The Speakeasy Storytelling Program is back!

With a new, elevated structure.

Join me the hour before the Gorge Speakeasy in Hood River, Oregon to master your storytelling.

Both Programs are from 5:45 - 6:45 pm at The Ruins immediately preceding the Gorge Speakeasy storytelling event. Full Series $80 | Drop-In $24.

Class Dates

Feb 4th, 2026

Mar 4th, 2026

Apr 1st, 2026

May 6th, 2026

A Simple and Powerful Class Structure

Each class meets storytellers where they are and teaches them the craft skills of great spoken storytelling.

How it works:

5:45 - 6:10: Introduction, lesson, & craft exercise

6:10 - 6:15: Bio break

6:15 - 6:45: A beautiful mock stage where individuals of all levels of experience are encouraged to practice telling a story in front of the group, receive feedback, and receive a video recording of their performance on their own phone. (Not many things are better than game tape!)

The Program is 4 classes long and follows the same topic flow (but with different exercises, so you won’t be treading over the same material if you’ve joined us for previous rounds!)

Class 1: The Basics Aren’t That Basic!

Class 2: Memorable Characters & Vivid Settings

Class 3: Audience Connection & Emotional Arcs

Class 4: Polished Storytelling Performances

And you’ll learn a lot! Each class not only covers the main topic, but also hones the soft skills that help you shine on stage. Things like:

  • Delivery techniques

  • Story pacing

  • Engaging the Audience

  • Posturing, presence, and gesturing, oh my!

  • The essential 3 and not-so-obvious 4 parts of a story

  • Tricks for finding your secret sauce on stage

  • Staying present during stage fright blackouts

  • Craft practice techniques for in the car, on a run, at home, etc.

  • And more

This seems like a lot to try to accomplish in four classes, doesn’t it? But with the class flow, addressing these soft skills comes naturally, and in my years of teaching, I’ve learned that people learn these best in the context of practice.

Join us for the next class.

MEET ASH WYLDER

Ash Wylder is a published author who integrates the cross sections of a deep passion for neuroscience, skill development, and mind-body connection into all of her coursework and uses her history working with team leaders and CEOs to help neurodivergent and highly sensitive writers build creative writing processes that work. She is a life-long lover of language with a run-amok imagination and believes that the art of writing something reader-ready should be a curious and joyful experience. No matter where your blocks come up, she can teach you how to demystify and move beyond them in trauma-sensitive and neuroscience-backed ways.

 FAQs

  • You can sign up for individual classes! It’s $24 to drop in to one class and $80 for the entire program.

    While the program builds off of the foundations learned in the earlier classes, each class can be taken on it’s own! You’ll still get a lot out of it.

  • Not at all. Over the course of the four months, we’ll work on building a complete and beautiful story-telling method that works for you, but each class can be taken as a stand-alone. If you can’t commit to all, come for one!

  • In Hood River, Oregon at The Ruins. This class takes place immediately before the Speakeasy Storytelling event, and I encourage you to stay and listen, or sign up to tell a story of your own! It’s a great time—I pinky swear.

  • Yup! In partnership with Angie and The Gorge Speakeasy team, we cooked up this fun offering to encourage new storytellers to take the stage, and empower old hats to pick up new tricks.

  • Who doesn’t get stage fright…? Seriously—I would like to meet them.

    But a more serious answer is; this class builds over the course of an hour to story-telling to the group at the very end with exercises pulled from the improv comedy world, standup, theater, and storytelling. If at the end of the class you still don’t want to share a quick story, that’s fine! Come for the candy. (There actually won’t be candy, but I encourage you to bring a snack.)

  • Short answer, no! You can come up with one on the spot and just roll with it—you’ll still be able to grasp the topic and practice the skills we’re working on that evening.

    Longer answer: You’ll get the most out of this class if you come in with an idea/outline of a story already worked up. It will help you address your crafting process on a deeper level and during the mock stage, you’ll be able to get finer pointers about your story because you’ll have worked through the “rough drafts” so to speak. I definitely recommend coming in with a story in mind. Perhaps one that you plan on performing on the Speakeasy Main Stage that evening?

Do you have a different question? I’m not unavailable and mysterious. You can book a chat and get your questions answered here.

Fall back in love with your muse during some of the darkest and coldest winter nights.

Join us at The Gorge Speakeasy after class!

Client Testimonials

“Deeply intuitive and caring, heart-centric, wise. Someone who understands how to transmute pain/broken-ness into precious resources for creative expression and strength.”

-Aaron Shori

“I’ve been in awe of Ash’s storytelling for a while now. She always blows me away at the Gorge Speakeasy! When the opportunity came up to do her story workshop, I jumped at it. Thanks to her skills, humor, and easygoing demeanor, she made the experience fun and easy to open up and get creative. She has a real knack for developing stories and building structure, and is incredibly useful in helping you find and tell your own story. Would highly recommend!”

-Jeni Stembridge