Personal story-telling is the standup comedy of the 2010s.

All across LA, writers (and other humans) are searching their souls, spilling their guts and trying to get a few laughs along the way.

These days, you can't throw a rock without hitting some kind of word event. Theaters, clubs and restaurants are all hosting shows where people read their personal essay and/or tell their story – and there's a new show starting every week.

Each show has it's own particular vibe, rules and flavor, from serious to sensational, literary to licentious. Professional writers and/or performers often mix with inspired amateurs. Some include music. Some strictly enforce time limits. Some are competitive. Some are a lot like therapy – at least for the people onstage telling the stories.

This is all great news for writers, because these events provide hard deadlines and thematic frames to create focused pieces, encourage productivity, provide a sense of community and offer an interesting new kind of showcase.

There's a new monthly storyslam at BANG COMEDY THEATER called DON'T TELL MY MOTHER and they're open to submissions.

They say: "Hear the best writers in the business confess to things they'd never want their mamas to know! Is it embarrassing? Yes! Cringe-worthy? For sure! Awesome? Hell, yeah!

If you've ever shop-lifted, masturbated to your parents porn or called a phone sex line at nine years old, we'll make you feel normal!"

I haven't personally seen it yet, but stay tuned. Meanwhile...

Send submissions to Nikki at ftraingo@yahoo.com.

Your piece should be approximately 1100 - 1300 words in length. You don't have to memorize them. You just read it at a podium in front of a live audience and they record it for their podcast.

This show premiered in November and has since sold out every show. There are always invited agents and industry guests in attendance.