Tuesday Tidbit: “Called to a level of coauthoring that’s staggering”

Writing your memoir: A sacred calling

You, dear memoirist, are divinely linked to the reason Jesus told parables.

There’s a reason Jesus replied with a story (Luke 10:30).

That reason? Stories are among God’s most powerful and effective tools.

Your stories can be among God’s most powerful and effective tools.

You see, there’s a reason you won’t find spreadsheets and charts and bullet points and graphs in the Bible: Research confirms that story impacts humans in ways other types of information don’t.

The Bible is full of stories because our minds and hearts respond differently to stories. We engage with a story’s message more than we do with databases and worksheets and tables and lists.

Stories uniquely illustrate, illuminate, and educate.

“The human brain is literally hardwired to process stories differently than other forms of information….They create meaning from stories differently…. Stories can lift human hearts and make them soar into the heavens. Stories can literally change lives! The same information delivered in a non-story form rarely does so….” (Kendall Haven)

Peter Guber says it this way: “Stories…are far more than entertainment. They are the most effective form of human communication, more powerful than any other way of packaging information….

“Without stories,” Guber continues, “we couldn’t understand ourselves. [Stories]…give us much of the framework for much of our understanding… While we think of stories as…something extraneous to real work, they turn out to be the cornerstone of consciousness.”

Whether or not Haven and Guber knew it, they’re referring to the fact that God created humankind to respond to stories.

God uses stories. They are powerful. Stories are among God’s most compelling and successful tools.

As you write your memoir, then, recognize this: You’re participating in a God-inspired, God-planned practice that has taken place since before recorded history.

Yours is a sacred calling.

Your stories help readers examine their lives and make sense of who they are and why they were born.

They can help people find their way.

Your stories can pass on wisdom (which you might have earned the hard way) and motivate people to do the right thing.

They can calm anxiety and offer tenacious hope.

They can shine light on possibilities, offer solutions, and change a life’s direction.

Your stories can illustrate truth, honesty, and integrity.

They can inspire loyalty and commitment.

They can transform hate into love, fear into courage.

Your stories can teach, influence, empower, and heal.

They can break down barriers.

They can offer comfort, cheer, and redemption.

Your stories can solve mysteries.

They can inspire an awe of God.

They can lead people to His love and grace.

God can use your stories to change lives for now and eternity.

Read more of Peter Guber’s thoughts about story

at The Inside Story,

and Kendall Haven’s rich insights

at Kendall Haven Q & A.

And then, write your story.

You’ve received a high calling.

Remember your memoir’s ultimate purpose.

Tuesday Tidbit: Wait until your story is ready

Making peace with our problems—our heartaches, disasters, tragedies, mysteries—often takes time. God's timetable is usually different than ours—He often makes us wait—but within our waiting, God acts (even if we don't sense that He's doing anything).

So, too, our stories: Stories need time to marinate.

Remember a memoir's unique characteristics: It requires reflecting on the past, looking back to an earlier time, pondering what happened, and examining what it means now, years later.

Perhaps you've discovered that in your waiting, your story has come to maturity.

You've found some answers long hidden. You've discovered some clarification over past mysteries.

Your story has ripened. It is ready.

It's time to begin writing your memoir.

Here's something interesting and delightful: In writing your rough draft, God will continue working. Even more puzzle pieces will fall into place. You'll stumble upon answers that evaded you to long. You'll find additional healing from past heartaches. How amazing is that?!

There you have it, 

your 15 seconds of inspiration, 

your Tuesday Tidbit.

Tuesday Tidbit: Your story, a blessing to others

Here's your 15 seconds of inspiration,

your Tuesday Tidbit:

"...[E]veryone has a particular story

they long to write;

...a 'snapshot' in time

that resonates 

with the larger life journey...

a story that might help others."

Susan G. Weidener

Tuesday Tidbit: How you can become a stronger writer

Here’s your 15 seconds of inspiration,

your Tuesday Tidbit:

Matilda Butler at Women’s Memoirs encourages memoir writers to read lots of memoirs, to “read broadly and think deeply.”

