Tell Your Story
Got a story?
Welcome! We’re excited to hear your pitch. Please read our editorial guidelines before submitting a story.
Of necessity to note. For a story to work at tenx9:
It has to be true.
It has to be about you the teller.
It has to be less than 10 minutes. A timer will go off to let you know you need to wrap it up.
It needs to meet our "neither prudes nor crudes" guideline.
It cannot proselytize, try to convince, or advocate for a perspective. No morals to the story. No “messages” to be delivered. There are lots of appropriate spaces for message-driven storytelling. Tenx9 just isn’t one of them :)
If you find yourself wanting to say, “Here’s what I want you all to know,” you’ve veered off a course a bit. We know this might seem counterintuitive, but trust us—your story will land with more impact if you don’t tell the audience what to think or feel. Just the story will be fine :)It also needs to be an actual story, meaning something is happening and unfolding. As our founder Michael always says, “A story is our experience of the things that happen to us.” We aren't looking for reflections on the theme, or descriptions of many different events. Tell us one cohesive story. And remember—the story is in the specifics. Take us into an actual experience.
Your story absolutely does not need to funny, but of course it can be. Just be sure it's a story and not a standup routine.
To submit, we need…
A story summary (at least 4-5 sentences)
Provide an emotional description of your story (if you have one). For example, “Funny sentimental story about a meaningful experience with my brother, “ or “Heavy gut-punch story about losing my home.”
Your summary must clearly indicate the beginning, middle, and end of your story—tell us the narrative arc.
A short bio that we can use to introduce you at the event (no longer than 3 lines).
The most effective tenx9 bios are not giving us a list of accomplishments or accolades but setting us up for your story in tone or theme.