*This week’s article is contributed by Haylie, our wonderful team member.

“I don't have any stories to tell, my day just sums up with me going to work and going back home to cook dinner and feed my dogs.”

“Working at Burger King from 9 to 5, what's fun to spill?”

“My life is covered with diapers and sleep deprivation, it's bland!”

I get it, I was you.

Being a freelancer, I was hesitant to open up about my work experience with friends, so I wore the invisibility cloak to hide my stories. There wasn’t much to spoil, my friends would brush it off and continue on with theirs.

Sitting at a coffee table with them working at different agencies, I felt that their stories were more appealing than mine. From the time they work overtime with an empty stomach; or when they get embarrassed while pitching to the clients, you name it!

I thought: “Being a freelancer, there's nothing much other than me working at coffee shops with my laptop, and most of the projects last over a period of time".

I felt lost and confused amongst my peeps. All of a sudden, I became the black hole within my group.

Did I feel ashamed? Yes!

Did I feel like storming out of the conversation? Hell yes!

*Everybody has a story to tell. Whether it's just a day at a park, charity donation, writing my first shitty first draft as I'm doing right now. These stories carry the essence of who we are.*

It was not until I got to work with a team when the majority of the members are digital nomads. And they're proud of what they do, they have thought-provoking stories to tell, they celebrate small wins and acknowledge their vulnerability.

That's when I believe in the power of making a difference with what I do, to be open with my job and the beautiful stories behind it.

Everybody has a story to tell. Whether it's just a day at a park, charity donation, writing my first shitty first draft as I'm doing right now. These are all stories, these are the real essence of who we are.

However, are we brave enough to be real? How do we connect our audience with our personal stories?

The answer is yes, you can turn your stories into powerful anthems. And you can do it with just these 5 practical steps.

THE 5 TIPS TO CRAFT A BETTER PERSONAL STORY FOR AN AUDIENCE:

1/ Tell about the time when you have to make a choice:

Every story begins with a problem, then the struggle, and finally the solutions.

As Culture Amp - a community for inspiring writers - has mentioned, rather than just telling your struggles, tell the audience the choices that you have to make.

It could be about the time that you had to choose between your current job or taking a leap of faith to a new career path; or when you had to choose between going to college or taking a gap year to fulfill your dreams.

Adding an element of decision-making not only makes your readers resonate, but it also triggers their curiosity about what happens next.

2/ Be specific with your emotions.

Carrie Severson - a storytelling expert - expresses that people love it when you’re being explicit with your emotions, it’s almost like being on a roller coaster.

Rather than telling people “I’m sad”, try this:

“I was too worn out to the point that I could scream out loud at the top of my lungs, and my neighbors wouldn’t like seeing me like this!”

You can see how it improves your story-telling, with depth and context!

Try playing around with your emotions. Even better, use a bit of humor to crack some laughter. You know what they say, smile through the pain!

*You don’t need to sound like J.K.Rowling or Jane Austen to get attention. Being a copycat doesn’t make you a great writer, write as you speak.*

3/ I beg you, please be honest!

We fear that we don’t have enough materials to draft an inspiring story. A lot of the time, we wonder “It’s too short, what if I added things up?”

This is something that you don’t want to do, you don’t want to be a fraud. Carrie Severson has shown us again that honesty is the key to the heart, be descriptive with your reader about your past.

You don’t need to sound like J.K.Rowling or Jane Austen just to get attention. Being a copy-cat doesn’t make you a great writer, write as you speak.

Take a deep breath, reflect on your own experiences with honesty and start writing.

4/ Be kind to your imperfections

No one was born perfect, let your writing reflect who you are in your deepest core. If it doesn’t work out this time, try tomorrow. If tomorrow doesn’t work, try another day!

Every day is a life lesson, and you will get to collect lots of them while crafting your own stories. For beneath the imperfections is your courage to unveil the truth.

5/ Encourage your audience to tell their stories

Congratulations! Your story has been told, it’s time to reach out for the common voices within your community .

At the end, extend your invitation to others to share their stories and be a part of the conversation with you. Asking open questions would be beneficial:

“Have you ever experienced something like this? If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.”

“How did that feel to you when that happened? Reading your thoughts will make my day”.

I hope you find your inner voice and the courage to tell your stories. What are you waiting for? The world needs your voice, pick up the pen and start writing!

With lots of love and power,

Haylie xo