The Story Letter

It's graduation day! In our season finale, I'm sharing real-world examples of how storytelling tools show up everywhere: in courtrooms, research labs, film sets, and more. Turns out being a better storyteller makes you better at a lot of things. And we say goodbye until next time. KIT!   Need story help? Work with me! Want the free workbook that goes with this podcast? Subscribe to The Story Lette...

Try out my strategy for taking bigger risks, by creating the right safety nets. In this episode, I'm getting vulnerable and sharing how a recent discovery has given me a whole new lens for understanding all of my stories – and exactly what I did to get over my fear and release my audio memoir.   Get your gold star! Share your biggest storytelling challenge Need story help? Work with me! Want more?...

What do you do when your story isn't over yet, in real life? Or when the perfect ending shows up 25 years later? Today we're tackling the art of endings. And I'm sharing a story about a confrontation that gave me closure after decades. In the middle of the Park Slope Food Co-op, obviously.   Need story help? Work with me! Want more? Subscribe to The Story Letter on Substack for storytelling insigh...

People get so worried that too much structure will make their stories boring. But let me show you how the right framework can actually help you get weird! I'll prove it with a story about how structure gave me the confidence to try something WAY outside my comfort zone. Hint: this story has a tear-away skirt in it.   Get the Story Spine template in the Story Letter Companion Workbook (free when yo...

Finding the deeper themes in your stories can solve both the "too much" and "not enough" problems in storytelling. So let’s talk theme! Also, while I illustrate how to use “theme” as an editing tool, I'll share a magical coincidence I experienced a few years ago that fully justified my obsession with time travel.   Need story help? Work with me! Want more? Subscribe to The Story Letter on Substack...

You might think you need to perfect your story before sharing it with anyone. Respectfully, you would be wrong. Today we're exploring the power of "social drafting" – and I'm taking you behind the scenes of my memoir-writing process, with a story that didn't make the final cut of my 2024 Audible Original.   Need story help? Work with me! Want the free workbook that goes with this podcast? Subscrib...

Let’s get tactical! I'm breaking down the three key elements that turn a story idea into a capital-S Story. Plus you’ll hear these tools in action: I’m workshopping a brand new story about my extremely brief tango career, sharing my thought process and decisions along the way.   Alejandro Puerta on TripAdvisor (he was the best - check out the reviews) Need story help? Work with me! Want more? Subs...

What happens when we revisit old stories with fresh eyes? Today we're thinking about how time and perspective can change our narratives completely. And I'll take you on a field trip to my middle school years (and my literal middle school) that changed how I see my past.   Need story help? Work with me! Want more? Subscribe to The Story Letter on Substack for storytelling insights, personal essays,...

If you’re feeling blocked about which story to tell, I've got you. Learn why the "most dramatic" story isn't always the best one to tell, and discover how to pick the stories that matter to YOU. Plus, I'll share how one of my very first storytelling performances taught me a lesson about being “myself.”   WATCH “MOVING” – My Moth story about Laszlo and The Wolf (you can watch me discover I love sto...

Are middle schoolers as scary as they seem? In this first episode of The Story Letter, we're at the starting line for this season all about personal stories: what they can do, why they matter, and how to tell them. We’ll talk about how a story can change both its listener AND its teller. And I’ll share a kind of lovely moment that I had with a fifth grader that showed me how powerful a personal st...

Micaela Blei has spent the last 14 years telling stories and teaching thousands of people how to tell theirs. In The Story Letter Podcast, she’ll share the stories and strategies to help you tell better stories, feel great telling them, and connect with your audience, wherever you are. Look out January 14 for the first season of The Story Letter!   Need story help? Work with me! Want the free work...