Example Story Template

This is a template to guide your storytelling. Delete this file and create your own stories in the _stories/ folder.

The Situation

Set the scene. What was happening? What context matters?

Keep it specific:

• When did this occur? (doesn’t need exact dates, but “early in my career” vs. “after a decade of experience” matters)
• What were the circumstances?
• What was at stake?

The Response

What did you actually do? Include the messy details:

• Initial instinct vs. considered response
• What influenced the decision
• What you didn’t do (and why)

Avoid retrospective wisdom. Capture what you knew and believed at the time.

The Pattern

Looking back, what does this reveal?

This is where the story connects to concepts:

• What principle was at play?
• How does this instance illuminate a broader pattern?
• What would you recognize faster if you encountered it again?

Link to relevant notes: Conceptual Frameworks, Adaptive Patterns, etc.

The Question

What remains unresolved? What would you handle differently now? What are you still unsure about?

The best stories don’t resolve cleanly. They leave productive uncertainty.

Writing Your Own Stories

1. Create a new .md file in the _stories/ folder
2. Use this frontmatter format:

---
title: Your Story Title
date: YYYY-MM-DD
tags: [tag1, tag2, tag3]
---

1. Follow the structure above (or create your own)
2. Stories will automatically appear on the Stories index page

Delete this example when you’re ready to add your first real story.