Rutul Davé
Rutul Davé

The Storyteller with the Most Stories Is the Best Storyteller

The Storyteller with the Most Stories Is the Best Storyteller

Introduction

Matthew Dicks has won more Moth StorySLAMs and GrandSLAMs than anyone in history.

His secret? It’s not natural talent. It’s not a dramatic life. It’s not even exceptional writing skills.

It’s this: He has more stories than anyone else.

As Dicks says, “The storyteller with the most stories is the best storyteller.”

But here’s what most people miss—he didn’t accumulate those stories by living an extraordinary life. He accumulated them by paying attention to an ordinary one.

Every single day.

For over a decade.

That’s the power of what he calls “Homework for Life”—a five-minute daily practice that transforms how you see your world and builds an endless supply of stories.

At StoryCoach, we’ve built this exact practice into our platform through the Memory Bank. And today, I’m going to show you why this simple habit might be the most powerful storytelling tool you’ll ever use.

Why Quantity Creates Quality

It sounds counterintuitive, doesn’t it?

We’re taught that quality beats quantity. That one great story is better than a dozen mediocre ones.

But here’s the truth about storytelling: You can’t know which stories are great until you have many to choose from.

Think about it:

  • A photographer doesn’t take one perfect shot. They take hundreds and select the best.
  • A songwriter doesn’t write one hit. They write dozens of songs to find the gems.
  • A comedian doesn’t craft one perfect joke. They test material constantly.

Storytellers are no different.

When you have 5 stories in your arsenal, you’re limited. You tell the same stories repeatedly. You force stories to fit situations where they don’t quite belong.

But when you have 50 stories? 100? 500?

Now you have options. You can choose the perfect story for any moment:

  • The investor pitch that needs vulnerability
  • The keynote that needs inspiration
  • The interview that needs to showcase your values
  • The dinner party that needs a good laugh

The storyteller with the most stories has the most power.

The Problem: We Forget Our Lives

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Most of your life disappears.

Think about last Tuesday. What happened? Can you remember three specific moments?

What about two weeks ago? Last month?

The moments blur together. The conversations fade. The small victories and quiet realizations vanish.

Not because they weren’t meaningful. But because we don’t capture them.

David Allen, productivity expert and author of Getting Things Done, puts it perfectly: “The mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”

The same applies to memories. Your mind is for experiencing moments, not storing them long-term without help.

This is why most people say, “I don’t have any good stories.”

They do. They just forgot them.

The Solution: Homework for Life

Matthew Dicks developed a practice that changed everything: Homework for Life.

Here’s how it works:

Every night before bed, ask yourself one question:

“If I had to tell a story from today—a five-minute story onstage about something that happened in my life today—what would it be?”

Then write it down. One sentence. Maybe two.

That’s it.

Examples from real Homework for Life entries:

  • “Barista remembered my order without asking.”
  • “Realized I’ve been pronouncing my coworker’s name wrong for six months.”
  • “Found my daughter’s drawing of our family—I’m wearing a cape.”
  • “Stranger on the subway gave up their seat for an elderly woman, then got off at the next stop just to do it.”

These aren’t extraordinary moments. They’re noticeable moments.

And when you practice noticing them every day, something magical happens:

You start seeing story-worthy moments everywhere.

How the Memory Bank Works

At StoryCoach, we’ve built Homework for Life directly into our platform through the Memory Bank.

Think of it as your personal story vault—a place where you capture the raw material of your life before it disappears.

Here’s the flow:

Step 1: Daily Capture (The Deposit)

Every day, you receive a prompt that helps you identify story-worthy moments:

  • What surprised you today?
  • What made you feel something unexpected?
  • What small moment revealed something bigger?

You write one or two sentences. That’s your “story spark”—a memory preserved.

Step 2: The Memory Bank (The Vault)

All your story sparks collect in your Memory Bank. Over time, you build an archive of:

  • Moments of vulnerability
  • Unexpected kindness
  • Personal realizations
  • Funny mishaps
  • Meaningful conversations
  • Small victories

These aren’t full stories yet. They’re story seeds—moments with potential.

Step 3: The Story Bank (The Harvest)

When you’re ready to craft a full story, you browse your Memory Bank and select a spark that resonates.

Then you use StoryCoach’s frameworks and AI feedback to develop it into a complete narrative:

  • Add structure (beginning, middle, end)
  • Identify the stakes (what mattered?)
  • Find the transformation (what changed?)
  • Refine the delivery

Now that story spark becomes a polished story in your Story Bank—ready to share in presentations, pitches, interviews, or conversations.

The Compounding Effect

Here’s where it gets powerful.

  • Day 1: You capture one moment. You have 1 story spark.
  • Week 1: You’ve captured 7 moments. You have 7 story sparks.
  • Month 1: You’ve captured 30 moments. You have 30 story sparks.
  • Year 1: You’ve captured 365 moments. You have 365 story sparks.

