Guidelines for Submissions
An Empathy Story is an inspirational, true story about ordinary people having moments of extraordinary connection. It is a story that opens the heart and rekindles the spirit. It is a simple piece that touches our readers and helps them discover basic principles they can use in their own lives. These stories are personal and often filled with emotion and drama. They are filled with vivid images created by using the five senses. In some stories, the readers feel that they are actually in the scene with the people.
Empathy Stories are written in the first person and have a beginning, middle and an end. The stories often close with a punch, creating emotion, rather than simply talking about it. They have heart, but also something extra—an element that makes us all feel more hopeful, more connected, more thankful, more passionate and better about life in general. A good story causes tears, laughter, goose bumps or any combination of these.
Guidelines at a Glance:
1. Tell an exciting, heartwarming or funny story. Your story should be written in the first person and should be about yourself or someone close to you.
2. Tell your story in a way that will make the reader cry, laugh, get goose bumps, or say “Wow!”
3. The story should start “in the action” and draw in the reader. Do not start your story with an introduction about what you are going to say, or end with a concluding paragraph about what you just said.
4. Don’t try fancy moves with tenses. Writing in the present tense about something that happened in the past rarely works.
5. Keep your story to 1200 words or less. Tighten, tighten, tighten!
What an Empathy Story IS NOT to help provide more clarity:
1. A sermon, an essay or eulogy.
2. A term paper, thesis, letter or journal entry.
3. An opinion about politics or controversial issues.
4. A biography or testimonial.
5. A journalistic article about a third party that reads like a newspaper article.
An Empathy Story is an inspirational, true story about ordinary people having moments of extraordinary connection. It is a story that opens the heart and rekindles the spirit. It is a simple piece that touches our readers and helps them discover basic principles they can use in their own lives. These stories are personal and often filled with emotion and drama. They are filled with vivid images created by using the five senses. In some stories, the readers feel that they are actually in the scene with the people.
Empathy Stories are written in the first person and have a beginning, middle and an end. The stories often close with a punch, creating emotion, rather than simply talking about it. They have heart, but also something extra—an element that makes us all feel more hopeful, more connected, more thankful, more passionate and better about life in general. A good story causes tears, laughter, goose bumps or any combination of these.
Guidelines at a Glance:
1. Tell an exciting, heartwarming or funny story. Your story should be written in the first person and should be about yourself or someone close to you.
2. Tell your story in a way that will make the reader cry, laugh, get goose bumps, or say “Wow!”
3. The story should start “in the action” and draw in the reader. Do not start your story with an introduction about what you are going to say, or end with a concluding paragraph about what you just said.
4. Don’t try fancy moves with tenses. Writing in the present tense about something that happened in the past rarely works.
5. Keep your story to 1200 words or less. Tighten, tighten, tighten!
What an Empathy Story IS NOT to help provide more clarity:
1. A sermon, an essay or eulogy.
2. A term paper, thesis, letter or journal entry.
3. An opinion about politics or controversial issues.
4. A biography or testimonial.
5. A journalistic article about a third party that reads like a newspaper article.