Got back on the road this week. A short 3-day trip to Savannah to meet Terri who has work down here. Right now, I am sitting at an outdoor coffee shop (of course) and, by chance, a man about my age asks to sit at the table I am occupying. One of my intentions for this trip has been to notice opportunities to connect and this felt like one. I heard him chatting with someone about a project, so I had a decision to make. Do I start a conversation or just let it go.
I inquired what he was working on.
Turns out, he is George Dawes Green, the founder of The Moth podcast, perhaps the original storytelling platform. He's also a novelist. I figured I had one question before I became a nuisance, so I asked him, "What do you think is the key to a good story?"
His answer: It has to be about a decision. Too often we tell what happened in a story and that's all well and good. But to create real connection and interest and to bring people in, there has to be a decision being made.
Wow.
In thirty seconds he clarified so much. What I didn't share is I am sitting here working on a book called, "Unremarkable." My life's story.
I have a lot of rewriting to do.