Welcome NABUUR storytellers!

In this space, you'll get a chance to learn how to write a NABUUR story, and also be able to pick and choose stories that you'd like to write.

While in your travels on the NABUUR.com website, if you see a story in development or anything else that catches your eye, let us know here too (even if you don't have time or plan to write on that particular story - we'll find someone else to take it up!). And from time to time, we'll also suggest stories and assign them to those interested in writing them.

Below is a brief how-to of NABUUR storytelling (also available as download attached to this post).

Where to find the stories?

The number of Villages and projects on NABUUR.com is expanding quickly (see here) - and so are the corresponding stories!

Stories can be found just about anywhere in a NABUUR Village: in the News tab; in the Image gallery; or in the discussion threads in the project room... If you're unsure if something will make a good story, post your suggestion in this thread and we'll help you out.

You can also find stories in the general NABUUR news tab here.

When writing a NABUUR story, please follow this format

• Each story starts with a picture.
• Each story has the name of the Village and the country mentioned.
• Each story has a catchy title, referring to the result.

Please note: Stories don't necessarily have to be a certain length. If your story is featured on the NABUUR blog and it's a bit on the longer side, we'll be happy to post the story as a multi-part.

Content
Each story has the following structure:

1. The issue, the situation in the community as it was prior to the Village joining NABUUR.
2. Details of the the "result", including the process, and the role the online volunteers (Neighbours) played in it.
3. The changes/improvements brought on by the result.

Interviews

You may also want to interview a couple of the neighbours and the local representative. If you need help in getting in touch with them, let me know. (An idea would be to post a message in the discussion thread telling them you'll be covering their story; or to send them a private message to initiate the conversation.)

Who can help you write the stories?

If you need more details on a development or would like to clarify information in your story research, don't hesitate to contact the Local Representative of the Village, the Facilitator or the Neighbours. They're there to help - and expect to be contacted. If you'd like assistance in making this contact, let us know.

What do you do when you've finished writing a story?

The storytelling group and process will be as transparent as possible. When you're done writing your story:

• Please upload it to the news section (see how-to below).
• A NABUUR volunteer will be notified and edit the story (if needed).
• Once the editing is complete, we'll publish the story (crediting you, of course).

Your story will show up in the respective village, as well as in the story section of the NABUUR News tab. We'll also use some of the stories for our blog, as well as other social network platforms, like Twitter and the NABUUR Facebook group.

To upload your story to the news section:

1. Click the News tab of the storytelling group.

2. Under the 'Create Content' heading box, click 'Create News.'

3. Fill in the following fields of the form: Title of the story, location, the teaser, the body, and upload a picture of the village corresponding to the story. (We'll worry about the other fields :))

4. Click Submit at the bottom of the page to save your story.

Ready to start?

Feel free to browse the Villages on your own. You can find a list here towards the bottom of the page. Once you click on the link leading to a country location, you'll get the list of Villages in that country - as well as a description of their project.

Another option is to do a keyword search for Villages that match your interests or preference (i.e. Education; Women's Rights; HIV/AIDS).

Once you pick a story, please post in this discussion thread. We'll keep track of who is writing what.

Alternatively, if you wish to only be assigned stories, let us know!

Need some examples before plunging in?

Attached is a storybook compiled last year. Feel free to download it and get a feel for a NABUUR story. We hope you enjoy it!

Find stories in these countries:

Africa

Burundi | Cameroon | DR of the Congo | Gambia | Ghana | Kenya | Madagascar | Mali | Morocco | Nigeria | Rwanda | Senegal | Sierra Leone | South Africa | Tanzania | Uganda | Zambia

Asia

Bangladesh | Cambodia | China | India | Nepal | Sri Lanka | Tibet

Latin America

Ecuador | Peru | Mexico

 




Thank You for joining us - we're really looking forward to reading your stories and sharing them with everyone else on NABUUR.com and beyond!

Attached files: 

Becoming a NABUUR Storyteller.doc

NABUUR.pdf
Project: Storytelling for NABUUR Villages