Write your story. Perform someone else’s.
No, YOU Tell It! is a nonfiction series that advocates for authentic personal stories by having storytellers speak each other’s words aloud, empowering voices on the page and stage. Our collaborative workshop process equips writers of all levels with literary tools to elevate the impact of their words.
For each show, the NYTI team leads four storytellers through two writing workshop sessions to tell their true-life tales on the page. Then about a week before the show, we pair up our storytellers and ask them to trade scripts. When one of our storytellers speaks their partner’s piece aloud, it does two important things: One, it gives that storyteller a chance to step into their story partner’s culture, identity, and perspective. Two, the writer hears their own story in a different voice.
In 2022, we celebrated 10 years of switched-up storytelling with the launch of the No, YOU Tell It! Ten-Year Anthology from Palm Circle Press. This collection of story swaps is not a “best of” but a showcase of how the collaborative nature of No, YOU Tell It! makes writing and performing personal narratives accessible, empathetic, and transformative. The result is a vibrant anthology that illustrates the history and development of the series over the past decade.
Nothing informs your story like hearing someone else perform your story!
Follow @noyoutellit on Insta for more.