If you’re thinking of telling a story we’d love to hear it! Email a short synopsis at secretlyall@gmail.com. If your story is chosen, you’ll be on the setlist for the next event. If not, you can still throw your name in the hat during intermission!
The rules
- Your story must be true.
- It must be told without notes.
- Keep it under 7 minutes in length.
Tips
- Have a clear sense of where you want to end the story.
- Don’t worry about making it funny or poignant.
- Practice timing yourself while telling the story.
SY is a space where we hope that stories that need, should, want to be told can be told. Stay within the three rules (1. no notes 2. story must be true 3. time limit) and the rest is up to you.
The best way to get a feel for how our event goes is just to come and check one out! But here are some more hints:
Do not feel pressure to make it funny or poignant – life has a way of weaving that into our narratives on its own. If you learned a great life lesson by all means PLEASE share it with us, but we also understand that not every life event can be tied up in a pretty package with a bow on top.
The time limit (7 minutes for regular events) can feel like an eternity for some people and a just enough time for a story’s preamble for others – we suggest timing yourself telling the story a few times (a mirror, or a friend stuck in the car with you works just fine). If you are under 7 minutes no sweat, that’s fine. If you are over, think about what really needs to be told.
A clear sense of where you want to start, where you want to end and what happens in the middle is generally good advice, and especially helpful when you have a room full of mostly strangers staring at you.