StoryFest 2026
Workshops
90-minute intensive workshops
There are fees for the 90-minute intensive workshops.
Please use the links in the workshop descriptions to register and pay, or pay at the door.
10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Stories In Progress! An Open Mic and Work Session led by Amy Salloway
Got a story that you can’t quite finish, or that doesn’t yet have the zing and sparkle you want it to? Wish someone could tell you if that character voice is consistent, or whether the ending works, or why the central conflict doesn’t seem…conflicty enough? This is the workshop for you! Stories In Progress offers up a safe, supportive space for storytellers of all levels to test out and develop a story they’re creating, and to receive constructive critique from the host (a professional storytelling coach) and other attendees. The first seven participants to register will each get a 10-minute slot in which to perform some or all of their piece, and then receive feedback. Registrants after those seven will form the waiting list for performing spots. Folks are also welcome to register without telling a story -- even if you don’t perform, you get to learn from those who do! In the last ten minutes of the session, we’ll discuss how to create your own workshopping-and-feedback-focused open mic or salon – including cultivating a welcoming space; defining parameters and time usage to best serve the participants; and growing an energy of inclusivity, community and support. Come with a story you’re working on, or just bring yourself!
Actor/writer/storyteller Amy Salloway is a big fan of the Venn Diagram spot where live performance, human connection and social change overlap. Her touring autobiographical solo plays -- “Does This Monologue Make Me Look Fat?,” "So Kiss Me Already, Herschel Gertz!,” and “Circumference” -- have won awards across the US and Canada, and she’s contributed personal stories to almost every narrative stage show in town, including Mixtape, Cheap Theatre, The Moth, Patrick's Cabaret, Two Chairs Telling, Prompt, and Story Club Minneapolis, which she produced and hosted from 2017 through the pandemic. Amy's been featured on MPR, CBC radio in Canada, and the national podcast “Risk!," for which she's also coached storytellers and taught classes via its educational arm, The Story Studio. Amy is especially proud to be a founder and leadership team member of Off-Kilter.
www.facebook.com/awkwardmomentonstage
$30 SAM member
$35 general public
$15 student (with student ID)
LINK to REGISTER & PAY
Registration also available day of, at door
Conflict: The Beating Heart of Storytelling led by Kory May
Conflict: The Beating Heart of Storytelling is a high-impact, 90-minute workshop that explores how tension, motive, and choice shape unforgettable narratives. Participants learn to identify what a character wants, what stands in the way, and how real temptation creates meaningful pressure. Using a clear framework rooted in story mechanics and emotional truth, the session reveals how conflict not only drives plot—it exposes character. Whether you are a performer, educator, strategist, or storyteller, this workshop offers practical tools to build stories that move people, shift perspective, and leave a lasting mark.
Kory May tells stories to make sense of the world. Since the world doesn’t make sense, he keeps telling stories. A storyteller, coach, and performer based in Iowa City, he has shared *Thoughts Too Big for My Head* nightly for more than 2,500 days. A two-time Moth GrandSLAM winner, he performs across stages, classrooms, and TikTok. He teaches the Six Pillars of Character, mentors entrepreneurs, and helps people connect through the prismatic lens of universal experiences. Story Vista Frameworks, LLC houses his storytelling, coaching, and mythic pedagogy. He is Kory May, the tall man with the short name.
$30 SAM member
$35 general public
$15 student (with student ID)
LINK to REGISTER & PAY
Registration also available day of, at door
Free Workshops
11:15 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.
Storytelling as Personal Mythology
led by Loren Niemi
This hands-on workshop focuses on two things – identifying what mythology infuses our own being in the world and how it consciously (or not) shapes your storytelling.
Loren Niemi is a Minnesota based storyteller with 45 years of telling to audiences of all ages in urban and rural settings, a published poet/author, and the Founder of the American School of Storytelling providing in-person and online classes and workshops on story craft, as well as performances and open mics in support of narrative artists and arts. more: www.lorenNiemistories.com
11:15 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.
