Do you need to tell the story of your organisation, project or small business to the outside world, but keep getting lost in the what and how of story-telling? I’ve created this course for you.
A story can take many forms. It might be an about page on your website, a mobilising speech given to supporters, or the images, photos and videos you choose to represent your work. Creating your own story gives direction and orientation. It brings meaning to your work, it can quicken our audience’s hearts and invite them in to find out what happens next.
But sometimes we simply forget to tell our stories. We get so caught up in the day-to-day tasks that we forget that people outside of our organisation don’t really know what we do or why we do it. But stories are the life force of how we understand the world and our place in it – facts are important, certainly, but meaning is often what really motivates us.
In this course I offer a route through the waters of narrative, guiding you towards the story you want to tell. I’ll help you use some classic narrative devices – building a plot, show-don’t tell, writing for your audience and choosing your frame – to create a story that enthrals and sparks action in others.
Here you can listen to an introduction to the course. All audio files are available for download as well
Four audio and workbook modules you’ll get to keep & monthly live sessions for all your questions and ideas
This course is in two parts:
- Finding and knowing your audience. In which we explore how to find your audience, what their needs, filters and biases are, and how your story might be meaningful to them.
- Crafting a story. In which we explore the classic narrative devices of framing, characters, plot, conflict and imagery to put together a powerful and meaningful story.
About me
Hi, I’m Kes. I’m an author and community organiser and I’ve been facilitating workshops since I was very young. I love holding spaces to connect and share knowledge and stories and I’m currently teaching courses on subjects including trans-competency, queer ecology and consensus. I’ve taught in various contexts from autonomous schools to universities and I’ve enjoyed every second. Learn more about me here.
This course is a great fit for you if:
- You have a story to tell about your work, your organisation or project, but you’re struggling to put it together
- You’re excited about communicating the message of your work to the right people
- You enjoy learning in supportive groups, or by yourself and are ready to put aside a few hours to dive in
- This course is also available as live guided sessions to groups – I work particularly with grassroots organisations and projects working for social and environmental justice, and also small businesses. If you’d like to take the course, or part of it with your group, feel free to get in touch to ask more.
A closer look at what you’ll learn
Module 1 – Finding and knowing your audience
- Island A – finding your audience
- Filters and biases – knowing your audience better
Module 2 – Crafting your story I
- Framing – what’s in, and out, of your story?
- Characters – who’s in your story and who is it about?
Module 3 – Crafting your story II
- Plot and conflict – making the story exciting and logical
- Imagery and Senses – getting your audience fully engaged
Module 4 – Getting ready to sail
- Putting together everything you’ve learned and creating a compelling story in words, images, recordings, videos – whatever story-telling might look like for your organisation, project or small business.
Here is what you’ll get as part of this course:
- Self study materials – a 30 page pdf workbook and audio recordings to work through the material by yourself or with a friend at any time
- The chance to connect with other students and create study pairs or groups
- Monthly open office hours online to explore your story together with myself and other course participants
- The possibility to book in a 1 to 1 with me to work deeper on your story
- Easy to follow step-by-step guidance on how to tell the story of your project, small business or organisation
Pricing:
- The course costs €195 including unending access to the audio course and accompanying workbook and online sessions
- Scholarships: A 50% discount is available for those who need it (just get in touch for the discount code)
- Patreon supporters: People supporting me on Patreon (5 EUR or more) get a 30% discount (again, just get in touch for the code)
- Income from courses like this goes directly to my living needs. I also want this work to be as financially accessible as possible so please don’t be shy about asking for a discount if you need it
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when I sign up? When you sign up, you’ll receive all the audio files and the workbook that accompany this course. You’ll also be able to attend live open office hours (online, once a month) to dive into writing and telling your story together.
Can I do the course self-guided? Absolutely! The audio and workbook course is designed for self-study and will give you what you need to get started to tell or deepen the story of your project, organisation or small business.
I’d like to take this course as a workshop with my group – is that possible? Sometimes an individual or group wants to dive a bit deeper into creating their story and I love guiding that work live, in person or online. I work particularly with grassroots organisations and projects working for social and environmental justice, and also small businesses. If you’d like to take the course, or part of it with your group, feel free to get in touch to ask more.
Do you offer scholarships? Financial access is very important to me and I offer a 50% discount on the self-study course for those who need it. Just get in touch any time to ask for more details. People supporting me on Patreon (5 EUR or more a month) automatically get a 30% discount.
What tech do I need?
You’ll need
* any programme that allows you to read pdfs for the workbook (a laptop or tablet will be easier to read the workbook than a phone)
* or, even better, a printer to print the workbook then you can work on the pages directly
* zoom/headphones/speaker/microphone for the online calls (optional)
* any programme that plays audio files (wav) (or you can play them directly in the browser)
* a speaker or headphones