How to Turn Anecdotes into Stories
Lessons from the book The Situation and the Story
I told a true story live this week. I was a storyteller at a Moth GrandSLAM, and it was a great moment for me. Fun was had by all.
Moth StorySLAM events, if you’re not familiar, have an element of randomness. Would-be storytellers throw their name in a hat and ten tellers are chosen with a blind draw. There is a theme for each show but you really don’t know what you’re going to get. It’s exciting and fun and unique.
Some people come because they have this one story that perfectly fits the theme. It’s nice when it works out for them, and most nights there is an epic tale.
Some people love to tell stories and wrack their brains finding something to fit the theme. That’s where I’m at. If I can remember something that’s in the neighborhood of the theme, I’ll show up and take my chances.
The Anecdote
When I first began attending Moth StorySLAMs, I worried that I didn’t have enough worthy stories. I noticed that few stories told there were truly epic, but still I wanted to tell epic stuff.
It ain’t easy. I haven’t lived an epic life. I’ve lived a mundane life, taking very few chances (why gamble if you don’t have to).
