Imagine if we lived in a world where there were no stories–no stories to write, to tell, to read, to enjoy, to make us laugh and to make us cry. Where would we as humans be? How could we live? What would we know and understand about our lives?
Writing stories matters. But for those stories to matter, they need to be conceived and written. That’s where writers and creatives come in. The world–as chaotic and uncertain as it may be–needs us.
If you’ve ever stopped to wonder why you’re putting yourself through the emotional and physical turmoil of writing stories, think about all the good you’re doing for the world, for your audience, and most importantly, for yourself.
Tiffany Yates Martin said it best in the latest issue of Writer’s Digest (print version, so no link is available to the article.) We may feel overwhelmed by the chaos happening around us to the point that we can’t find the motivation to write. Yet that is exactly when writing stories matters the most.
Yates Martin outlined five reasons that stories matter through turbulent times:
- Stories offer solace and hope. Stories offer comfort, especially during times of unrest. They not only offer an escape from our troubles and worries, Martine writes, they remind us of what’s important and what’s worth fighting for.
- Stories connect us in a divided world. Because stories provide insight into the human condition through alternative perspectives, we can learn to understand the universal longings and struggles that others experience. We might understand what motivates people we might disagree with, and perhaps see them as just as complex, flawed and wounded as we are.
- Stories make sense of the senseless. Our world is often messy and complex. Stories can help us make sense of the chaos by offering logic and cohesion. It may offer a big-picture view that we may not have considered.
- Stories give a voice to the voiceless. Stories can highlight the injustices and oppression that others might experience, and thus heighten our awareness of it. Consider The Diary of Anne Frank which put a human face on the plight of Jews during the Nazi regime.
- Stories can change the world. Stories can broaden and impact people’s views, which in turn can spark needed change. For example, Uncle Tom’s Cabin fueled the abolitionist movement that ended slavery. While our own writing won’t necessarily change society on a grand scale, it might change individuals in some way by providing inspiration and insight that they might not have had before.
While Yates Martin speaks about the collective reasons for writing stories, there are personal ones too. We all have our personal reasons for writing and telling stories. I’ve compiled my own list of reasons below:
- Writing stories presents a new challenge to my skillset. I’ve always been a competent business writer, but writing fiction is a totally different animal. It wasn’t enough to be a good writer and string a series of sentences to create a cohesive thought. The question I wanted to answer for myself was: Could I become a good storyteller? Storytelling requires a different skillset than business journalism. Learning how to tell a good, compelling fiction story was a new challenge.
- Writing stories calms me and keeps me grounded. With so much turmoil and uncertainty in the world, writing stories gives me a safe space away from all that. When I can put those disruptive news stories out of my mind, I can focus on what really matters to me–my writing.
- Writing stories is one thing I can control. With everything happening around us–from weather-related disasters to social and political strife–it can feel like the world is out of control or that we have no control over our environment. And in many cases, we can’t. I may not have control over the unsettling changes taking place in our world, but I do have control over the stories I write. I can control the direction of the plot, the narration, the dialogue, the way the characters may grow and change. I can control how the story ends–usually in a peaceful, happy way.
- Writing stories allows me to give free rein to my imagination. Otherwise, those brilliant ideas dancing in my brain will only remain trapped there. By writing them down, I’m bringing them to life.
- Writing stories enables me to communicate a message to others. This is usually through the story’s theme or a character’s words of wisdom. I might be too afraid to speak for myself, so through stories, I can let a character do the talking for me.
The next time you feel tempted to walk away from your desk and give up on your story, or if you have trouble finding the motivation to write, think about why you do this. Why do you write stories? Why are you writing this particular story? Because writing stories not only can change the world, it can change you.
The Regal Writer 