The Podcast, Episode 5: Share Before You're Ready
Getting by with the help of your friends
Hi friends! This week’s Story Letter Podcast episode is here:
Episode 5: Go Ahead. Share Before You’re Ready.
You might think you need to perfect your story before sharing it with anyone. Respectfully, you would be wrong. Today we’re exploring the power of “social drafting.” And I’m taking you behind the scenes of my memoir-writing process with a story that didn’t make the final cut of my 2024 Audible Original.
I loved making this episode because social drafting (the idea of sharing a story out loud IN ORDER to edit it, not AFTER you edit it) is one of my very favorite storytelling “hacks.” And people do it naturally, so really I’m just pointing out that you are already a storytelling genius.
Another reason I loved making this episode: I talk about the nineties to a worrying degree. I can’t stop telling anyone born after 1982: in college, we had PINE email, just white text on black screens. I didn’t have a cell phone until I was 22. I miss my big black zippered portfolio of CD’s. No one wants to hear about it this much, so having a structured way to talk about college is best for everyone involved.
As luck would have it, I am IN ACTUAL FACT writing this post while listening to the almost-unlistenable 1998 classic “Hooch” by Everything. I wish I was kidding.
Let’s do it!
This week’s prompt:
Try a story idea out loud. Tell it to anyone—a friend, a partner, someone on a date. Just make sure they know you’re trying out a story. Notice what you learn.
Resources & Links:
Need story help? Work with me!
Listen to my Audible Original, You Will Not Recognize Your Life
XO,
Micaela
P.S. Reviews really help new listeners find the podcast. If you're enjoying The Story Letter, I'd be so grateful if you'd leave a quick rating or review on Apple Podcasts!
Ready to dive deeper? I’m teaching an online, 6-week storytelling & memoir intensive with Writing Workshops starting March 17th. It’s a small class with lots of feedback and sharing as you shape stories for memoir, performance, or essays. Registration is open!
