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The Tell Masterclass Presentation

This document provides a summary of Carla Russo's masterclass on transformative writing and storytelling. Carla has 10 years of experience as a journalist and literary nonfiction writer. She discusses how self-expression is one of her top values. The class focuses on helping students identify defining moments and experiences in their lives to write about. Students are encouraged to write from the heart and later edit with their mind. Carla provides tips on connecting with one's own story and archetype to tell it authentically.

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337 views37 pages

The Tell Masterclass Presentation

This document provides a summary of Carla Russo's masterclass on transformative writing and storytelling. Carla has 10 years of experience as a journalist and literary nonfiction writer. She discusses how self-expression is one of her top values. The class focuses on helping students identify defining moments and experiences in their lives to write about. Students are encouraged to write from the heart and later edit with their mind. Carla provides tips on connecting with one's own story and archetype to tell it authentically.

Uploaded by

carla
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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THE TELL

MASTERCLASS
ON TRANSFORMATIVE
WRITING + STORYTELLING
with Carla Russo
CARLA RUSSO
I've been a journalist for 10 years.

Trained at the University of California


Irvine's literary journalism program
(long-form nonfiction)

Worked 2 years FOX studios in their


scripted + unscripted departments.

Poetry, personal essays + memoir-style


writing

Self-expression is one of my top values


You showed up here because
you have something to say.
You have something to reclaim.

You have something to declare about yourself.

You have something to redeem yourself from.

You have something to get off your chest.


What are your top 1-3 defining moments?
PROMPTS:
You know this, deep within you.
What memory do you keep going
Experiences, moments or lessons that have
always stuck with you. back to?

Stories about yourself you constantly tell. What’s the one thing you wish people
knew right now?
"Yep. That was the moment I changed."

What’s the thing you want to get off


"This really shows you the kind of person I am."
your chest?
Now: List them in your journal.
What memory or experience has felt
Don't have to go into detail, just list them.
heavy or like electricity in your heart?
Now pick one of those stories
and write it out.
Choose the one you've been holding onto. The one you came here with.
Only requirement:
Try to include a beginning, middle, end + a lesson.

Don’t stress too much about this. If you’re having a hard time,
just start writing anything.

It can even be a steam of consciousness, but make it about the


story you have in your mind.

10 minutes.
Open floor.
What was that experience like for you?
Did you feel resistance?
Did you have any new realizations?
Did you get stuck?
Where did you get stuck?
What happened?
This is how you choose the story to tell next.
You know when it’s time...
Whether something made it so (Me Too
movement) or your intuition is nudging you,
saying: “It’s time.”

It's the one you need to release. (To yourself or to


the world)

You bring it out of the subconscious and into the


conscious realm.

This is the first step to breathing new meaning


into it.
When you're clear on your story, you're
deeply connected to who you are.
You’ll always know where your starting point is.

Confidence when you show up for yourself.

I know where I came from. I know what I went through. I know


how I healed.

You have an energetic connection to your words. This creates


magnetism.

Leave a legacy that people will remember.


“When you verbalize who you have
been, you also liberate energy stored
in your body, creating free energy for
you to use elsewhere in your life.”
- Joe Dispenza,
"Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself"
LET THE HEART SPEAK, DAMNIT!
This is how people usually share stories:

The original experience → What happened, play-by-play.

How you perceived it → How the experience made you feel.

Leads to → What you learned from it, what you got out of it,
how it changed you.
LET THE HEART SPEAK, DAMNIT!
This is what I do to give my stories depth:

What did my heart need from this situation? What did my


heart mean to say here? What was my heart going through?

Why is my heart choosing to hold


onto this particular memory?
What does this story mean to it?
What does it mean to me?
Write from the heart,
edit from the mind.
There are no mistakes when writing the first draft.

Experiment! With form. With words. With pace

When you edit, make it as clear as possible

As profound as possible.

As simple as possible.
Everyone needs can benefit from an editor.
Know what your story means to you.
First off: Just start writing about it.

The more you write about what happened, the clearer it


will get.

Self-study: Human Design, therapy, astrology. All of these


things make your story more clear.

Pay attention to themes that repeat itself. What do you


keep going back to? What do you keep focusing on?

Most importantly, ask: Why? Why? Why?


What did you take away
from the experience?

What do you want readers to


take away from it?

Write with that in mind.

This will prevent you from rambling.


Questions for clarity:
What did you take away from the experience?

What do you want readers to take away from it?

Why do you think it’s been on your mind for this


long?

What lesson did the experience teach you?

What lesson is the experience trying to teach you?

What is the larger lesson / moral / value of the


story — the one you want readers to walk away
with?
Open floor.
What came up for you?
Connect with your own archetype.
If you had to be caricature of yourself, what would
it look like?

Focus in on all the details that make you "you,"


then turn the dial up on that person all the way.
This happens with TV actors + show hosts.

This helps to connect with the person in your story.


Connect with your own archetype.
If you had to be caricature of yourself, what would
it look like?

