The importance of story

Public Storytelling

Why are stories important? I've posed this question to myself many times. As a writer of mainly fiction, it seems like pure hilarity that such stories would have any lasting importance, yet fiction stories from centuries past are still with us. And, I'll go even further and suggest stories of all kinds are worthy methods to pass on knowledge, morals, viewpoints, history, and whatever seems important to the author. I think it's fair to say the modern world understands how advertisements are very persuasive, so why not even more a story we live with through hundreds of pages?

Stories make the lessons of life easy to understand, demonstrate situations we may never face, and provide context for all of it. When we walk in the shoes of the characters, both true and fictional, we learn to see the world through their eyes. Part of the nature of their character grows within us. That's why I think characters like history's Abraham Lincoln, or Tolkien's Bilbo Baggins, are so engaging. Stories are capable of changing perceptions, opinions, the past and the future. They are a powerful tool, and should be used accordingly.

Most of all, stories are fun and should be enjoyed. I love good stories of all kinds--even bad stories can be fun if you don't take everything seriously. Children love bedtime stories, to delight, terrify, and tickle their fantasies. Plus, stories excite our brains, open new pathways, and help us in many other ways. Yup, stories are life itself. Stories will never die!

- M