Humans are born storytellers. The way we tell and share our stories about who we are, what we do, and what we want affects who sees us, hears about us, and whether or not the right people connect with us.

If you want to learn how to describe yourself or your business (or both), join me at one of the following live storytelling workshops.

I’ve taught storytelling and narrative writing workshops live across the country—from the World Domination Summit to Bold Academy to General Assembly, and now I’m teaching two of these workshops as live online webinars that you can access from anywhere. Previously these workshops were only offered in person—if you’ve wanted to attend a class (or you’re curious about the upcoming writer’s workshops), join this one-day class.

Join me on Thursday, April 24 and Tuesday, April 29 for two 90-minute sessions on storytelling, narrative, and psychology.

“One of the best classes I’ve ever taken at General Assembly.” — Craig, General Assembly workshop participant

“Amazing class. I learned so much—left with pages packed full of notes.” — Joel, WDS workshop participant.

Storytelling 1.0: Crafting narratives for individuals and businesses. Thursday, April 24th, 1pm EST. $30.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: This introductory class will cover narrative form and storytelling tools that are practical and quickly implementable for many communication needs ranging from a personal biography to the description of your company. Understand the role of your audience; the psychology of your readership, and why asking certain questions will make storytelling much easier.

You’ll learn how to dissect the various mediums where messages are told, how to modify your story based on the place you’re telling it; how to identify your values and your audience’s values, and the power of lyrical descriptions in your story. We’ll also cover basic psychological principles of understanding and why this is important for how you craft your message.

HOW IT WORKS: This private online webinar will be hosted LIVE at 1PM EST. The webinar includes 90-minutes of lecture, visual, and presentation materials followed by 30-minutes of open question-and-answer sessions—ask anything you’d like and get feedback on your story + listen in to the questions of others!

Can’t make it live? The webinars will be recorded with a private link of the recording sent out to all participants.

PREPARATION: Bring pens, paper, and notebooks to write on. Bring a draft of your current biography and/or business description (you’ll be asked to re-write it during the webinar based on the key principles we cover).

Register here: Storytelling 1.0: Live Webinar, Thursday, April 24th 1—3pm EST. $30.

“Sarah goes over five different frameworks for how to tell stories — this was the first time the Hero’s Journey really made sense to me in a modern context.” —Anne S.

“I never thought about how important value systems were to storytelling—once she described it, it was a huge “Ah-ha” moment for me. Now I know which stories to tell when.” — Jeremy H.

“The simple idea that we all have many stories to tell took a lot of the pressure off—we don’t need to pick just one story. We can switch them out based on our audience and the medium.” — Leslie.

Storytelling 2.0: Leadership, sticky messages and the psychology of persuasion. Tuesday, April 29th 1pm EST. $30.

ABOUT THIS CLASS: This second session of the two-part storytelling series can be taken independently or in conjunction with Storytelling 1.0. In this class, we look at the stories that great leaders use to inspire; why (and how) to use emotion in your stories, and the persuasive benefits of a great story. This class includes a deeper dive into case studies of great stories (and not-so-great stories) to better grasp the concepts. In our time together, I’ll even show how Finding Nemo can teach us how to engage audiences from the beginning of your story with clever hooks and curiosity gaps.

Can’t make it live? The webinars will be recorded with a private link of the recording sent out to all participants.

Register here: Storytelling 2.0: Live Webinar, Tuesday, April 29 1—3pm EST. $30.

“It makes so much sense—leadership stories are different than other stories, because the objectives are different. Now I can see how people tell future-based stories and I realize how powerful they are.” — Sam

“This class takes a deep dive into your own personal Hero’s Journey narratives based on the work of Carol Pearson—I finally understood how I was living out my own Orphan narrative. This class was better than therapy.” —(Anonymous).

“Sarah is one of the warmest and kindest people I know. Work with her, she will be a change-maker and an incredibly valuable asset to your team or life.” — Jana Schuberth, Owner, Love Work Now

Imagine: a three-week course for writers to practice your craft, learn about writing tips and tactics, get direct feedback on your writing and meet other people in a small-group format. A way to enter the digital world. A place to get better at writing–and learn from others in direct conversation. An opportunity to learn about storytelling, narrative, and writing.

I hear from so many folks that want to write, but haven’t started yet–or don’t know where to start. Individuals with a developing writing craft who want to get better at storytelling, narrative, and online writing. People who have been writing for a while–and are ready to share their work with other people.

