• Input: Essay Strategy = Angle (spike → elevator pitch) + Narrative Archetype
  • This is the “Character” of all your stories
• Output: a list of go-to anecdotes from your life, broken into their story components, tagged with relevant themes
• Use Case: As a bank of “lego blocks” to build essays out of, assuming you’re given a prompt/the themes that prompt cares about

Storytelling Crash Course

• Essential Components of Compelling Stories
• Compelling Story Checklist
• 🎭 Story Mad Libs Template + Examples

Exercise - Building our Anecdote Bank

• Instructions
  • Refer to your 📌 Tool: Narrative Archetype Diagnostic,

  1. ID the 2-3 Narrative Archetypes you resonated with most heavily

     1. Character (Who?)

     Motivation: What do they want? What drives them?

     Flaw/Vulnerability: Perfection is boring—conflict comes from imperfection.

  2. Per archetype, jot down 1-2 memories/experiences that you believe demonstrate it

  3. Per anecdote, Quick bullet:

     1. Character — What did I want? (goal, dream, need)
     2. Context — Where and when is this happening? (external setting, inner state)
     3. Conflict — What obstacle(s) stand in the way? (external + internal)
     4. Stakes — What’s at risk if the character fails? (reputation, relationships, future, survival, self-respect)
     5. Turning Points — What unexpected moment/choice changes the direction of the story?
     6. Climax — Where’s the peak moment of tension? (biggest decision, fight, performance, crisis)
     7. Resolution — What’s the outcome? What changed in the character/the world because of this journey?
     8. Theme/Takeaway — What’s the deeper truth/theme this story illustrates? What feeling or lesson do I want to leave the audience with?

  4. Choose your 3 most emotionally charged anecdotes — Using those, complete the following TEMPLATE:

     1. [Character] was a [role/identity] who wanted [goal/dream].
     2. But [obstacle/conflict] kept getting in the way.
     3. At first, [small attempt/early struggle], but then [bigger obstacle/twist].
     4. Therefore, [key decision/action taken].
     5. At the peak, [describe climax moment—high stakes choice, pressure, or crisis].
     6. Because of this, [resolution—what happened after].
     7. In the end, [character] realized [lesson/theme/takeaway],
     8. and that changed [themselves / their relationships / their world].