Why Everyone Should Write a Story

There is something beautiful about a story that is well told. There are certain movies, songs, books, anime, etc. that have made us cry, laugh, sad, inspired, and awestruck. Something about stories stikes us on a deep emotional level and sticks with us forever. The great thing is that everyone has a story, fiction, nonfiction, memoir, etc., but few have attempted the struggle of putting pen to page and bring their story to life. Not everyone will be published authors or have a Netflix original, and many people don’t want to be, but I think that everyone should still write a story. Here is one reason why.

Preface: We’ve all got a Story to Tell

There is one main reason why I think everyone should write a story, but before I begin, I need to state a fact. Everyone’s got a story to tell, so there is never an excuse based on lack of inspiration or lack of content. Most people don’t know how or why they should write a story and so they never do. But, that is part of my goal with this post, to inspire everyone to write, even if they don’t want to.

Disclaimer

I think writing is the most beneficial (and powerful) form of storytelling, which I will elaborate on in a little bit, but that should not discourage people from creating other forms of art. In fact, I contend that all art is a form of story telling, even less appreciated forms like pottery and architecture. Not everyone is good at art, but that doesn’t mean that we should be discouraged from creating a story. The point is to do something artistic to tell some story.

Storytelling is Deeply Rooted in the Human Condition

In writing a story, I think the story idea isn’t even that important. That might sound counterintuitive, but hear me out. It might sound cliche, but I think it’s true. The beauty of writing is in the journey and the struggle. There is nothing more familiar than embarking on something while not knowing what you’re doing, having no confidence, and yet doing it nonetheless. I think once you’ve found your story, get it down on paper, and if that’s all she wrote, then so be it. At least you struggled through the journey of writing a story and made it to the end.

Okay so you’ve decided that you have a story idea, but you still think I’m whack, and are not convinced to write it. This busy world makes it hard to spend a few hours writing when we could be doing other things that are honestly a lot more fun. Or, maybe this is the case. You’re bad at writing or you just don’t like writing. I totally get it. A lot of people don’t like to write or are bad at it, and that’s okay. I don’t think that our efficacy at an activity should determine our participation, but rather it should be the intention and the end goal which drives us. There are times when I feel completley enamored with writing, it’s the only thing on my mind. And then there are other days when I just want to quit and never pick up my pen again. Sometimes I feel like I’m the next Dostoevsky, and others I feel like I wrote 4 pages of garbage. But day after day, I continue to pick up that pen, and on the hardest days, 100 words is an accomplishment. I do this because I know there is one huge benefit to writing a story separate from passion. The reason is that writing brings me closer to other people, and reveals new truths about the human condition.

Writing characters and their motivations forces me to think about what it would be like to be that character. In a sense, I have to become the character, live in their world, feel what they feel, and live to tell it. I have to do this for every character in the stories cast, which means that I have to see different perspectives and understand what it’s like to be in their situations. I must get deep into the complex psychology of my characters so that it’s believable. This process creates empathy and empathy creates bonds with other people.

For example, if I am writing a character who is going through the grieving process of losing a loved one, I must imagine what it might be like if I lost a loved one and how I would feel. I might feel deep sadness and maybe some loneliness if it were my significant other or a family member. But, to make things interesting, I might write a character who feels happiness, and this invites intrigue. Why would they feel happy about their loved one dying? This requires internal reflection for me as the author and for the audience as to why this might ever make sense, and if it’s justifiable.

As we write, we ask and answer questions. A great example of this is The Count of Monte Cristo which asks the reader, “Is revenge always wrong?” and further, “What are the costs of revenge?” and as the novel progresses, Dumas provides a story that makes the reader answer the question. As the reader we can make the decision and think a little bit deeper about the nature of justice and revenge. But, if we think about what it means to write a novel that raises such questions, the impact must be tenfold.

Writing a story is similar to virtual reality in the sense where one must embrace a new reality and see that this new reality reflects something about their own reality. Part of the human condition is to understand and be understood and as a writer immerses themselves in the world of a character, their character’s world is reflected back to them. This might change how they see their own world and identify places that need improvement and parts that should be celebrated. This is beautiful because it challenges us and our beliefs and makes us into better humans.

So now you might be wondering why should we write stories and not just read them or watch them? The writing process creates deeper empathy while consuming stories create sympathy and some empathy. We’ve all heard terrible stories on the news that make us sympathetic for a moment, and then we move along our days without another thought. Not to say that we shouldn’t read or watch stories, in fact, I think we should, just that creating a story creates deeper empathy. When we create a story, we are moved to action. When we feel the injustices of our characters, we are compelled to do something about it. This is especially true if the story is a true story or based on true events.

Conclusion

I hope that I have convinced you to pick up a pen to start writing that story that you’re afraid to tell, or not compelled to tell. But if not, let me leave you with this: start off with a rough outline and write 100 words a day and see how you progress. The pleasure is in the process. Even if no one reads it, at the very least you could say that you learned something new about the human condition and came out better because of it.