JUNE 2025
Who needs a summer break? We've got stuff to do!
I. SPECIAL OFFERING
Got a story to tell? Want some help?
We here at the Stories We Don’t Tell are spending the summer thinking about how to help folks take the leap and tell a story. (In fact we’ll be releasing a podcast on just this topic but that’s for another newsletter.) We know that sometimes coming to a workshop for a specific show can feel daunting, and that sometimes you just need more time to work out your thoughts. We also know that sometimes a deadline can help motivate pen to paper, keys to keyboard, thoughts to story. And so, we’re putting together a Special Offer™ over the summer to help folks (you perhaps?) take the first step.
This summer we’ll have two Deadlines (bold ones) for folks to submit stories to us and we (Paul & Stefan) will provide thoughts, feedback, and encouragement. Submitting a story comes with no expectation to tell a story at the event (though you are of course very welcome to) and only the two of us will read it so please feel comfortable sending even the briefest of thoughts (hell we’ll take dot-jots).
Deadline 1: July 15th
Deadline 2: August 15th
Please email thestorieswedonttell@gmail.com to submit your stories for feedback and we’ll get back as soon as we can.
This offer is for anyone so if you know of a friend who might be interested please share this with them!
And finally, if you would like to be working towards telling a story at an event, we have good news on that front too! We’ve begun the planning stages for the five events that will mark our 11th season and the first will be on September 27th. So save the date!
Here are a bunch of ways to engage with us online and get information on how to participate in SWDT events:
Learn more about the process of telling a story with us.
Check out event dates for the upcoming season.
Use this form to sign-up to join workshops and tell a story.
Listen to the SWDT Podcast.
Get your copy of the SWDT book.
We look forward to seeing you in September 2025!
— The SWDT Crew
II. SWDT PODCAST
Five in five.
A while back, we did a series of short five minute episodes that were quick bursts of information and opinions that were part of a larger theme. And yes, there were five of them. Five for five, you might say. Kind of like ESPN’s 30 for 30 series, except there’s no sports on our podcast. And it’s only 5, not 30. And it’s not on ESPN. And it’s a podcast and not a television series. So, maybe it’s nothing like ESPN’s 30 for 30.
Anyhoo, we bring this up because we have a new podcast season coming up and we’ll be doing another round of Five in five. This time around, we’ll be talking about stories and how it’s more important then ever to be sharing these stories we don’t tell.
If you’d like a taste of an older five in five series, these episodes were designed to help you find inspiration for your writing:
The Stories We Don’t Tell Podcast has almost 150 episodes. Each episode includes a live story recorded at our event and a brief discussion about storytelling. We have also done mini-series about the art of storytelling and writing, dispensing some tips and tricks we’ve learned after working with people and their stories for 10 years.
Subscribe to the SWDT Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
III. THE BOOK
Everybody needs somebody sometime.
The book version of Stories We Don’t Tell includes 61 stories that were all told in front of a live audience at one of our shows. The authors have generously contributed these pieces of their lives to be included in this book. Along with each newsletter, we feature a summary of a story from the book.
This story was a tough one. It’s a masterclass of how to tell a story about someone you love, but respecting that it is their story to tell. Centring the other person, while still speaking your truth, can be a tough balance to strike. Tyler did exactly this at our story a few years ago and he graciously allowed us to include it in the SWDT book.
In the journey of your life there are certain moments that change the way you perceive, understand and interact with the world around you. Certain moments that, for better or worse, irreparably shape your reality. On a cold day in late February, sitting in a room with 20 or so strangers brought together by shared experience, I encountered one such moment. Spurred on by an unexpected but not altogether surprising realization, tiny atoms of struggle and challenge, strength and perseverance, began to swirl together in a dense mass.
Each story in the book created a memorable moment in front of a roomful of people. Moving through this anthology is an experience where these many moments complement and reflect each other, contradict and draw parallels, have profound wisdom and absurdity. Learn more about the book and order your very own copy at this link.
We welcome any comments or questions, whether it be about the event, podcast, telling a story, or general thought about storytelling. Email us: thestorieswedonttell [@] gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you!
