I almost quit storytelling

Author

Stephen Stanberry
October 13th, 2025

In partnership with

friend!

If you’ve ever stared at your screen and thought,
“Maybe I don’t have it anymore…”

Then you’ll get this one.

Because a few months ago, I almost quit storytelling.

Not because I stopped loving it.
But because I couldn’t feel myself in it anymore.

Every post felt forced.
Every sentence sounded like something I’d already said.
And truthfully… I was just tired.

Tired of chasing engagement.
Tired of forcing creativity.
Tired of pretending I wasn’t tired.

So one night, I shut everything down.
No writing.
No frameworks.
Just me, a notebook, and a single question:

“Why did I start telling stories in the first place?”

The answer hit hard
because it wasn’t for likes or leads.

It was to remember who I was. To help others tell their stories without fear.

That night, I stopped trying to sound like a storyteller
and started feeling like one again.

And once I did, I built a small rhythm to keep me grounded.

Here it is (steal it if you need it):

1. Write one truth.
Something real, even if it’s raw.

2. Find the shift.
What changed in you, even a little?

3. Bridge it forward.
Turn that moment into a lesson someone else can hold onto.

4. Stop editing like you hate yourself.
Good enough is plenty when it’s honest.

That’s the system that pulled me out of burnout.
Not a fancy framework.
Just a reminder that the story doesn’t have to be perfect
it just has to be yours.

Example Response (Fitness Coach):
Last spring, I almost closed my gym.
Memberships were down, bills were piling up, and I couldn’t see a way forward.
Then one morning, a client came in someone who’d just lost 80 pounds.
She said, “You changed my life.”
That single sentence reminded me:
I wasn’t just running a gym.
I was helping people rewrite their stories.
And that was reason enough to keep showing up.

Weekly Prompt →
Write about the last time you wanted to quit
and what made you keep going.

Reply with your version.

Till tomorrow,
Stephen “Still Writing Anyway” Stanberry

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