Praise--
I write mine first, as I find that doing so helps me concentrate on the main theme as well as the peripherals which add so much to the mood of the story (i.e. the pinafore curtains, the knocker, and the wire frame in your piece). You won't tell it exactly as you wrote it; indeed, you'll probably never tell it the same way twice--but having the experience in print helps you visualize your progression as you work at the telling. I also borrow the stories of others on rare occasions, but with adaptations and emendations to bring them into my own experience. I do feel, however, that you're better off with your own experiences, as a general rule, because they're unique to you, and affect you as they would no other. Others tell my stories, and I'm flattered when they do so; but to them, they're stories, while to me they're life experiences. There are some really fine story-telling sites as well as some fine books on putting together a good repertoire of tales. Pick up LISTENING FOR THE CRACK OF DAWN or BARKING AT A FOX FUR COAT, by Donald Davis and read them as good examples of what a story-teller can do with his own life experiences.