This diagram shows the planning stages of a storytelling project from top to bottom:

A.  Consider the community(ies) you wish to reach with your storytelling: mapping the story holders through the informal and formal groups, and mapping storytelling capacity, and by taking the community's temperature. Consider, too, the overarching goals of the Heart & Soul Planning Process.

B.  With the community and goals in mind, look for a match between them and  story(telling) scenarios/kinds/media.  Look at the Story Wheel and the Past/Present/Future chart, and think about which groups/indiviudals you will need to reach out to, who might be reluctant participants but important story holders, and who might be likely to attend neighborhood or group-specific events rather than city-wide gatherings.

C. Continuing to touch bases with the community and the goals, match the storytelling kinds/media with your storytelling capacity and local resources (what can you do easily--what will take more time and effort--do you have the volunteers do accomplish your storytelling goals?) and see how the storytelling choices intersect with and complement other Heart & Soul approaches.  Remember that storytelling is not the only or always the best way to accomplsih goals and objectives.

D.  Sketch out a draft of possible storytelling waves, thinking about how, where, by whom, and to what end you will gather stories and harvest values.

E.  Evaluate as you go through reflection, using assessment tools, and returning to the original goals.  Revise as necessary.  Work on bringing the stories to action, on keeping the stories alive through exhibition, ongoing integration of stories into heart & Soul events, and into the city as a whole.  Think about ongoing publication and extension of the stories through publication, performance, location-based storytelling events.