StoryLab’s mission is to help Stanford students, faculty and staff learn the craft of storytelling. Let us help you build vivid, compelling stories out of your research, personal experiences, imagination, and insights.
Open to all students from all majors and levels of experience.
1-2 pm: workshop
From 1 to 2pm take a targeted workshop with an accomplished storyteller. Examine the craft of a great story or a skill that will make you a better storyteller in any medium.
Guest speakers include Stanford staff and lecturers, performers, TV producers, cartoonists, playwrights, improvisers, filmmakers and activists.
Upcoming Schedule
StoryLab Winter 2016
| Date | Description | Facilitator |
| Jan 8 | Myth of Origin Delve into myth to find what lies at the heart of your stories. |
Dana Kletter, Jones Lecturer |
| Jan 15 | Cultivating Charisma Practice verbal and non-verbal communication to deliver your stories in a compelling way. |
Cara Hale Alter, Founder and President SpeechSkills |
| Jan 22 | Braden Grant ins and outs Quiz Braden grantees and learn how to create a strong application for the Braden Grant. |
Braden Grantees |
| Jan 29 | Science and the Hero's Journey Adopt story structures used by Radiolab to tell great science stories. |
Jennifer Stonaker, PWR Lecturer |
| Feb 5 | Sonic Atmosphere Learn how to layer voice, sound, and music to create worlds. |
Jake Warga, Managing Editor, State of the Human |
| Feb 12 | Iterating Story Use the d.school way to develop great story scripts more quickly. |
Erik Olesund, Teaching Fellow at Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford |
| Feb 19 | Telling Truth to Power Blend personal and political narratives to gain visibility and build collective equity. |
Chinaka Hodge, Poet, educator, playwright and screenwriter |
| Feb 26 | Radio Rhythm Look to poets to hone your writing ... down to the syllable. |
Jackson Roach, Producer, State of the Human |
| Mar 4 | The Art of Subtext Learn to write into the mystery and paradox of your story with author Nona Caspers. |
Nona Caspers, Author |
| Mar 11 | The Power of Personification Discover how to endow objects and setting with emotion to create vivid stories. |
Jonah Willihnganz, Director, The Stanford Storytelling Project |
2-4 pm: One-to-One mentoring
From 2 to 4pm, get one-to-one mentoring to help you discover, develop and deliver any story about your research or experience.
Stanford students: feel free to drop in or make an appointment (with Tutor Trac) for general support, digital storytelling, performance, or tips on how to narrativize research. After you click the tutortrac link and sign in, click "search availability," then "storylab one-to-one," then choose a topic and date.
Non-students: please make an appointment by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
mentors
Natacha Ruck
Favorite Topics: Process, complex projects, film and video, memoir, comedy, science
Jake Warga
Favorite Topics: Field Reporting, editing, rhythm and pacing, public radio, photography
Christy Hartman
Favorite Topics: Finding your voice, character development, interviewing, fiction, poetry
Claire Schoen
Favorite Topics: Documentary, Creating a sound rich story, interviewing, recording, getting published
Will Rogers
Favorite Topics: Live storytelling, video editing, audio editing, social media, writing for the ear
Previous Labs
StoryLab Fall 2015
| Date | Description | Facilitator |
| Sep 25 | The stories within Investigate what makes a story so you can begin to find stories everywhere |
Louis Lafair, Associate Producer, State of the Human |
| Oct 2 | Weaving voices Explore perspectives other than your own and learn to build them into stories. |
Charles Dye, Documentary Filmmaker |
| Oct 9 | Hook your listeners Discover how to hook your listener from the start with State of the Human's managing editor. |
Jake Warga, Managing Editor, State of the Human |
| Oct 16 | Switching to story mode Try a mike and practice how to get scholars, politicians, and your aunt to tell stories. |
Christy Hartman, Senior Producer, State of the Human |
| Oct 23 | Anna Deavere Smith 101 Get inspired by Anna's work and learn to create moments of personal poetry where language and identity merge. |
Brian Thorstenson, Playwright |
| Oct 30 | Necessary distance Explore the tension between character, journalist and subject and use it to make stories come alive. |
Xandra Clark, Actor, Director, and Radio Producer |
| Nov 6 | Through the tiniest door. Re-visit the largest stories in your life, and learn to access them through tiny memories. |
Toni Mirosevich, Author |
| Nov 13 | Writing for the ear Turn a print article into compelling aural story and explore how to turn a print article into a story by harnessing the power of scenes. |
Jim Gates, Senior Editor, KUOW |
| Nov 20 | Voice control Take a tour of audio editing software and grok how to edit the human voice. |
Will Rogers, Senior Producer, State of the Human & Senior Editor, True Story Podcast |
| Dec 4 | Get in character Explore a range of emotions and use your feelings to power your stories. |
Natacha Ruck, Senior Producer, State of the Human |
StoryLab Spring 2015
| Date | Description | Facilitator |
| Apr 3 | Breaking the rules Learn the rules of writing for the ear, then find out when and how to ignore them. |
Eileen Williams, Producer, State of the Human |
| Apr 10 | Mining for stories Meet Storycraft instructor Michelle Darby and learn to mine your life for stories to tell live in front of an audience |
Michelle Darby |
| Apr 17 | Turning science into story Analyze science communication and find out how to turn your research into an engaging story. |
Kate Nelson, Producer, State of the Human |
| Apr 24 | Pitch perfect Practice pitching with Anna Sussman and Julia DeWitt, and learn how to get your stories on the air. |
Anna Sussman, Managing Editor, and Julia DeWitt, Producer, Snap Judgement |
| May 1 | Own your voice Discover how to develop your own unique sound with KALW's Leila Day. |
Leila Day, Reporter and Producer, KALW |
| May 8 | Putting pixels to purpose Investigate how to capture lives and create community with story veteran Joe Lambert. |
Joe Lambert, Executive Director, Center for Digital Storytelling |
| May 15 | Show AND Tell Explore compelling scenes and discover how to incorporate ideas into your stories. Stegner Fellow Michael Shewmaker shows you how to turn your ideas into stories. |
Michael Shewmaker, Stegner Fellow |
| May 22 | A continent of stories Meet the creators of Radio Ambulante and learn how to make your stories live large. |
Carolina Guerrero, Executive Director, and Daniel Alarcón, Executive Producer, Radio Ambulante |
| May 29 | Immersive soundscapes Discover why and how to create a sonic world for your story. |
Justine Beed, Producer, State of the Human |
| June 5 | Movies for the ears Explore radio dramas and learn how to stage stories in sound. |
Jackson Roach, Producer, State of the Human |
The Storytelling Project is supported by the Stanford Institute for Creativity and the Arts, the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, Stanford Introductory Studies, Stanford Continuing Studies, and the Program in Writing and Rhetoric.