One of the greatest gifts an intimate knowledge of storytelling can give us is how to view our own life story, as well as the stories of those we love.
Take “Crossing the Threshold,” for example. This is the moment in every story where our hero leaves their comfortable seat by the proverbial fire in search of something new. As we all know, this is daunting. But luckily, with our handy knowledge of written stories, we see the broader picture. That interview, a big family move, entering into a hotdog eating contest without any prior hotdog eating experience–these are not identity-solidifying events, but breakthrough moments in an adventure!
Or the character’s lowest moment…how many times have we seen/read this beat, when the whole world is collapsing around our hero, when it seems as though the flame of their spirit has completely died out? What happens next? Do they stay in this state forever, lost in the void? Heck no!
It’s up to us, as storytellers, to craft our own life stories the best we can. We can choose to look at a challenge as an impassible obstacle, but then it wouldn’t be that great of a story, would it?
We want our writing program helps kids form a healthy narrative of themselves. This is one of the biggest takeaway we hope our storytellers get from Written Out Loud–how to contextualize adversity.
We all want our stories to be well-told, but we often forget that we’re the ones telling it. By understanding how to tell a story, we can forge ahead, break boundaries, and create a helpful framework for our lives.