Afraid of public speaking? That’s okay, local author and historian Dan Henry likes a challenge.

Henry will lead a storytelling workshop beginning at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, at the Haines School. It is sponsored by the Alaska Arts Confluence.

Confluence creative director Carol Tuynman said the board decided to enlist Henry for a workshop in conjunction with its recent move to co-sponsor the local River Talk storytelling series with Lynn Canal Community Players.

“It’s really fascinating to hear stories from local people who may not normally get up and talk,” Tuynman said. “We thought if they had a chance to learn some of the techniques that can make anyone a good storyteller, we might encourage more people to tell stories.”

Henry said he is modeling the workshop around The Moth, a New York-based nonprofit dedicated to the craft of storytelling that launched an immensely popular radio show on NPR in 2009.

“The editors of The Moth work with their people quite a bit to shape up the stories to be told,” Henry said. “The actual people who tell the stories practice quite a bit.”

The workshop will give those interested in speaking at River Talk the tools to spin a solid story, rather than meandering through disconnected thoughts or going 10 minutes over the seven-minute time limit.

“I work with time limits. You cannot not work with time limits. In public speaking, one of the great skills is knowing when to stop,” Henry said.

Story structure, use of imagery, sensory context, climax-building and character development will be addressed at the workshop, where attendants will be able to work on presenting a short personal story.

“Everybody gets to be involved. I really mean for people to come out of that workshop having that skill that is even sharper than the one they have now,” Henry said.

The workshop isn’t just for those interested in speaking at River Talk, but is for anyone looking to bolster their storytelling skill set or become more comfortable with public speaking. “This is a non-intimidating speech experience,” he said.

Henry has spent more than 30 years teaching speech, English, theater and history to college and high school students. He founded the Alaska Native Oratory Society, coached the 2002 National Intercollegiate Parliamentary Debate Champions, and was named Outstanding Teacher by the National Federation of Speech and Debate Educators in 1996.

Spots are already filling up for the workshop, so register by calling 303-0222.