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Tell project stories

Thinking about what might happen in your project is a great way to find out what you want to achieve and what you are afraid might happen. Your hopes and fears can guide you in making project plans. On the next page (Create project story elements) you can use your project stories to make sense of your plans. But you need at least a few stories to create story elements!

What to do here

Tell some stories about how your project might play out. They don't have to be long or complicated. Just choose a scenario and an outcome, then think about what might happen.

The more stories you can tell, the better you can prepare. Try to tell at least three stories — five is better. Make sure you have at least one of each type of outcome (colossal success, miserable failure, and acceptable outcome). If you are working in a team, make sure everybody on the team tells at least one one story for each outcome (colossal success, miserable failure, and acceptable outcome).

Connections to other pages

The information you enter here will be used on the Create project story elements page. The stories and elements will appear in the project report.

Frequently-asked questions

What do the scenario types mean?

Ask me anything: If you could ask any person any question and would be guaranteed to get an honest answer (magically), whom would you ask, and about what? What would happen if you did?

Magic ears: If you could overhear anyone talking to anyone at any time and in any place, whom would you want to listen to, where, and when? What might happen?

Fly on the wall: If you could observe any situation or event, what situation would you want to witness? Imagine what would happen if you did.

Project aspects: Consider your draft answers to the PNI planning questions. Do any of those answers make you think of a possibility you would like to explore with a story?

My own scenario type: Think of another way to tell a story about your project.

What do the outcome types mean?

Colossal success: Your project succeeded beyond your wildest dreams.

Miserable failure: You ended up wishing you had never started the project.

Acceptable outcome: Things didn't come out perfectly, but you achieved at least part of what you wanted to achieve.

My own outcome: Think of another way your project story could end.