“The act of starting something is powerful.” – (Tweet this)

I’ve been working this past winter and spring to develop a course just for this purpose: a 3-week digital writing workshop with daily exercises and a private, shared community of colleagues to converse with and learn from. I’m excited to share it with the world and invite you to participate!

Join me.

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The Details: Spring 2013 Writer’s Workshop

A digital writer’s workshop: A 3 week (21-day) adventure course on creative writing, storytelling, and blogging. Monday through Friday weekday essay prompts, 3 live calls and Question/Answer sessions, and a small, private group to meet fellow bloggers and community members interested in the same thing you are – writing.

Course Dates: The program starts Monday, April 29th and goes through Friday, May 17th.

The Goodies:

Fifteen introductory essay prompts and thoughtful phrases sent each weekday morning, plus a reading/thought reflection question. Each question will be a short exercise to stimulate your thinking, teach you a new writing skill, and (optionally) extend into a longer essay (if you have the time).
Live Q/A group calls every Wednesday at 5 PM PST (and recorded so you can watch later) to ask any questions you have about developing your writing, to ask questions and share experiences, and to talk about all things writing, blogging, brainstorming, storytelling and internet.
Weekend optional/alternative assignments to “catch up” on missed weekdays or do bonus writing (not required). Take the time to expand, re-write, edit, and hone in on one of your favorite ideas from the week.
A private, closed Facebook page for the group to talk to each other, share tips and ideas, and form connections with other writers looking to expand their practice.
A chance to submit your writing for review or feedback through a weekly “featured essay contest,” where I’ll be giving feedback directly to you on your essays and questions.
The choice to go at your pace: while prompts will be delivered daily, you have the option to select anywhere from 2-, 3- or 5-times a week writing (although I encourage at least three per week to help set the habit!). Pick what feels right for you and select your personal writing habit.
At the end of the course: a bonus pack of 15 essays prompts and ideas: an extra three weeks of self-guided writing after the three-week course. Would I send you off into the woods alone? Nope! I’ll give you more exercises for you to do at your own pace.
If you complete all the prompts and ideas (including the bonus pack) you’ll finish the workshop with 30 essays—enough for a year’s worth of blogging!
Crafted with love, design chops, and a desire to make an impact on your writing. Let me help you get started writing in this Spring Writers’ Workshop.

Learn About:

The power of great storytelling, and how to improve your storytelling.
Narrative Arc, storytelling formation, and writing structures including Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero’s Journey.”
How to add color, texture and detail to your writing;
Finding your own voice and story.
What to do when you get stuck and how to develop great habits for great writing

Explore:

New topics to write about and prompts for you to pursue
Thoughts and ideas from writers across multiple centuries.
Resources and tools to teach you more about storytelling, writing, and communications.
The psychology behind habit formation and building a writing practice.
The brilliance of your brain–you are already a wonderful thinker!–explore ways to let your voice come out on the page.
Engage in feedback and conversation with other writers, and get direct feedback on your questions, ideas and concerns.

“Writing is essential to our creative self, our soul: write to learn and to live.” – (Tweet this)

This course is perfect for:

People with aspiring creative writing dreams;
Professionals looking at improving communication skills for day job;
Bloggers who want to improve their craft;
New writers who want to get started on a writing project;
People with a writing practice who want to meet other like-minded people.

Registration details:

THE SPRING 2013 WORKSHOP IS SOLD OUT.

If you’d like to join for a Summer Workshop, sign up to be notified of blog posts and future classes.

Summer 2013 and Fall 2013 Workshop Details coming soon. Registration will open June 1.

EARLY REGISTRATION: $300.

Registration closes April 26th or when the class is full ~ whichever comes first!
The course is $400 for three weeks, 30 total essay prompts, daily inquiries, three live calls, and a closed community of like-minded writers.
Miss a day? Exercises can be done throughout the week, before or after work, or you can catch up on weekends if you miss a day along the way.

I hear from so many folks that want to write but don’t know where to begin, or haven’t carved out the time yet. Many people are also writing but haven’t formed a community online. This course is designed to help you do both. The course will combine several of my teachings from the Storytelling workshops I’ve taught at World Domination Summit, Bold Academy and at General Assembly — as well as detail new processes and resources for your use.

Let’s get started – a private community and daily digital course focused on getting better at writing.

Want in? Join me!

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With (writing) love,

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Tag: online class

Want to be a better storyteller? Two new online workshops, April 24th and 29th.