Step Out of Your Story: Writing Exercises to Reframe and Transform Your Life

by Kim Schneiderman

Every day we relate stories about our highs and lows, relationships and jobs, heartaches and joys. But do we ever consider the choices we make about how to tell our story? In this groundbreaking book, Kim Schneiderman shows us that by choosing a different version we can redirect our energy and narrative toward our desires and goals. She presents character development workouts and life-affirming, liberating exercises for retelling our stories to find redemptive silver linings and reshape our lives.

As both a therapist and a writer, Schneiderman knows the power of story. By employing the storytelling techniques she offers, you’ll learn to view your life as a work in progress and understand big-picture story lines in ways that allow you to easily steer your actions and relationships toward redefined — and realistic — “happy endings.”

Genres: Writing, Self Help, Psychology, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 2014

Reviews

[Story Circle Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest, I am not much for self-help books. It seems like so often they all cover the same ground, simply stating the same old ideas in what the author hopes is a new way. This isn't the case for Kim Schneiderman's Step Out of Your Story. Instead, Schneiderman has taken something familiar—writing about our experiences—and given it a new twist: shifting your perspective on your life into the third person narrative.

Schneiderman's book is organized in a clear, logical manner, leading you step by step into a new way of looking at and understanding your life. When I first began reading it, I thought it looked a little overwhelming, but once I plunged in and started doing the exercises step by step, I found that it really is very manageable and easy to follow.

One thing that I liked about Step Out of Your Story is the fact that Schneiderman doesn't promise that your world will become instantly rosy and perfect; nor does she say that the journey will be an easy one. Rather, she is an encouraging and supporting presence, providing her readers with a tool chest of possibilities for making change in their lives. I found some of the exercises to be quite helpful, others less so, but Schneiderman's experience and compassion come through and add value to the program she presents.

The arrangement of the book makes it easy for the reader to move step by logical step through the exercises, but I think that there is also value in paging through and choosing the exercises that you feel would help you the most at any given time. This is especially valuable for those people who don't have the time or the motivation to learn the whole process. The greatest value is in the whole, but there are many gems in the different chapters and exercises that can be implemented without all of the others.

Step Out of Your Story is a refreshing approach to making positive change in one's life.

by Khadijah A.
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

[Salim · Rating 5 out of 5]

He read the book from cover to cover and liked about it that it helps understanding the structure of stories and how one can not only write his story or chapters from his story, but also carry an idea that he found on other books.
The main idea of the book can be summarised by Distancing, distancing oneself from idea, story or a life event can bring a wider, more empathic and logical understanding of it.

The rest of the book is exercises to enforce this idea.

[Barry Levy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best self-help books I've ever read. As someone who has been in therapy, is into self-improvement and is also a novelist, I related to the book and its exercises on all of these levels. Reading the book I often felt as though I were in a therapy session and that Kim had insights into exactly what I was thinking and feeling. The exercises were challenging and also engaged me on a creative level, which as a writer, I both enjoyed and appreciated. In all honesty there were times when I resisted doing the exercises because I felt uncomfortable. And, of course, I realized that those were the times when I needed most to step out of my comfort zone. In the end I'm glad I did. If you are willing to do the work, this book and can be both insightful and very helpful.

[Iain McCormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent simple guide to Narrative Therapy.

[Ann Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A practical and helpful guide to reframing the stories you tell yourself about your own life.