why storytelling content feels so hard

friend!

When was the last time you slowed down long enough to hear your own voice?

Most creators I talk to wake up already tense.
Scrolling before their eyes even adjust to the light.
Thinking about content before they think about breakfast.
Planning the next idea while the last one is still loading.

That used to be me.

I hit a point last year where I felt empty every time I tried to write.
Not stuck. Empty.
Nothing sounded like me. Nothing felt true.
And no matter how much I posted, the deeper fear was always the same.

I didn’t trust my own voice anymore.

I kept forcing myself to push through.
More edits. More drafts. More pressure.
I wasn’t creating stories.
I was trying to outrun the feeling that I had nothing worth saying.

What saved me wasn’t motivation.
It wasn’t a big moment of clarity.
It was a simple structure that gave my voice space to breathe again.

Here is the system I use, the same one I give my clients when their voice feels far away.

The Three Line Story Starter

1. Line one: name what hurt.
   Be direct. Be honest. No grand setup.
   “I didn’t think anyone cared about what I had to say.”

2. Line two: name what shifted.
   Small shifts count.
   “Then someone messaged me and said my post made them feel less alone.”

3. Line three: name why it matters.
   Tie it to the work you believe in.
   “That’s when I realized my voice was never the problem. My silence was.”

That is the whole framework.
Simple. Repeatable. Human.

It brings you back to the heart of why you create in the first place.
Not to sound perfect.
Not to go viral.
But to connect with someone who needs the thing you almost didn’t share.

Here is your weekly prompt:

Finish this line: “I lost faith in my voice the day ____ happened.”

Let it be raw. Let it be real. Let it be yours.

See ya tomorrow,
Stephen

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