Threading the Stories of Life

Strand Storytelling grew out of a love of sharing true-life stories and a desire to connect with the growing worldwide storytelling community. Transforming our life experiences into compelling narratives is one of our greatest powers as humans. And one of our greatest gifts. Through full courses, one-off workshops, and private coaching, we aim to share our experience, knowledge and passion for true-life stories. Join us for a deep-dive into the exhilarating and transformative world of storytelling. 

What are true-life stories?

Simply put, a true-life story is a story that you tell about your own life. Sounds straightforward, no? Well, telling a story about your life is a trickier endeavour than it may first appear to be. Here's a few reasons why:

• The story you tell will be based on what you remember. But, is memory precise? How you know what your remember is what really happened? Does it matter?

• The story should be true. But, what is truth? And, whose truth? For example, take a story about a football match. The winners will tell a story of glory and overcoming obstacles. The losers will tell a story of dreams being crushed or unfair refereeing. Different perspectives, different truths. 

• The story should centre around one event. But, which events from our lives are worth exploring? What is inherently interesting or meaningful about the events of our lives?

• The story should be compelling. But--if you've ever begun recounting the most amazing story at a dinner table, only to find that, well actually, maybe it's not such a great story after all--you know that just because something was interesting to you, it's not necessarily going to be interesting to other people. How can you craft a story so that it does have a broad appeal?

The above are some of the questions we attempt to answer in our courses, workshops, and coaching. The goal is to arrive at an emotional truth that is undeniable. This is how you hook people. Like a great song or a great movie, a great true-life story can move people. 

What services does Strand offer?

• Courses: Full length courses in order to cultivate specific storytelling skills. Our most popular course is Introduction to Storytelling, in which participants develop one seven-minute true-life story for a graduation show. 

• Workshops: Individual sessions in order to fill a particular organizational objective. Workshops are tailor-made one-off events for organizations, companies, or schools. Great for team-building.

• Coaching: Private instruction for sharpening storytelling, writing, or performing skills. One-on-one coaching for personalized results. 

What can I get out of a storytelling class?

Storytelling skills can be applicable to a wide variety of personal and professional contexts. 

• public speaking

• sales

• education

• marketing

• psychology

• branding

• anywhere a good, well-told story is required

Whether you want to improve your confidence giving presentations or just make a bit more sense of the life you’ve lived, these workshops are for you. If you have a tale to tell, we can help you discover your authentic storytelling voice.