a little advice s'il vous plait?

[jenn]

so as some of you may know, i am pretty involved with my local family resource center. i am on the fundraising committee and we just had our first official fundraiser that went brilliantly. we are in the very early planning stages of our next event. what we are hoping to do is put on an evening of birthstories. a similar format to the vagina monologues in that people will not really perform their story so much as just tell it as they would to a group of friends. everyone has one, either giving birth or being born, and more often than not they are extraordinary. for example my first son weighed a whopping 11 1/2 lbs. makes my bum clench just remembering it.
anyway, we need to get stories. what is the best method to get these stories? do i advertise in the paper? how does one go about finding people to interview? any researchers out there have any tips? we want men and women and we also want stories from different, *ahem* angles. ie nurses, mother in laws, siblings, etc.
any advice would be appreciated.

 

[novella]

I think this kind of request needs a personal touch. A phone chain might work, where you call two people and ask them and then ask them to call two more people, etc.

You could also try to get a local radio spot, explaining what the funds are for and talking about the show.

I suspect an announcement in the paper won't yield the best results.

 

[Mari]

Everybody wants to tell their story. Let the press do your work for you. Get the paper to do an article on your idea (not a paid announcement), and as Novella said, get interviewed on local radio. You'll get more response than you can handle.

 

[Renee]

Do you know anyone that has a child in child care? A child care center would be a good place to find stories. Not only could some of those parents offer you their stories but they might be able to hook you up with doctors, nurses, grandparents, etc.

 

[jenn]

thanks ladies. all way better ideas than the paper. i agree, the subject matter is a little personal to be advertising for in the paper. i have started a letter to one of the producers of sounds like canada, a popular morning show on cbc radio that highlights interesting goings-on in different communities and i am also going to contact a local morning show.
the play groups through the center will also be a good resource.
once i have the stories, not being a writer, any tips on turning them into monologues? i guess i will have to wait to look at the content of the story before i ask that. just getting ahead of myself.
i will be back for more help. thanks so much.