What This Game Teaches This exercise helps participants craft stories that are memorable, persuasive, and impactful by using a structured set of storytelling principles. Group Size Individuals or small groups Time 15–30 minutes Energy Level Low to Medium How to Play Introduce the SUCCESS framework: Simple Universality Concrete Credible Emotional Stakes Surprise Ask participants to take a story they already tell (personal, professional, or presentation-based). Have them

What This Game Teaches The Story Spine teaches fundamental narrative structure—how to move from setup to escalation to resolution—while helping participants organize ideas into a clear, compelling story. Group Size Individuals, pairs, or small groups Time 10–20 minutes Energy Level Low to Medium How to Play Introduce the Story Spine prompts: Once upon a time…Every day…But one day…Because of that…Because of that…Because of that… Until finally…And ever since then… Partici

What This Teaches This guide introduces five classic storytelling structures that help organize ideas into clear, compelling narratives for presentations, conversations, and performances. Group Size Individuals or small groups Time 15–30 minutes Energy Level Low How to Use Choose a story you want to tell. Select one of the structures below. Map your story onto that structure. Practice telling the story using the chosen framework. The Structures The Story Spine Once upon a tim

What This Game Teaches This exercise strengthens collaboration, listening, and narrative structure while adding a layer of challenge and play. Group Size Pairs Time 5–10 minutes Energy Level Medium to High How to Play Two participants tell a story together. Start by alternating one word at a time. Then move to two words each, then three, up to five words each. After reaching five, go back down (four, three, two, one). End the story cleanly on the final words. After finishing,

What This Game Teaches This exercise builds quick thinking, confidence, and the ability to generate ideas under pressure. Categories Improv games, quick thinking, confidence building, communication skills, creativity, team building, public speaking, spontaneity Group Size Pairs or small groups Time 5–10 minutes Energy Level High How to Play One participant prompts another with “Give me three things…” followed by a category (e.g., things in a refrigerator, reasons to be late,

What This Game Teaches This exercise trains participants to use objects, prompts, or moments as “portals” into meaningful stories, building flexibility and creativity in storytelling. Group Size Individuals, pairs, or small groups Time 10–20 minutes Energy Level Medium How to Play Introduce a random object, word, or prompt (this is the “portkey”). Participants say “that object takes me to...” and must use that prompt as the entry point into a story. The story should be true,

What This Game Teaches This exercise teaches participants how to distill their life or experience into a clear, concise narrative with a beginning, middle, and end. Group Size Individuals, pairs, or small groups Time 10–20 minutes Energy Level Low to Medium How to Play Ask participants to tell the story of their life in one minute. Encourage them to include: A clear beginning (where they started) A turning point or key moment Where they are now Give a few minutes to think or

What This Game Teaches This exercise helps participants build associative thinking and discover personal stories by connecting ideas, moments, and experiences in a natural, conversational way. Group Size Pairs or small groups Time 10–15 minutes Energy Level Low to Medium How to Play One participant starts by sharing a short story or statement. The next person begins their response with, “That reminds me of the time…” and shares a related story. Continue around the group, with

What This Game Teaches This exercise helps participants identify and use emotional moments to make their stories more memorable and impactful. Group Size Individuals or small groups Time 15–25 minutes Energy Level Low to Medium How to Play Ask participants to think of a real story they want to tell. Identify 2–3 key emotional moments within the story (joy, fear, surprise, embarrassment, etc.). Have participants expand those moments with sensory details and specific language.

What This Game Teaches This game builds collaboration, adaptability, and shared ownership of a story, while helping participants practice letting go of control. Group Size Pairs Time 5–15 minutes Energy Level Medium to High How to Play Two participants begin telling a story together, with one person starting. At any moment, either person can initiate a high-five. When the high-five happens, the other person immediately takes over the story. The story continues with control sh

Most people can tell you what happened in their lives, but not why it happened or what they learned from their experiences. They can describe their job change. Their move to a new city. Their difficult season. Their promotion. Their failure. Their fresh start. But ask the deeper questions and you open a new and interesting porta: What is your story really about? It’s not about a new job, apartment, or the experience itself. That is the surface story. The good stuff lies bel

You may not think of yourself as a storyteller. You might not stand on stages. You might not write books. You might not describe yourself as creative. And yet, you tell stories every single day. When you explain a delay in a project, you are telling a story. When you answer an interview question about a challenge you overcame, you are telling a story. When you update your team on progress, you are telling a story. Storytelling is not reserved for authors or performers. It i

Whether you realize it or not, you are constantly telling the world who you are. I have recently interviewed a handful of candidates for internship opportunities at Super 78 Studios. The students I’ve interviewed have been bright, engaged, curious, and ambitious. And some of them have been memorable. Others, not so much. You’d never guess what made the memorable ones stick out, would you? Maybe because they did more than list experiences or hypothetical goals... It's bec

There are stories we tell casually. And then there are stories that fundamentally shape who we are. Most people believe storytelling is about describing events. What happened. When it happened. Who was involved. But when you slow down and look closer, you begin to realize something important. The event is rarely the core of your story. The meaning is. When you start telling stories intentionally, patterns begin to emerge. You notice similar challenges appearing in different s

If you have ever told a story to a child, you know one thing immediately. You cannot fake it. Children have a remarkable ability to sense confusion, exaggeration, or boredom. If a story drifts, they drift. If it lacks emotion, they disconnect. If it goes on too long, they will let you know. In many ways, kids are the most honest audience we will ever have. And that is exactly why they make us better storytellers. Children demand clarity. They want to know who the story is abo

There is something powerful that happens when a woman chooses to tell her story clearly. For many women, leadership has not always started with a microphone. It has started with navigating expectations. Being collaborative before being recognized. Being capable before being credited. Over time, those experiences form stories. Stories about who we are allowed to be. Stories about how much space we are allowed to take up. Those stories follow us into meetings, interviews, prese

I’ve heard lots of people who believe that they only have a few “good” stories. Some big moment in their lives... the big breakup... the big accident... meeting their special person... Just because a moment you’re experiencing (or have experienced) wasn’t a turning point, breakthrough, or “moment that changed” everything does not mean it’s not worth exploring. Most of our lives do not unfold in dramatic scenes. But small moments are often where some of our most powerful

Most people think storytelling is about sharing something interesting, personal, or memorable. And sometimes, it is. But there is an important difference between telling a story and using storytelling. Understanding that difference can change how you communicate at work, at home, and in the moments that matter most. Telling a story is an expression. Using a story is intention. Let me tell you a story to illustrate! A Normal Night Out Midway through a monthlong sojourn throug

Stories have always been with me—not just as moments to remember, but as tools for navigating life. For a long time, I thought of the things that happened to me as material I might someday turn into stories. Experiences were something to collect, reflect on, and maybe retell later. But over time, something shifted. I realized that every single moment—big or small—holds an opportunity to become a story that connects, teaches, or inspires. That realization became the foundatio

When people hear the word storytelling, they often picture writers, filmmakers, or speakers standing on a stage. It sounds creative. Optional. Even indulgent. But storytelling is not a creative luxury. It is a life skill. In fact, you already use storytelling skills every single day, whether you realize it or not. When you explain why you are late to a meeting, you are telling a story. When you convince a coworker to try a new approach, you are telling a story. When you help