We all have a story. Everyday, our story grows. Some days are good days and we feel joy and a strong sense of accomplishment. While other days something happens that causes our life to turn upside down and throws us out of balance. We utilize our story to connect us with others. Story unifies us and makes us feel less isolated in our life experiences. Our emotional well is where our story resides. When you learn to draw from your own emotional well, your truth will be revealed. Being willing to go deep in your own life experiences will help others to understand you. As a storyteller, one of your goals is to help the audience see you in your story. Learning to draw from your emotional well will open you up and strengthen your voice.

In my new book, Story Line: Finding Gold in Your Life Story, I help you learn how to draw from your emotional well and add fiction to your story. In Chapter Ten I write, “Think about the pivotal life moments you’ve gone through. What actions did you take in each situation that led to the climax? What are the moments that you tap into as a sequence that leads up to the dilemma? It is in these situations that we begin to see patterns of our behavior and how we bring certain things into our lives. When people experience big moments like the loss of a job, an addiction that may lead to a tragedy, the betrayal of a loved one, or any type of major life transition, there is always a sequence of events that led up to it.”

In Chapter 23, I write, “Some of the goals of the storyteller are to reach, connect, emote, fulfill, intrigue, inspire, empower and impress. What do you want to impress upon your audience? What is the message in your story? Think about weaving it throughout and building us up to the point of recognition. Intoxicate us with your journey and, before the end expose us to the story beneath your words.”

When writing, think about what drove you to get out of difficult life situations. Could you utilize this in your characters? By looking at the sequence of events that led up to the pivotal points in your own life, you see how back story can be brought into the present. What dialogue could you use that gives us a sense of what transpired before the moment without having to go back to it? What did you do when you hit your “all is lost” moment to bring your life back into balance? By digging within, you will find all the answers. You just have to find the courage to go there.

Story Line: Finding Gold In Your Life Story is intended to help you see your story in all its glory. All your emotions and experiences mean something to your audience. By extracting the truth from your emotional well and transforming it onto the page in the stories you tell, you will connect your audience with your vision.