distracting details so you better lean into the juicy ones.
Leave out the backstory that isn’t related to what’s happening in this story.
Sometimes moving a sentence from the later part of the story to the beginning is exactly what’s needed.
Thank you to our brave volunteers, Shannon and Kelli!
Notice the ways we discussed that both writers can use their stories professionally. Shannon has a great “How I Got Into My Field” story, perfect for answering that exact question when people ask (which is frequently, isn’t it?). Kelli has a strong “Rock Bottom Transformation” story she can use to build rapport and model transformation in her therapy practice.
What are the ways you can use the story you’ve written in the Your Authentic Story Masterclass Series? I bet the possibilities are endless…