I started the Tell Me Something Good Blog in 2010 to provide a platform for me and our serious students to write about what we were learning and experiencing as we deepened our practice as storytellers. Below is a list of some of the posts I’ve found most useful recently, and over the years. I hope you enjoy them, too!
What is Storytelling? What is a Storyteller?
- The Top 10 Things I Learned in the Art of Storytelling by Henry Ortega: Henry’s definitive and instructional list from the Fall of 2025.
- Humble Magic: Being a Storyteller is More than Telling Stories. What does it mean to be a storyteller?
- Story vs Speech. A common question!
- Let the Story Do the Work. Try not to tell your listeners what the story means!
- What Kind of Storyteller Do You Want to Be? The importance of building repertoire.
Finding, Crafting, and Learning Stories:
- Story Infographics. Quick structuring tools for personal and fact-based stories.
- How to Create a Story: Building effective stories. Thinking through the process of developing and telling stories.
- The Big List of Story Prompts. Finding ideas for your personal stories
- Do You Know? Finding Family Stories by Carly Davis. Prompts for family stories.
- Saturday Morning Blog by Diana Dinshaw: Finding, crafting and learning a story
- Cootie Catcher: Sparking Stories and Breaking Ice by Bryce Barraza: Using a story finding tool
Dealing with Anxiety:
- Managing Public Speaking Anxiety by Bryce Barraza: Preparation is the key!
- Facing Fear – one story at a time by Rigo Tavena: The rewards of accepting the challenge.
- Positive Actions from Negative Thoughts by Mario Avent: The sacredness of self-respect.
Traditional Stories – folktales, myths, legends
- How to Conduct “Learn a Story Fast.” A tried and true technique to learn short folktales.
- Telling Stories Ethically. Choosing stories that are right for you and ethical for you to tell.
- Collecting and Recording Traditional Folktales: A guide for students by Kathy Shimpock
- You Don’t Know Jack: but here’s why I think you should by Rebecca Love. The importance of the classic folktale character.
Affirmative Coaching:
- The Affirmative Coaching Model for Storytellers. How and why we give feedback the way we do.
- Elements of Good Storytelling for Affirmative Feedback. What to look for when giving affirmative feedback.
- Leaning in to the Affirmative Coaching Process by Stephen Lazar
Using Storytelling in a Variety of Settings:
- Using Storytelling in a Variety of Settings by Liz Warren: How, when, where, what, who.
- How Rescue Dogs Taught Me to Tell Better Stories by Courtney Anderson: Stories create connections that foster advocacy.
- ‘X’ Marks the Spot: Using a Matrix to Help Identify the Best Story for the Desired Message by Bryce Barraza: How do you choose what stories to tell in the setting?
- A Variety of Settings, Indeed by Dixie Walljasper: The experience of a semester in the class.
Storytelling/Therapy/Healing:
- Storytelling or Therapy by Kate Smith
- Storytelling isn’t (and shouldn’t be) therapy, but it sure feels like it’s good for me! by Jessica Foreman
- From Storytelling to Healing by Roxanne de la Rosa
- The Alchemy of Storytelling by Natalie Rivera
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