Creating a future story

I was 41 weeks pregnant when I nabbed my first job writing for television.

I remember waddling into the Executive Producer’s office and seeing him quickly look from me to the spindly chair I was heading towards.

He was a polite guy and tried to hide his amazement. (Note: he didn’t hide it very well.)

It was a new children’s series and very innovative back then – animation, live action and mixed media.

First drafts of the scripts were due in just 8 weeks and I had no track record in writing for kids.

Or experience of working with him.

Oh and by the way, did I mention this was my first baby?

Looking back now, I can’t imagine where I got the energy, the chutzpah or even a dress big enough to take that interview.

Even more surprising was that I ended up landing the gig.

I often wonder how that guy managed to look past the enormous ‘story’ sitting in front of him (enormously-pregnant-woman-about-to-embark-on-life-changing-learning-curve) …

… and see instead the story we could create together.

I must have told a bigger story than my belly.

If we want to do new things and great things, we need to be very good at creating a future story.

One that’s bigger and more promising than the story that already exists.

A story that’s alive with vision, enthusiasm and possibility.

And a story strong enough to overcome the safety of old assumptions and everyday logic.

Interested in creating and collating stories for your team or organisation? We’ll soon be running a FREE Story Challenge where we share our process for creating stories that you can use for great results too.

This challenge will be fun and revealing, and at the end of it you’ll believe in the power of your own stories and how to find them. Subscribe here for the details on how to join in.

~ Moya