Unlocking Stories

Welcome to issue 7 of The Authentic Voice Newsletter. I’m excited you’re here! 

Have you ever felt stuck when trying to tell a story? If so, you’re not alone. One of the biggest challenges people face is not having stories ready at their fingertips. 

But here’s the thing. Stories don’t just appear out of nowhere. The key to telling great stories is first to start collecting story ideas. That’s the foundation. 

So today, we’re going to dive into the very first step: story idea collecting.

One of the easiest ways to start gathering story ideas is by using an exercise called “First, Last, Best, Worst”. This activity comes directly from Matthew Dick’s book Storyworthy (a book I recommended in issue #3 of the newsletter).

It’s a quick and effective method to jog your memory and uncover ideas and experiences that you have long forgotten about . 

By reflecting on your "first," "last," "best," and "worst" experiences across various topics, you’ll be amazed at how many potential stories emerge.

Client “case story” 

I recently used this activity with a client of mine, “Daisy”, who was struggling to come up with a fresh idea for a keynote speech. 

She knew she had plenty of experiences to draw from, but none felt quite right. We turned to “First, Last, Best, Worst” to get the ball rolling.

As we went through the exercise together, Daisy began talking about her travels, especially her trips to Japan. 

Her first, last, and best trips were all to Japan, and those memories helped her start making connections between her experiences. 

It wasn’t just about the trips. It was about the emotions and stories tied to those moments.

As we continued our conversation, something even more meaningful came up. Daisy shifted to a personal story about helping her mom after she was forced into retirement. 

Through this experience, Daisy found a powerful story idea that she could use for her keynote speech. 

What started as a simple brainstorming activity led to a much deeper, more impactful story, one that she hadn’t thought about sharing before.

To see how the “First, Last, Best, Worst” activity works in practice, let me give you a simple example. 

It’s not about finding the perfect answer for each prompt but rather using it to spark your memory and generate story ideas. In fact, you don’t even have to fill in every box.

Here’s how you could apply it to some everyday topics:

This exercise is a great way to start capturing the stories that already exist within your own experiences.

Now it’s your turn. I encourage you to try the “First, Last, Best, Worst” activity yourself. It’s an easy way to start unlocking the stories within your experiences and get your ideas flowing. 

Download your copy 

In an effort to hold you accountable, I have developed a free Notion template of “First, Last, Best, Worst” available via Gumroad. Use it, share it and above all tell me if you found it helpful. 

Now it’s your turn!

Storytelling begins with collecting those ideas, and this exercise is a great first step.If you’d like a little guidance or want to explore this together, I’d love to jump on a quick 15-minute call. You can book a time through my Calendly page. 

Let’s get your storytelling journey started!

Until next time, keep collecting those story ideas! I’m looking forward to hearing what you come up with.

It’s never too late to become a great storyteller!

Rico