I decided a long time ago that I would purposely point myself toward the positive and reduce the negatives. Sure, there are many things that make me cringe and want to rant about all the negatives (and I do my share of ranting, just ask my wife). But, overall I hope that my outlook is toward the positive. We live in a world of cruelty, deceit, and anguish. Deny it, sure, but why focus on it?
Why do I bring this up? One specific reason: I believe most people want to participate in stories that encourage and lift up. Now, there are many levels of that. It's hard for a murder mystery to fit my definition, though not really if you consider that typically good guys win and bad guys lose. Entertainment is generally a joyous thing, even when it dips like a rollercoaster from a high to a shocking low. Shocks are fun things too. Why is it that general audience films like "Up" do so fantastically well, and generate such profit, when most Hollywood movies that come out are rated PG-13 and above? Because we want to be uplifted, even for a little while.
Story participation generates powerful feelings, and a good author will channel those feelings into connections with the main characters and what is happening to them. Those feelings spread to the rest of the story and imbed lasting memories in the audience. I think that's why we love stories so much! Even though we didn't create the story, we create a connection by sharing them with others. And this sharing generates closeness among us. That, my friends, is the power of positive stories.
- M
Why do I bring this up? One specific reason: I believe most people want to participate in stories that encourage and lift up. Now, there are many levels of that. It's hard for a murder mystery to fit my definition, though not really if you consider that typically good guys win and bad guys lose. Entertainment is generally a joyous thing, even when it dips like a rollercoaster from a high to a shocking low. Shocks are fun things too. Why is it that general audience films like "Up" do so fantastically well, and generate such profit, when most Hollywood movies that come out are rated PG-13 and above? Because we want to be uplifted, even for a little while.
Story participation generates powerful feelings, and a good author will channel those feelings into connections with the main characters and what is happening to them. Those feelings spread to the rest of the story and imbed lasting memories in the audience. I think that's why we love stories so much! Even though we didn't create the story, we create a connection by sharing them with others. And this sharing generates closeness among us. That, my friends, is the power of positive stories.
- M
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