10 Stories Every Speaker Should Know How to Tell
A working list of the universal stories that anchor every great talk.
Learn more →Resources
A learning library for storytellers.
Free tools, articles, prompts, and downloads to help you tell better stories — on the page, the stage, or around the table.
Free Downloads
Start with these.
Storytelling Starter Kit
Prompts, templates, and a one-page story-structure worksheet.
Learn more →Public Speaking Checklist
The pre-stage checklist Michael has used for 30+ years.
Learn more →Learning Center
Browse by topic.
Story Prompts
Six starters to fill your story notebook this month.
- A time an ordinary object carried extraordinary meaning.
- The moment you realized a parent was fully human.
- A decision that scared you, and what it taught you.
- A stranger whose kindness you still remember.
- The story behind a scar — physical or otherwise.
- A rule you were taught, and when you finally questioned it.
Recommended Books
The shelf that shaped Michael's thinking on story and voice.
- Long Walk to FreedomNelson Mandela
- The Autobiography of Malcolm XMalcolm X & Alex Haley
- StoryRobert McKee
- Bird by BirdAnne Lamott
- The Art of StorytellingJohn Walsh
- Talk Like TEDCarmine Gallo
Workshop Handouts
Frameworks Michael uses in his live workshops.
- Three-Act Story Skeleton — a one-page structure worksheet.
- The Five-Senses Draft — bring memory back to life with detail.
- Show, Don't Tell — before/after examples from live workshops.
- Pause & Pacing Guide — where silence does the heavy lifting.
Want these for your team? Get in touch →