Focus in on all the details that make you "you,"


then turn the dial up on that person all the way.
This happens with TV actors + show hosts.

This helps to connect with the person in your story.

Do this now. Describe this person in


your own notes. Give her a "title."
Ex: The happy, heartbroken girl who just
wants to be seen.
Let your experiences be fluid.
You get to create the container.
Storytelling isn't just writing what
happened from point A to B.

It's about telling a story as you see it.

What narrative feels best for you?

Think about the way movies play out —


vignettes, flashbacks, etc.
Always know what your
purpose is for telling your story.
Not writing, TELLING your story. Sharing it out loud.

Be really honest.
So you can feel heard?
So you can memorialize a moment?
To say your piece?
To make peace with someone or something?
Advice for better writing.
Have a clear order of story — and it doesn't have to be
chronological.

Be selective about what you share.


You don't need every single detail. Only the ones that add to the
purpose of the story.

Write in your own voice.


Choose which voice feels right to you.
Speaking voice, thinking voice, intuitive voice.

Your perspective is what draws people in.


Walk us through how your mind works.
Hypnotic writing sessions.
How I get into a hypnotic state...

Going back in:


I put myself back into the original memory. I visualize
and feel everything that comes up without pushing it
away.
Music, photos, talking to someone, reading old
journal entries.

Vibing out with my words:


I write out all the words that feel connected to my
story, my poem, my feelings, my identity.
Your memory can deceive you.
Our memories can lie to us. Your memories
aren’t always fixed.

Your brain has a tendency to reconstruct your


narrative. Scientists call it “reconsolidation.”

Long-term memories can be colored by other


experiences you have, stories you read, things
you see as your life continues.

This is perfectly natural.


This doesn’t mean that your experience isn’t true or valid, it just
means the way you remember it can be flawed.
How to write the truth anyway:
Corroborate the truth: “Report” on your own life (ask other
people, gather more details to put together a more full story)

Write about what you do know and build from there.

Focus on details that you clearly remember, in an undeniable


way. A shiver. A sound. Then add what those details mean to
you!

Be honest about what you don't know and just say it out loud.
Then write what you think could happen, should've
happened, what you wanted to happen, etc.
MAKE IT CLEAR IT'S CONJECTURE!
Question your story for deeper truths.
Find your base layer. Find your original wounds. Show us how you worked
them out on the page.
Why am I writing this?

What if I’m wrong?

What’s it like from the other person’s perspective?

How did this situation change me for the better?

AND ALWAYS ANSWER THESE 3 QUESTIONS IN YOUR STORY:


Who was I before this?
How did this experience change me?
Who am I now because of it?
*Anyone want to take a shot at answering one of the above?
Your voice + perspective are
the most important parts.
Everything else is a vehicle for your story:
Style, pace, details, narrative.
The Tell...
From the page to the people.
UNPOPULAR OPINION:
You are responsible for how other people
feel about the words you use.

But you get to choose whether or not it matters to you.

The words we use and stories we tell can be hurtful.

Use your words with the highest integrity.

Know what impact you're trying to achieve.


Once your story is out there in the wild,
it takes on a life of its own.
You can't control how it will be perceived.
The quickest way to be unfuckwithable is to accept this as
fact.

Be responsible with your words.

Be honest with yourself about why you're sharing your story.

Don't take things personally.

People will takeaway whatever they want to.

They'll absorb whatever lesson they need from it.


My writing is who I am when no one is looking.
The quickest way to my intuition is in my writing.

It's different than my other thoughts or my conscious mind.

It knows more than I consciously do, so I let it flow.

It feels like: Heart fluttering, fingertips cold to the touch, I get


out of my own body, I disappear into the ether + I cannot
separate who I am from the words I'm writing down.

SHARE: What does your intuition sound like to you?


My writing is my opportunity to be
my deepest self.

This can be your highest self — or not.

It can be the version of yourself who needed to be seen.

Or the version of yourself who you were ashamed to be.

SHARE: What is the writing experience like for you?


Take us into your inner world,
and let the details of the outer world support it.
Storytelling isn't just writing what happened from point A to B.

It's about telling a story as you see it.

What narrative feels best for you?


Think about the way movies play out — vignettes, flashbacks, etc.
Choose one that feels good when you write it out.
Stick to the ones that feel electric when you're saying it out loud.
Time to write your story again.
It can be a poem, a narrative, whatever you want.
Keep it under 500 words.

Final advice:
Identify the one defining moment + write around it.

Keep in mind: What's the purpose of telling this story?

Start with this to begin writing:


1. Who were you before this moment?
2. What led you to this moment?
3. How did this experience change or transform you?
4. Why have you held onto this story for so long?
Open floor.
Share what you wrote.
THE TELL
TRANSFORMATIVE
WORKSHOPS
Your story. 5 weeks.
A deep integration of the wisdom,
healing and embodiment you deserve.
OPEN TO Q&A'S

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