Drawing Your Story led by Margaret Meyers
We are word people, but sometimes we get lost in our words. Drawing unlocks a different part of the brain. A story has a path, perhaps a river of thought running through it. Rather than individual panels, this process shows the flow of your story. On one page, you will draw your story using color to add depth to the landscape and to recognize your characters as they move through the story.
This workshop is a hands-on, no judgment experience. I will supply drawing materials. Bring a story you are working with and let’s play.
Margaret Meyers captivates audiences with a lively mix of stories with depth and humor. A former college philosophy teacher, poet, and lifelong learner, she brings her sense of wonder into her storytelling. She tells traditional stories, personal stories, and is part of a California epic storytelling troupe. As a mother and grandmother, Margaret is deeply devoted to nurturing the resilience of young people. “Growing up is complicated,” she says. “Stories help.”
1:15 p.m. - 2:10 p.m.
From Anecdote to Story led by Dorothy Cleveland
Everyone has certain anecdotes that they tell at parties or gatherings or family reunions, over coffee, when meeting new people, or catching up with old friends. Do you have a favorite anecdote that you would like to tell in performance but something is missing? This fun and interactive workshop offers a blueprint to transform your anecdote into a story with a well-developed plot and relatable characters. Discover the true meaning of your anecdote as it becomes a story that paints a vivid narrative journey for your audience.
Dorothy Cleveland has a BA in Business and an MLS in Leadership. She tells personal stories, folktales, and original fictional tales including four Fringe shows. Barbara Schutzgruber and Dorothy co-authored “ Beyond the Sword Maiden: A Storyteller's Introduction to the Heroine's Journey”. Dorothy is a recipient of NSN's ORACLE Awards - for Distinguished National Service.
Power of Writing & Retelling Folktales/Stories of Adventure & Wonder
Telling Stories is a Treasure! led by Trần Thị Minh Phước
A Youth & Family Track Workshop! This is an intergenerational sessions, all ages are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
This workshop aims to teach participants how to effectively select, authentically retell from the myths, legends, and stories and sometimes add some twists or conflicts to fit a specific audience. Remember each bird and animal we see, each flower we smell, each fruit we eat has its own amazing story. Participants will listen to the story and rewrite their fresh narrative while maintaining the underlying moral.
Trần Thị Minh Phước [jahn teeh m-eh fooh] spent 10 months in a refugee camp in Malaysia before coming to America. In 1984, after a 50-hour Greyhound trip from California, she came to a land called Minnesota, where she believed that she could find the precious treasures in life-education and a safe environment. As the first Vietnamese librarian in Minnesota (now retired), award-winning author, and respected storyteller, she has shared her experiences and knowledge of Vietnamese culture, the richness and beauty of Vietnamese folktales, and her refugee experiences at various cultural events, storytelling programs, conferences, libraries, universities, and schools throughout the state and beyond.
2:40 p.m. - 3:40 p.m.
Tools for Storytelling Business Success led by Carol McCormick
Want to earn your living as a storyteller? Yes, it’s possible to experience joy and make a profit—no selling your soul or living on ramen required. In this workshop, you’ll begin shaping your mission statement and business plan while learning practical tools, strategies, and the three keys to success every professional storyteller needs. Bring a notebook, an open mind, and a sense of adventure as we explore how (and why) storytelling can actually pay the bills.
Carol McCormick has successfully run a storytelling business for over 35 years—long enough to have learned what works, what doesn’t, and what she wishes someone had told her sooner. Her clients include festivals, fairs, corporations, professional conferences, early childhood, elementary and high schools, colleges, camps, libraries, museums, hospitals, shopping centers, senior residences, and parks. She is an educational entertainer who has shared stories, programs, and workshops at local, state, and regional storytelling festivals and conferences.
Carol believes storytellers can help lead the way toward a kinder, more empathetic world (because stories spark imagination, kindle hope, and light the path forward). She’s here to help you skip a few hard lessons and get to the good part faster.
Carol has led storytelling, creativity, and writing workshops and been a conference keynoter. Before becoming a professional storyteller, Carol was a classroom teacher and corporate trainer. She is the author of the children’s book A BRIDGE FOR GRANDMA. www.carolmccormick.net