tenx9

During this strange time of distancing, let’s keep in touch with true stories from our lives.

In this pandemic of Covid-19, we are not having Tenx9 public events.

But, we would ♥️🧡💚🖤❤️ to receive stories from you for inclusion in our podcast. You can send us stories from anywhere in the world.

We will consider all received stories for our podcast, which you can find by searching Ten9 on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

You’ll get more information about the kinds of stories we’re looking for at our editorial guidelines, but briefly,

• You can send us your story outline (or have us phone you) for an editorial chat. You can send us an audio file (on story(@)tenx9.com).

• We want one true story from your life. Tenx9 isn’t for reminiscences, or summaries of your whole life story, or reflections on what’s important, or sermons or manifestoes. (Those forms are brilliant! but they’re not what Tenx9 is about.)

• Basically, within a sentence or two of your story, we want to be wondering ‘What’s going to happen next?’ or ‘What happened before?’

• You don’t have to write it out, but we definitely, definitely know your story will benefit from a structure: plan your first line, your final line and some points along the way.

• There’s no need to have give any introduction. Just drop us into a true story! “The last day I saw my friend…” or “When preparing for a holiday, never forget your passport…”

• You don’t need to give us a conclusion either: “The thing this story taught me is…” We can probably guess that already, and there are probably heaps of different things different people will take from your story.

• If there are a few characters, help us. Using “the clever sister” “the man with the bad tie” and “the stranger” is going to make it easier for the audience than remembering who Fionnghuala, Cuthbert and Hephzibah are.

• We don’t have a particular theme in mind for our Covid stories - so give us your best ones: that thing that happened to you on holiday; that story your friends always get you to tell; your most embarrassing moment; your moment of breakthrough; that time the worst happened and you had to cope;

• Ten minutes is about 1400 words if you’re writing it all out. And ten minutes is just a limit, not a target. Four minute stories are brilliant.

We ALL have stories! Happy stories, extraordinary stories, sad stories, stories of an ordinary day that you’ve never forgotten; stories of a strange thing that happened; stories of courage; stories of change; stories of something you’ll always remember. During this strange time of distancing, let’s keep in touch with true stories from our lies.

Let us know about your story for Covid Tenx9 here. We're delighted you're sending us your work.