More amateurs and performers alike are telling their private tales on stage and over the radio. Nationally established storytelling syndicates like “This American Life,” “The Moth” and KCRW’s “Strangers" spin diverse threads of yarn—not exactly rehashed water cooler topics.

The Twin Cities are quickly becoming a wellspring of open-mike outlets in the midst of this trend. Among a host of other local live storytelling events, Story City travels to various venues and organizes stories built around a specific theme (“My First Time”).

A slew of other local events also take the stage, exposing performers’ often comic, unguarded secrets and fears from rookie raconteurs and fabulists. Here’s a round-up four local events, with each group’s podcast, next show, and website:

Story City

Podcast, Next event: My First Time, tonight at 7:00 p.m.

Rockstar Storytellers

Next event: Word Ninjas open-mike, February 12th at 8:30 p.m.

SlamMN

Next event: Love Stories, February 5th at 8:00 p.m.

The Moth: StorySLAM

Next event: Secrets, January 30th at 7:00 p.m.