Stories are …

Stories are our prayers.

Write and edit them with due reverence,

even when the stories themselves are irreverent.

Stories are parables.

Write and edit and tell yours with meaning,

so each tale stands in for a larger message,

each story a guidepost on our collective journey.

Stories are history.

Write and edit and tell yours with accuracy

and understanding and context

and with unwavering devotion to the truth.

Stories are music.

Write and edit and tell yours with pace

and rhythm and flow.

Throw in the dips and twirls that make them exciting,

but stay true to the core beat.

Readers hear stories with their inner ear.

Stories are our soul.

Write and edit and tell yours

with your whole selves.

Tell them as if they are all that matter.

It matters that you do it as if that’s all there is.

(Jacqui Banaszyski, “Stories Matter,” from Telling True Stories)