But it’s not just about the numbers.

The practice changes how you experience your life.

When you commit to finding one story-worthy moment every day, you become more present. You notice more. You appreciate more.

Matthew Dicks describes it as “living a life in search of stories.”

You stop sleepwalking through your days. You start paying attention.

And the stories? They’re everywhere.

Real Stories from “Ordinary” Lives

Let me share some examples from StoryCoach users who built their Memory Banks:

Sarah, a startup founder:

Memory Bank entry: “Investor said no, but walked me to the elevator and shared his own failure story.”

Became: A keynote story about resilience and the unexpected mentors we find in rejection.

James, a product manager:

Memory Bank entry: “Realized I’ve been solving the wrong problem for three months.”

Became: A LinkedIn post about intellectual humility that got 50,000 views and led to speaking opportunities.

Maya, a creative director:

Memory Bank entry: “Client cried when she saw the final design—said it captured her late mother’s spirit.”

Became: A portfolio case study story that wins new clients by showing the emotional impact of her work.

None of these moments seemed “story-worthy” in the moment.

But because they captured them, they had the raw material to craft powerful narratives later.

Why Most People Quit (And How to Stick With It)

Let’s be honest: Most people try Homework for Life for a few days and stop.

Why?

Reason 1: “Nothing interesting happened today.”

This is the most common excuse. And it’s always false.

Something interesting always happens. You’re just not trained to see it yet.

The practice isn’t about finding dramatic moments. It’s about finding meaningful ones:

  • A moment you felt something
  • A moment something surprised you
  • A moment something changed, even slightly

Reason 2: “I don’t have time.”

Homework for Life takes 2-3 minutes. You have time.

The real issue? You haven’t built the habit yet.

Reason 3: “I’ll remember the important stuff.”

No, you won’t. Science is clear on this—we forget most of our experiences within days.

If you don’t capture it, it’s gone.

How StoryCoach Makes It Stick

We designed StoryCoach specifically to help you build this habit and actually stick with it.

Daily Email Prompts

Every day, you get a prompt in your inbox. No need to remember. No need to open an app. Just reply or click through.

Guided Exercises

Not sure what counts as “story-worthy”? Our exercises help you identify moments:

  • Crash & Burn free-writes to surface forgotten memories
  • Random Word exercises to spark creative connections
  • Themed prompts that guide your attention

Progress Tracking

See your Memory Bank grow. Celebrate milestones. Build momentum.

AI Feedback

When you’re ready to develop a story spark into a full narrative, get personalized coaching that helps you structure and refine—without losing authenticity.

Community Support

Join others who are building their storytelling practice. Share sparks. Get inspired. Stay accountable.

Learn more about Homework for Life →

The Stories You’ll Wish You Captured

Let me tell you what happens if you don’t start building your Memory Bank today.

Five years from now, you’ll be preparing for:

  • A big presentation
  • An important interview
  • A keynote speech
  • A pitch to investors
  • A toast at a wedding

And you’ll think, “I need a good story.”

You’ll rack your brain. You’ll remember… vague outlines. Blurry moments. Nothing concrete.

You’ll wish you had captured:

  • That conversation with your mentor
  • That moment of breakthrough
  • That failure that taught you everything
  • That small act of kindness that changed your perspective

But you didn’t write it down. And now it’s gone.

Or…

Five years from now, you open your Memory Bank.

You have 1,825 story sparks.

You scroll through moments you completely forgot:

  • The day you almost quit
  • The stranger who said exactly what you needed to hear
  • The small win that kept you going
  • The mistake that became your biggest lesson

You have abundance. You have options. You have power.

You select the perfect story. You craft it. You share it.

And it lands.

Your Stories Are Happening Right Now

Here’s the truth:

Your best stories aren’t in your past. They’re not waiting for some extraordinary future event.

They’re happening today.

In the conversation you’ll have this afternoon. In the moment of frustration you’ll feel tonight. In the small victory you’ll experience tomorrow.

But only if you capture them.

Matthew Dicks is right: The storyteller with the most stories is the best storyteller.

Not because they’ve lived the most dramatic life.

But because they’ve paid attention to the life they’re living.

Start Building Your Memory Bank Today

You don’t need to be a professional storyteller. You don’t need extraordinary experiences. You don’t need natural talent.

You just need to start noticing.

Here’s your challenge:

Tonight, before bed, ask yourself: “If I had to tell a story from today, what would it be?”

Write it down. One sentence.

Do it again tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that.

In 30 days, you’ll have 30 story sparks.

In a year, you’ll have 365.

And you’ll never again say, “I don’t have any good stories.”

Ready to build your storytelling habit?

Start your Memory Bank with StoryCoach →

Try our 7-day Story Starter plan and experience Homework for Life with daily prompts, guided exercises, and AI feedback.

Your future self—the one giving that keynote, nailing that interview, winning that pitch—will thank you.