Or it will tell you.
The Story Way
a path to greater understanding through the telling of a personal story
On this page, you can learn about the digital storytelling workshops I give
an American freelance writer based in Frankfurt, Germany.
Besides writing for magazines, newspapers and companies, I also teach digital storytelling workshops in which participants tell a personal story with images, music and voiceover.
Using a story circle group process, I help you find the story you want to tell, craft that story into a script, and then turn it into a deeply personal 3-minute video.
The act of telling your story can be healing or transformative for some people. Sometimes this happens because you are able to get distance from an emotional or other event that needs further processing. Other times you are able to see your own story in a new light.
For companies, I offer workshops with a similar story-finding process. The narratives we produce in an organizational setting can be used by leaders to illustrate important lessons learned (usually the hard way), to initiate change or to inspire action.
Write what comes to mind after the prompt. Avoid self-editing at this stage.
Consider the where and when of your story to find the starting point.
Keep in mind that your images and voice tonality will also tell part of your story.
Do your voiceover in one go, not in small segments. Be sure to record about 5 seconds of room sound before you begin. If you misspeak a sentence or a word, stop and repeat that sentence or begin again.
Create and gather still and moving images. Remember that an abstract illustration can be
more powerful than a descriptive one.
Use license-free music, create your own or decide for no music in your video.
Combine your voiceover, still images, moving images and music using the WeVideo software.
Sample personal narratives
from the Story Center in Berkeley
Seething
A story about a man who is angry about the discrimination his children face and what is going on in American politics.
Tears in every step
A story about dancing to escape, to fight, to forget, to recover, to forgive, and to live.
Henri & me: The Secret of Survival
A story about a love of art and being an outsider.
Bree Salazar
A story about a woman’s connection to nature and the lessons it has taught her.
Knowing
A story about a woman’s experience working with the homeless and underserved, and her dreams for the future.
Your move
A story about chess, a man named Kevin, and differing worlds on either side of the U.S.-Mexican border.
Participants Videos
Electrical Storm
One girl’s struggle with epilepsy and how it changed her outlook on life.
A story of me and my violin
What happens when you want something so bad, but you can’t seem to get it?
Lyme Disease
A scary disease, an emergency evacuation, a close call.
quiet
Sometimes it takes time to come to terms.
Pushing too far
A lesson learned. The hard way.
my storytime
Learning to cope. Learning to hope.
Stroke of Fate
A boy and his dream to become a professional soccer player.
A special thanks to Anja Fink and her students at the Humboldt Gymnasium in Bad Homburg, Germany.
Fall 2017
