Elliot Kessler

Ever since the Mesopotamians created a system to record events, information, and ideas called “writing,” human beings have made story after story, myth after myth, and the tradition of creating fictional stories has continued on and will remain likely forever. But why do we write, read, and watch stories that are not real? Why do we care so much about myths that seemingly have no impact on our world? What is so compelling about tales that we spend a lot of good money to experience them? Why write stories at all?

Stories give us an outlet for our abstract thoughts. They help us express our philosophies and ideas that we cannot express in any other way. They also help with the impact of the concepts by showing someone’s ideas rather than them telling you their ideas. It shows you the effect of those ideas and how we might put them to use in our society and our lives. They can help to communicate interesting thoughts and help us ponder exciting questions. Can humans control nature? What is our purpose in life? Should we forgive people who have done wrong against us? We can learn more about our world and ourselves. Writing lets us answer complicated and confusing questions much easier and helps us to put our answers out into the world.

But writing is not only an outlet for abstract thoughts but also our creativity. God created the universe simply because He is creative. We are made in His image, and his creativity shines through us and inspires us to draw, paint, make movies, and write stories. We all have a creative impulse to a certain level. Some are more creative than others. But exercising that creativity and putting it to good use helps one become more of a creative person and glorifies God by being creative like He is. Expressing the creativity He has given us helps us worship Him and glorify Him. Writing is an excellent way to express creativity and helps to satisfy that creative impulse. It is also accessible to everyone. You can write stories anywhere, from your phone to your laptop, from your notebook to a napkin at McDonald’s. Stories can be written wherever you are, and thanks to companies like Amazon, it is easier than ever to share stories with the world and demonstrate God’s creativity to everyone.

Another good use of stories is to teach. Jesus used stories to teach his followers, such as the story of the lost sheep or the prodigal son. These stories were compelling and exciting narratives with a purpose: demonstrating God’s love for us. Teaching through stories was not only limited to Jesus. Mythology has many stories that teach lessons, such as the Greek myth of Icarus, who did not listen to his father’s warning and flew too close to the sun, losing his wings and falling to his death. The story showed how ignoring elders and mentors could lead to devastating consequences. Stories can also simply inspire without teaching any morals or philosophy. They can compel their audience to do great things and encourage them to perform amazing feats. They can give people courage, helping them face whatever trials they might be going through. Stories shape and aid our society and ourselves as individuals. There are so many things that stories can do.

Writing makes us think. It makes us question our morality contemplate the meaning of life and the best way of living it. Often, though, stories are also written simply for the love of the craft. Writing stories can be a challenge, but the reward of having finished a tale, no matter how long it is, is worth the effort. Everyone has a story in them, whether they know it or not. It could be fiction, or it could be their own life experiences. They will never know until they sit down and write it. There is a story in everyone’s heart, so what’s yours?