– Storytelling 101: Crafting the Personal Tale

Just about everyone has a story they end up telling at parties or when sitting around the campfire. In this workshop, you will learn how to transform those off‑the‑cuff tales into well-crafted, engaging stories that can hold an audience at a storytelling event or open mic. Workshop participants will offer and receive constructive feedback in a supportive small‑group environment.

This workshop will help you:

• Understand the fundamental differences between reading and telling a story.
• Identify a stage-worthy personal story.
• Find the central arc (the heartbeat!) of the story.
• Practice basics of stage presence, such as body language and pace, and how to forge a connection with the audience.
• Learn how to incorporate elements of sensory detail and character voice that bring scenes to life.
• Develop techniques to build tension and deliver a satisfying payoff.

This workshop is engineered for people who may be comfortable telling stories with friends, but want to elevate their craft and confidence so that those same stories can resonate from the stage.

Registration Includes

Students will go home with a 10-12 minute story which is on its way to being performance‑ready, experience performing their work aloud in front of a friendly and supportive audience, and an understanding of the fundamentals of story structure with which to develop future stories.

What goes into our class pricing? As a local nonprofit, Duluth Folk School is committed to supporting both our instructors and community. We want to compensate our instructors fairly, keep class sizes small, and keep our doors open—while also keeping prices as low as we can.

Thank you for participating in our local handcraft and education economy! Together, we help keep Duluth a fun and vibrant place.

Student Requirements

• Skill Level/Prerequisite Skills: This class is for anyone.
• Best for Age: 18 and older
• You should bring: A story! And a notebook.