- Have you ever needed to write something, but you just don’t know where to start?
- Do you feel like you’re telling the same story so often that even you’re bored with it?
- Do you ever want to just stand outside and scream, “Will someone please just give me an idea? Half an idea?”
Oh my God, do I know where you’re coming from.
I’ve been writing for corporate leaders for over 25 years. Sometimes it’s fascinating stuff, a joy to write; other times…well, other times it’s work.
And that’s when I go on safari. Story Safari.™
What’s a Story Safari™?
Not a photo of Elaine. Or, probably, of a safari.
If you’ve never heard of Story Safari™, that’s because I invented the term.
It’s about hunting for stories—real things that happen in the world or events in your daily life—that can help you find a new way into your message.
Like the time I went to see a baseball game and sat next to a foreign tourist who thought she could catch a ball in her hat. Since we were sitting right behind the foul screen, that was never going to happen. But every time someone hit a foul, she’d leap up and wave her hat in the air.
Is that a story about unbridled optimism? Or about delusion? Or about the way baseball transcends cultures? Yes, yes, and yes—it just depends on what concept you need it to illustrate.
I didn’t have to go far for a Story Safari™ in Las Vegas; I just looked out my hotel window:
When I arrived in Las Vegas last week, I opted for a hotel room with a view of the Strip. At night all you can see is casino signs, but in the daylight it looks like a giant three-year-old emptied his toy box across the landscape.
I can see trees (fir and palm), a Ferris wheel, a pirate ship, and at least half a dozen styles of architecture—from Jetsons futuristic to what looks like a Doge’s palace built for King Kong. Disorganized? You bet. But it works, at least for some people.
Looking out at the glorious nonsense that is Vegas, I got to thinking. Because I know people who live like Las Vegas looks: Their lives and careers are a jumble of experiences that don’t seem to hang together in any logical way. Sometimes it works. But could it work better?
That, my friends, is a classic Story Safari™. The description of the Las Vegas Strip draws my reader in, and then “I know people who live like Las Vegas looks” turns their attention to my real subject: how I help my clients.
Want to read the rest of the email? Great stories have that effect on people. Here:
Maybe you feel that way about your own life. If you don’t know how to make sense of it to other people, you can’t be your own best advocate. But what if you could weave the seemingly disparate parts of your life into a seamless whole? What if you could claim the truth of your experiences and the powerful lessons they’ve taught you?
You can.
All you need is a good story. A true story. Your story.
Your unique story is the ultimate edge: it’s something no one can take away from you. Something no one else can replicate. It’s what makes you so valuable. Your story can help get you where you want to go, personally and professionally.
If you’re ready to find and refine your story—well, that’s one of the things I excel at. So let’s talk.
Let’s talk—and work together—for two and a half days this spring.
Once you understand how Story Safari™ works, you will be able to find interesting angles for even the most ordinary subjects. And they’ll be unique angles—because they didn’t come from a book or a website, they came from your imagination.
Story Safari™ shows you how to infuse your own perspective into your writing. And when you write from your own perspective, you stand out. In a field of people spouting business jargon, you’ll be the one telling a new story. You’ll be the one people will remember.
If you’re ready to take your stories from meh to memorable, join us on beautiful Cape Cod, Massachusetts, April 26-28 for a two-and-a-half day retreat entirely dedicated to Story Safari™—finding stories in your life, in the world around you, in the rabbit holes of the Internet—that will change how your readers or listeners experience you and your work.
Once we launch this program widely, people will pay nearly $2,500.00 for this retreat—if there’s still space available. Register before February 15th and your investment will be just $1,997—you save 20%.
A few words from Elaine’s corporate clients:
“You have a terrific ear and you turn straight thinking into straight writing.” — Warren Buffett
“Elaine is a real pro, delivering quality writing with interesting stories in a timely fashion. I had the pleasure of working with Elaine for eight years in my role as Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer at Deloitte. During those years Elaine developed a number of interesting storylines to make my speeches ‘personal’ to the audience. She made the stories come alive!”—Michael Zychinski, ethics expert
“In a world marked by tortured language and episodic thinking, Elaine brought bright and powerful language, a sense of humor, clear lines of argument, and poetic touch.” —Leo Corbett, financial services executive
And from clients of Elaine’s writing programs:
“As a scientist, I know the importance of wandering, of just getting out into the field and seeing what’s there. Writing daily created my field of ‘what’s there’ in my world. Now comes the ‘what next?’ and I feel I am well on my way. The interaction with you and with my colleagues and now friends from your courses has propelled me into writing a book I started and put on the back burner over a year ago.”—Jeffifer Shoemaker, Ph.D.
“Elaine is adept at creating thoughtful, entertaining content, and is just as creative when designing and delivering training. Elaine brings together the best of ‘old school’ (discipline, research, imagination) with a fun, approachable delivery that works for today’s audiences.”—Claire England, Communications executive
“Working with Elaine Bennett’s Story Safari™ process, I’m able to craft meaningful and fun blog posts that engage my readers in new ways.”—Diahana Barnes, success and business coach