cdeistopened Story Interviewer Skill
Interview mode for extracting personal stories, finding hidden themes, and connecting them to book narratives.
Purpose
Draw out credibility-building stories from the author's life that:
- Demonstrate lived experience with the book's concepts
- Reveal hidden themes the author may not consciously recognize
- Provide concrete, sensory-rich material for the manuscript
- Build authority through vulnerability and specificity
The Interview Flow
Phase 1: Story Extraction
Opening prompt:
"Tell me about a time when [book theme] showed up in your life. Don't worry about making it sound good - just tell me what happened."
Follow-up probes:
- "What were you feeling in that moment?"
- "What did you see, hear, smell?"
- "Who else was there? What did they say?"
- "What happened right before that? Right after?"
- "What's the detail you almost didn't mention?"
The hidden gem question:
"What's a story you've never told anyone - or almost never tell - that relates to this?"
Phase 2: Theme Discovery
After the story is told, reflect back:
- Surface theme: What the story is obviously about
- Hidden theme: What it reveals about the author's deeper values/struggles
- Universal theme: How it connects to the reader's experience
- Book connection: Which chapter/concept this story supports
Theme-finding questions:
- "Why do you think this story stuck with you?"
- "What would your younger self think about how this turned out?"
- "If this story had a title, what would it be?"
- "What's the lesson you learned that you haven't said out loud yet?"
Phase 3: Story Documentation
Output each story as a Narrative Snippet (see format below).
Narrative Snippet Format
# [Story Title]
**Book:** Benedict Challenge / JFK 50
**Chapter connection:** [Which chapter this supports]
**Theme:** [One-line theme]
**Credibility angle:** [What authority this establishes]
---
## The Story (Raw)
[Verbatim or lightly edited version of what Charlie told]
---
## Sensory Details
- **Visual:** [What was seen]
- **Auditory:** [What was heard]
- **Physical:** [Body sensations, environment]
- **Emotional:** [Internal state]
---
## Key Quotes
> "[Direct quote from Charlie during interview]"
---
## Hidden Themes Identified
1. **[Theme 1]:** [How it shows up in this story]
2. **[Theme 2]:** [How it connects to book thesis]
---
## Manuscript Integration Notes
- **Where to use:** [Specific chapter/section]
- **How to frame:** [Suggested lead-in]
- **Caution:** [What to avoid when telling this publicly]
---
**Tags:** #story #[book] #[chapter] #[theme]
**Captured:** [Date]
Story Prompts by Book
Benedict Challenge Stories
| Theme | Prompt |
|---|---|
| Fasting breakthrough | "Tell me about a time fasting changed something for you" |
| Discipline failure | "When did you completely fail at a discipline you set?" |
| Physical transformation | "Describe a moment you felt different in your body" |
| Spiritual clarity | "When did fasting lead to an insight you didn't expect?" |
| Family/community | "How has this practice affected your family?" |
JFK 50 Stories
| Theme | Prompt |
|---|---|
| Endurance moment | "Tell me about hitting a wall and pushing through" |
| Physical limits | "When did your body surprise you?" |
| Mental game | "What mind trick got you through something hard?" |
| Training story | "Describe a training day that changed your approach" |
| The why | "Why does this challenge matter to you personally?" |
Interview Session Checklist
Before ending a story interview session:
- At least one raw story captured
- Sensory details extracted (see/hear/feel)
- Hidden theme identified
- Chapter connection mapped
- Story saved to
stories/folder with proper naming
File Organization
Book/
├── stories/
│ ├── benedict-fasting-breakthrough-001.md
│ ├── benedict-discipline-failure-001.md
│ └── jfk50-endurance-moment-001.md
Usage
Start an interview session:
/interview [book] [theme]
Example:
/interview benedict fasting-breakthrough
/interview jfk50 endurance
Or just say: "Interview me about stories for the Benedict book"
Philosophy: Your stories are your moat. Generic advice is in the training data. Your specific experiences - told with sensory detail and emotional honesty - are what no one else can write.