​​The Backyard Story Series Tips & Tricks

Adapted from The Moth

Tips & Tricks for a successful story​

What to doBe forewarned
Moth stories are told, not read. We love how the storyteller connects with the audience when there is no PAGE between them! Please know your story “by heart” but not by rote memorization. No notes, paper or cheat sheets allowed on stage.
Have some stakes
Stakes are essential in live storytelling. What do you stand to gain or lose? Why is what happens in the story important to you? If you can’t answer this, then think of a different story. A story without stakes is an essay and is best experienced on the page, not the stage.
Start in the action.
Have a great first line that sets up the stakes and grabs attention
No: “So I was thinking about climbing this mountain. But then I watched a little TV and made a snack and took a nap and my mom called and vented about her psoriasis then I did a little laundry (a whites load) (I lost another sock, darn it!) and then I thought about it again and decided I’d climb the mountain the next morning.”
Yes: “The mountain loomed before me. I had my hunting knife, some trail mix and snow boots. I had to make it to the little cabin and start a fire before sundown or freeze to death for sure.”
Know your story well enough so you can have fun!
Watching you panic to think of the next memorized line is harrowing for the audience. Make an outline, memorize your bullet points and play with the details. Enjoy yourself. Imagine you are at a dinner party, not a deposition.
...and what not to doSteer clear of meandering endings
They kill a story! Your last line should be clear in your head before you start. Yes, bring the audience along with you as you contemplate what transpires in your story, but remember, you are driving the story, and must know the final destination. Keep your hands on the wheel!
No standup routines please
The Moth loves funny people but requires that all funny people tell funny stories.
No rants
Take up this anger issue with your therapist, or skip therapy and shape your anger into a story with some sort of resolution. (Stories = therapy!)
No essays
Your eloquent musings are beautiful and look pretty on the page but unless you can make them gripping and set up stakes, they won’t work on stage.
No fake accents
If your story doesn't work in your own voice, or that of your people of origin, please consider another story. In our experience, imitating accents from another culture or race rarely works and often offends. 
Please use our stage to practice civility and respect. Please don't include racism, homophobia, misogyny or any form of hate speech. ​

Sign up for our next story night

Are you interested in sharing a story?

Sign up for our next story night

WHEN IS IT?

​WHEN:
Sunday, June 28th
6:00 PM - 8:00PM
Arrive at 6:00 PM to mingle and explore the Leopold House. Storytelling starts promptly at 6:30 PM.

WHERE:
The Historic Aldo Leopold House
135 14th St SW
Albuquerque, NM 87104
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COST:
Free! Be sure to bring a blanket, chair, or something to sit on.
​

apply here

THE THEME
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What is the more-than-human world? How do we as humans connect with rivers, trees, weather, flowers, animals, and the forces of nature all around us (and even within us)? In this workshop, you will explore your relationship with the more-than-human world through writing. You will be writing, and you will be reading some parts of your work aloud so that you can learn about peer- and self-editing.

By the end of this six-hour workshop, you'll have written a draft of a prayer, a poem, an essay, or a letter — and learned tools for sustained writing practice.

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​HOW IT WORKS

1. Follow us on Instagram or here to find out the monthly theme
Themes are announced several weeks in advance.

2. Sign Up to Tell a Story
Storytellers submit a short pitch ahead of time.

3. Share a Five-Minute True Story
No notes. No podium. Just you and the audience.

4. Gather in Community
​Stories continue after the event around food, conversation, and the night air.

LAURA PASKUS

Laura Paskus is a longtime writer and producer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She's the author of At the Precipice: New Mexico’s Changing Climate and editor of Water Bodies: Love Letters to the Most Abundant Substance on Earth.

She has reported on the most important environmental issues of her generation for print, online, radio, and television outlets, and produced “Our Land: New Mexico’s Environmental Past, Present and Future” for eight seasons on New Mexico PBS. She teaches in the University of New Mexico Communication and Journalism Department and is working on a new book about New Mexico’s rivers — and visions for their wild futures.

apply here

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​Frequently Asked Questions
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How would you describe the core theme or takeaway for participants?
People feel helpless and overwhelmed about the crises our planet and communities are facing. I believe that by writing for the public — versus writing for oneself in a journal, for example — people can articulate their love of place in active ways. Some people will want to write poetry they can share aloud. Others might want to report or write effective commentaries. Still others might use their passion and skills for writing to convey their ideas and hopes more effectively to elected leaders, on social media, or in letters to friends and family members.

What genres or forms will the workshop support?
Nonfiction, poetry, letter-writing, essays, commentaries, social media, etc.

​What level of writing experience is the workshop best suited for?
Any level, as long as you’re committed!

Are there any materials participants should bring?
Notebooks and pens/pencils or laptops, snacks and water and lunch, hats and sunblock, comfortable clothes and shoes for walking and sitting outside.

How is the class structured?
The class will include an introductory discussion, followed by a series of guided meditations and questions, writing prompts, peer-editing sessions, and group sharing. Prompts will be topical but also related to structure.

How do I sign up?
You are required to apply for this workshop. After you submit your application, you will receive an email informing you if you have been accepted into the workshop. If you do not receive this email within three days, contact [email protected]. If accepted, you will be emailed a payment link. Payment must be submitted through our payment submission portal or via check within three days of acceptance.

What is the refund policy?
Refunds will only be administered in cases of emergency (health, family, or natural disaster).

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​About the Environmental Writing Workshop Series
​
The Leopold House Environmental Writing Workshop Series is designed to support writers in exploring the relationship between storytelling, place, and environmental consciousness. Hosted at the historic Leopold House and surrounding bosque landscape, the series combines generative writing, land-based learning, peer feedback, and public sharing. Where better to write about nature than in Aldo Leopold's home?

Through generative writing, land-based learning, reflection, and guided peer exchange, writers cultivate work that is attentive to both inner and outer landscapes. Alongside local writers (new and established are welcome), participants become part of a creative community shaped by curiosity, care, and environmental awareness.
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The series culminates in a public reading and community gathering, offering participants the opportunity to share their work and step into Albuquerque’s wider literary and cultural conversation.