The Story Shuffle Challenge for Memory and Storytelling

Purpose

This exercise is designed to enhance narrative memory and creativity by having delegates build a collaborative story, one sentence at a time, using random words. It challenges them to think creatively and maintain the coherence of the story while remembering previous contributions.

Objective

Delegates will draw a random word from a deck of cards and have 30 seconds to add a sentence to a collaborative story that incorporates their word. The story must remain coherent, and each delegate must remember the evolving narrative to contribute effectively.

What You Need

• A deck of Word Cards with a random word or phrase written on each card. A set is provided at the end. You need one set per each group of 6 delegates.

Setup

• Explain that the goal is to build a creative, coherent story as a group while using randomly drawn words. Delegates must listen carefully to the evolving story and remember the contributions of their peers to keep the narrative flowing.
• If you have a larger group, divide them into groups of about 6 delegates to make the storytelling more manageable and interactive. Give one set of Word Cards to each group.
• Get each group to shuffle their deck of Word Cards. They should then pick a subset of cards as twice the number of people in their group. They should place their cards face down on a table. The rest of the cards are put out of the way. Ask them to form a circle and nominate who will start. The order goes clockwise.
• Start the storytelling. Get the nominated first delegate to draw a card and read the word silently. They have 30 seconds to start a story with one or two sentences that incorporates their word. This could be describing a scene, an action or a thought; it is basically a beat of the story.
• The next delegate draws a card, reads their word, and adds another sentence to the story, using their word. They should focus on adding a sentence or two that logically follows any previous sentences to maintain the flow of the story. The story continues around the circle, with each delegate having 30 seconds to integrate their word into the story while keeping track of the narrative.
• The story continues until all delegates have had a chance to add two sentences. Toward the end of the second round, they can see that they are approaching the last few cards. They should add sentences that help wrap up the story to bring it to an end.
• After the story is complete, have the group recap the story, identifying key plot points, any surprises and how different words influenced the direction of the narrative. Get them discuss how well the story flowed and how each delegate adapted their contribution to fit the evolving story.
• Bring back everyone together and get each group to share a quick summary of their stories and their insights with the class one group at a time.
• Follow with a general discussion.

Example Story

Words drawn from the deck in sequence:

astronaut, haunted house, secret tunnel, magic potion, balloon, spaceship, door, manual, hand, town, bike, forest

Round 1:

Person 1: Lara was an astronaut on her way home from a mission on Mars when she received a strange signal. Curious, she veered her spaceship toward the unknown source of the transmission.

Person 2: As she landed, she found herself in front of a haunted house, its windows rattling and doors creaking ominously. “Why do I always land in the weirdest places?” she muttered.

Person 3: Despite the eerie setting, Lara’s curiosity got the better of her, and she entered the house. Inside, she found a dusty old bookcase, behind which she discovered a hidden lever. Pulling it revealed a secret tunnel leading deep underground.

Person 4: The tunnel spiralled downwards, lit by strange glowing symbols on the walls. As Lara descended, she came across a glass bottle sitting on a stone pedestal. “Now we’re talking,” she whispered. The bottle contained a shimmering liquid—a magic potion.

Person 5: Being an adventurous astronaut, Lara couldn’t resist. She uncorked the bottle and took a cautious sip. Instantly, she felt lighter, as if gravity had released its grip on her. With a grin, she floated through the tunnel like a balloon.

Person 6: At the tunnel’s end, Lara emerged into a cavern filled with old relics and... a spaceship. But it wasn’t just any spaceship. It looked ancient, with alien symbols engraved on its hull, glowing faintly in the dark.

 

Story continues with round 2:

Person 1: Suddenly, the spaceship’s door opened with a hiss, and a voice echoed from inside: “Welcome, traveller of the stars. You have found the gateway between worlds.”

Person 2: Ignoring the creepy vibes, Lara stepped into the spaceship. There, she was greeted by a holographic guide who explained that the magic potion she drank would allow her to pilot the ship without needing any controls. Lara smiled. “Well, this is definitely more fun than reading manuals.”

Person 3: The spaceship powered up, and with the wave of her hand, Lara directed it toward a bright beam of light that shot through the cavern ceiling. She found herself soaring above the Earth once more, the haunted house far below her. But something felt off.

Person 4: Her spaceship began to lose power. Thinking quickly, Lara spotted a town in the distance and crash-landed near a quaint suburban street. Stumbling out of the spaceship, she found a kid staring at her.

Person 5: The kid was on a bike. Lara called out, “Excuse me, any chance I can borrow that?” The kid, wide-eyed at the sight of the astronaut, handed over the bike. “Uh, sure!” Lara pedalled as fast as she could, magic potion still making her feel as light as a feather, speeding down the road to safety.

Person 6: With a wave to the kid who had watched the whole thing in awe, she blasted off once again, leaving behind a haunted house, a secret tunnel, and a whole lot of mystery. In the end, Lara made it back to her own spaceship, hidden away in a forest clearing. But she did keep the bicycle. She thought it might come in handy on her next adventure!

Timing

Explaining the Exercise: 2 minutes

Activity: 8 min storytelling + 10 sharing stories and insights = 18 minutes

Group Feedback: 10 minutes

Discussion

After the storytelling, lead a discussion:

• How challenging was it to keep track of the evolving story while thinking of how to incorporate your word?
• What strategies did you use to quickly integrate your word into the narrative?
• How did the story change direction based on the random words that were drawn?
• Were there moments when the story took a surprising or humorous turn? What made those moments memorable?
• How did listening to others’ contributions help you shape your own part of the story?
• Did you already have a plan on what to say with your chosen word or you had to decide on the spot?
• How much of the story could you remember, specially in the second round as more of the story was developed?
• Did including random words help increase creative storytelling?

Variations

• Reduce time. Reduce the time limit to 20 seconds per turn for a faster-paced challenge that tests quick thinking.
• Increase time. Alternatively, allow more time, such as 60 seconds for each step. Now the challenge shifts to remembering more and keeping up with the details shares by everyone, while still staying logical and consistent.
• Assign genre. Give each group a genre such as mystery, adventure or sci-fi and challenge delegates to keep their contributions in line with the chosen genre, adding an extra layer of creativity.
• Include wildcard words. Add some cards with wildcard words like “unexpected twist” or “dramatic ending”, which delegates can use to change the direction of the story dramatically, forcing the group to adapt quickly.
• Write stories. Rather than each delegate stating their story verbally, they can write it and then read from it. They can be more formal with their writing. This way they will also end up with a record of the story as it develops.
• Use a scribe. Nominate one person as an observer and get them to record the story and supervise the activity to make sure everyone follows the rules. At the end, recalls can be compared to what is recorded to help with memory test.
• Recall story. Just before stating their own part, each delegate should quickly summarise what has happened so far in the story before adding their own part. This helps delegates practice recall. It also prevents them from adding something nonsensical to the story when they cannot remember what was covered so far or if they didn’t pay attention.

Word Cards

Astronaut

Balloon

Umbrella

Volcano

Detective

Pineapple

Putty

Door

Train station

Lighthouse

Wizard

Manual

Parrot

Mirror

Jungle

Tornado

Robot

Treasure map

Guitar

Hand

Magic potion

Spaceship

Town

Pirate

Haunted house

Rainbow

Fire

Snowstorm

Bicycle

Alien

Roller coaster

Forest

Time machine

Diamond

Secret tunnel

Dragon

Jellybean

Missile

Shell

Steam

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