Here are some basic tips on preparing your story.

Generally speaking, every good story includes:

1. A beginning, middle and end.  Every story is comprised of a series of scenes, each one leading to the next thus furthering the progress of the story.  How did it start?  What happened next?  And so on.
2. An opening that intrigues and generates enough interest in the listener so that they want to hear more.
3. A plot line that follows the entire course of the story.  Avoid diversions that don't contribute to the progress of the story.
4. Some conflict or tension, even if only internal (example - should I accept the job or not?).  A travelogue of your vacation may not make a good story unless your parents left you stranded at a rest stop.
   Note: Conflict should be introduced early to capture the interest of the listener.
5. A few detailed descriptions to help the listener visualize the scene.  Help the listener become part of the moment.
6. Emotion.  What were you feeling at the time the story took place?
7. Some information about the people in the story, including yourself.  This could include physical description, age or time of life, examples of things they said and what they did that was relevant to the story being told.
8. Spontaneity.  The best stories are not memorized or written.  The best stories are told extemporaneously.  To accomplish this, place yourself back into the story.  Relive it as you tell it.  When you put yourself in the moment and then describe it for us, we can be there with you.
9. Truth.  People listening to your story want to believe it.  To the best of your recollection and ability, your story must be true.  If you're not certain of the details, it's okay to say, "I'm not sure" or "I don't exactly remember."  That's preferable to making something up.  For the purposes of The Story Collector, we're not interested in fiction.  Anyone can make up a story.
10. An understanding of what your story is about.  As Story Craft expert, Don Forsberg explains it, "The story of Cinderella is not about a young girl going to a dance.  It's a coming of age story.