The Art of the Personal Story
Like Duolingo, but for The Art of the Personal Story. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
A short one: 12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes end to end, roughly 5 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Finding the Spark and Refining the Delivery. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in The Art of the Personal Story
- A story requires a shift from one state to another
- Listeners stop paying attention if they don't know what is at risk
- A sequence of events without a transformation is just a log or a report
- Stakes provide the 'why' that makes the 'what' interesting
- The 'change' can be internal (realization) or external (success/failure)
- Establishing stakes early creates emotional investment
- Distinguishing a story from a simple list of events
- Understanding the role of stakes in listener engagement
- Starting at the moment of conflict grabs attention immediately
- Chronological history often includes 'boring' context that doesn't matter yet
- Context can be filled in later once the listener is hooked
- Applying the 'In Media Res' technique to bypass setup
- The word 'And' creates a flat, boring list
- 'But' introduces a complication or twist
- 'Therefore' shows a direct consequence of an action
- Using logical connectors to create narrative momentum
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives The Art of the Personal Story the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
What typically happens if you describe a series of events without explaining what is at risk?
Get it right to open this lesson and 11 more in the app.
Where The Art of the Personal Story takes you
Transform your everyday experiences into captivating narratives. Learn how to find the 'hook' in your life and share it with confidence in any social or professional setting.
- 1
Finding the Spark
- The 'So What?' Factor
- Building the Scene
- 2
Refining the Delivery
- The Power of the Pivot
- Ending with Impact
2 sections · 4 units · 12 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
The Art of the Personal Story is taught in the The Bestie style: your friend who just gets it. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start The Art of the Personal Story today.
Download Tomo, search The Art of the Personal Story, and play your first lesson in under a minute.