Story Spine Template

What Is the Story Spine?

The Story Spine comes from improv theater, where it was developed by Kenn Adams as a structure for spontaneous collaborative storytelling. Adapted for organizational contexts, it provides a powerful scaffold for turning a gratitude impulse into a complete, specific story.

Most people know what they’re grateful for but struggle to shape it into a narrative that lands. The Story Spine solves this by providing a sequence of sentence starters that walk through story structure automatically.

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The Template

Complete each sentence starter to build your gratitude story:

Once upon a time… (Establish the context — who, what situation, what was the landscape)

Once upon a time, our team was three weeks from the most important product launch in the company’s history…

Every day… (Describe the normal state before the key moment)

Every day, the pressure mounted and the gap between what we’d promised and what we had built seemed to widen…

Until one day… (Name the pivotal moment — what happened, or what the person did)

Until one day, [Name] sat down with the whole team and said, “I’m going to rewrite the testing framework this weekend. Don’t worry about how — worry about the demo.”

Because of that… (Show the immediate ripple effect)

Because of that, the team stopped spiraling and started executing. We had a target to work toward instead of a fear to run from.

Because of that… (Show the next ripple — go deeper)

Because of that, we shipped on time. The demo worked. The client signed.

Until finally… (Name the resolution or turning point)

Until finally, on the night of the launch, we sat together around a table and realized we’d done something we hadn’t believed was possible six weeks earlier.

And ever since… (Name the lasting change — in behavior, culture, or relationship)

And ever since, this team has operated differently under pressure. When it gets hard, I watch people look at each other differently — like they remember what we built together when it was hardest.

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Shortened Version (For Verbal Sharing)

When time is limited, use this three-part version:

The Setup: (What was the situation? What was uncertain or at stake?)

The Turn: (What specifically did [person] do or say?)

The Landing: (What did it make possible? What lasting change did it create?)

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Guided Practice: Write Your Own Story

Step 1: Choose your subject

Think of one person — a colleague, a manager, a teammate, a mentor — whose contribution you want to acknowledge. Identify one specific moment or period where their contribution was most significant.

Step 2: Answer the setup questions

• What was the situation?
• What was uncertain, difficult, or at stake?
• What was the “every day” before the pivotal moment?

Step 3: Name the specific contribution

• What exactly did they do? (Not “they helped” — what specifically?)
• What did they say, decide, create, build, or sacrifice?
• What did you observe?

Step 4: Trace the impact

• What immediately changed because of what they did?
• What became possible that wasn’t before?
• What does the “ever since” look like?

Step 5: Write the story in 3–5 sentences

Use the short version if you’ll be sharing it verbally. Aim for enough specificity that the person in the story recognizes themselves.

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Tips for Stronger Stories

Resist the urge to summarize. “She was always so supportive” is a summary. “She called me at 10pm before the board presentation, not to offer advice, but to ask what I needed to hear” is a story. The difference is specificity.

Name the before. Stories need contrast. What was true before the person’s contribution that wasn’t true after? Don’t skip the setup — it’s what gives the contribution its weight.

Use direct quotes where possible. If you can remember what the person actually said, quote it. Direct speech creates immediacy and makes the story feel real.

Land on the lasting. The “ever since” is the most important part. It answers: why does this still matter? That’s what elevates a thank-you into a story that holds.

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Retreat Facilitation Notes

Time needed: 8–10 minutes for individual writing; 3–5 minutes per person for sharing

Group size: Works with groups of 4 to 40; for larger groups, break into circles of 4–6 for sharing

Setup: Distribute the template on paper or via a shared digital document. Play soft background music during the writing phase. Use a timer.

Optional variation: Ask participants to write a story about a moment in this retreat — observing and reflecting in real time. This can produce remarkably moving closing ceremonies.