Set, in advance, the standard that governs every story you tell: how you get genuine informed consent, and the lines of dignity you will not cross, so no one improvises a harmful choice under deadline pressure.
First in Tell Your Impact Stories with Dignity, before you gather a single story.
A story about someone who cannot give free and informed consent, a child, a person in crisis, someone dependent on your services for whom the power imbalance means a no may not feel free even with your assurances: do not tell it. A story whose telling could expose the person to harm, shame, or danger: do not tell it. Where a protected or sensitive population is involved, the specific consent and privacy rules are a legal matter and route to compliance, legal and risk. Where there is any safety concern, get the right professional. This gate stops a specific story, never your storytelling. There is always another story you can tell ethically, including your own.
This standard is the conscience of your storytelling. Set it before you gather, hold it under deadline pressure, and let it stop a powerful story when protecting a person requires it. The trust of the people you serve is worth more than any single gift a story could raise. It governs the Story Gathering Guide and the Story Shaping Guide.
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