What's Your Story?

Whether you want to give a memorable toast, nail a business presentation, or perform onstage, this workbook will have you brainstorming ideas, developing them into fully fleshed-out stories and telling them aloud in no time! A complement to the hit storytelling guide Long Story Short, this useful and inspiring workbook contains all-new exercises and prompts that walk you through creating a story from idea to performance. Includes lists and guided prompts for generating ideas, story templates for developing your stories, and bonus content geared toward performance. Perfect for aspiring storytellers, including The Moth performers, comics, memoirists, and public speakers, as well as readers hoping to use the power of storytelling for their brand or business.

"When you watch Margot Leitman telling stories onstage, you find yourself laughing hysterically and somehow feeling less alone in a world where it seems everyone else got some kind of instruction manual."—Dan Kennedy, host of The Moth storytelling podcast, and writer-performer "Margot Leitman is a rare thing: she's a performer, a writer, and... the teacher you secretly have a crush on. Sharp as hell, Leitman teaches you how to tell your own story. Through sharing her process, telling personal stories, and giving practical exercises, she will give you the tools and confidence you need to share your story with the world."—Elna Baker, author and regular contributor to This American Life "For our improv show ASSSSCAT the success of the performance hinges on how meaty the story is that the monologist gives us. Margot always delivers a nice thick cut of filet mignon."—Matt Besser, cofounder of Upright Citizens Brigade and author of The Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisation Manual "Margot Leitman and Michael Jordan are both naturally good at storytelling/basketball. But they're not content to coast on their natural abilities; they also work at their craft/dunks. But where they differ is that Michael Jordan has retired and Margot Leitman continues to hone her formidable skills on the word processor/court."—Rob Delaney, comedian and best-selling author "Margot Leitman is not only an incredibly skilled and entertaining storyteller but also a gifted teacher. She is the person you most want next to you around a campfire, at a grungy bar, or cheering you on at your first PowerPoint presentation." —Jillian Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of Some Girls: My Life in a Harem "Whether you know it or not, there are great stories inside of you, and Margot Leitman is the perfect person to help you find them and squeeze every drop of humor and emotion out of them when you do. Long story short, she rules. Buy this book."—DC Pierson, author of The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To

MARGOT LEITMAN is the author of the bestselling book Long Story Short: The Only Storytelling Guide You'll Ever Need and Gawky: Tales of an Extra Long Awkward Phase. She has written for Dreamworks TV, the Hallmark Channel, and the Pixl Network, and has performed on Best Week Ever and Late Night With Conan O'Brien. In 2016 she worked for This American Life as the West Coast story scout. She is the founder of the storytelling program at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and is a five-time winner of the Moth Storyslam and a winner of the Moth Grandslam, receiving the first ever score of a perfect 10. She travels all over the world teaching people to tell their stories.