SMART Volunteering-Storytelling Guide

I What makes a story good ? The Power of a story Scientific research has shown that when we listen to a good story our brain responds differently than when we listen to other information. Parts of our brain is a successful tool for building empathy (understanding and sharing other people’s feelings and experiences). Personal stories also give us the power to frame our experiences in a positive light. They can frame problems as challenges and show our journeys to be processes of growth. « Our stories disclose our goals and aspirations, fears, identity and self-worth, the roles we choose to play in life, the way we handle adversity and the values and beliefs that we hold dear. We may not choose what happens to us, but the stories we give to experience are ours alone. » (Khoshaba, 2014) So, how can we create a good story ? All Stories have some key components: • Characters • Plot • Setting/Context • Purpose/Theme First of all, a good story is a short story (no more than 5 minutes) structured with a beginning, a middle and an end. It is therefore necessary to organize your personal story (plan and storyboard). -3-