She says,

“Even memoirs that aren’t particularly good

can teach lessons.

You can ask yourself:

What do in like in this book?

What is off-putting?

How would I handle the story differently

if I were writing this book?

Is the opening weak?

What ideas do I have

to make the opening stronger?

Thinking about a memoir,

questioning a memoir,

even rewriting a few paragraphs

of a memoir

will make you a stronger writer.”

Thanks to Matilda for these helpful tips.

If you’re not a regular reader of Women’s Memoirs’ blog, do check into it.

Tuesday Tidbit – “Let writing be another way to worship the Lord”

 Here's your 15 seconds of inspiration for this week,

your Tuesday Tidbit:

"The calling of storytelling"

Because exciting things are happening in our family, 

my next few blog posts will be brief but, I hope, 

meaningful to you personally as well as in writing your memoir.

”Jesus replied with a story.”

You, dear memoirist, are divinely linked to the reason Jesus told parables.

You see, there’s a reason you won’t find spreadsheets and charts and bullet points and graphs in the Bible. There’s a reason that, instead, the Bible is full of stories.

There’s a reason Jesus replied with a story (Luke 10:30).

You see, stories are among God’s most powerful and effective tools.

Your memoir’s stories can be among God’s most powerful and effective tools.

Stories uniquely illustrate, illuminate, and educate.

“Humans respond to ‘story’ differently than they do to the same content organized into any other narrative form and structure.…” says Kendall Haven.

Research has confirmed that “The human mind processes ‘stories’ differently than it does other narrative forms [such as ‘a lecture, a talk, a presentation’].” Haven continues, “Words and sentences—seemingly magically—suddenly become, in the mind of the listener, a story and, at that moment, the receiver’s mind begins to respond to and to process the material differently.…

“The human brain is literally hardwired to process stories differently than other forms of information.… They create meaning from stories differently.… Stories can lift human hearts and make them soar into the heavens. Stories can literally changes lives! The same information delivered in a non-story form rarely does so.…” (Kendall Haven, emphasis mine)

Peter Guber says it this way:  “Stories … are far more than entertainment. They are the most effective form of human communication, more powerful than any other way of packaging information.…

“PowerPoint presentations may be powered by state-of-the-art technology. But reams of data rarely engage people and move them to action. Stories, on the other hand, are state-of-the-heart technology—they connect us to others.… Without stories,” Guber says, “we couldn’t understand ourselves. They … give us much of the framework for much of our understanding.… While we think of stories as fluff, … something extraneous to real work, they turn out to be the cornerstone of consciousness.” (Peter Guber, emphasis mine; http://www.psychologytoday.com/collections/201106/the-power-stories/the-inside-story)

Whether Haven and Guber know it or not, they’re referring to the fact that God created humankind to respond to stories.

God uses stories. They are powerful. Stories are among God’s most compelling and successful tools.

As you write your memoirs, then, recognize you’re participating in a God-inspired, God-planned practice that has taken place since before recorded history.

Yours is a sacred calling.

Your stories can help readers examine their lives and make sense of who they are and why they were born. They can help people find their way.

Your stories can pass on wisdom and motivate people to do the right thing and to live honorable lives.

They can calm anxiety and offer tenacious hope.

They can shine light on possibilities, offer solutions, and change a life’s direction.

Your stories can illustrate truth, honesty, and integrity.

They can inspire loyalty and commitment.

Your stories can transform hate into love, fear into courage.

Your stories can teach, influence, empower, and heal.

They can break down barriers.

They can bring comfort, cheer, and redemption.

Your stories can solve mysteries and help people make decisions.

They can inspire an awe of God, His majesty and glory.  

They can lead people to His love and grace.

God can use your stories to change someone’s life for now and eternity.

Write your story! 

Remember your memoir’s ultimate purpose. 

(Click on that link!)

The Power of Your Story

Do you wonder if storytelling is all that important? If so, consider this:

God was the original storyteller! He inspired our Old Testament heroes to tell their stories. Jesus told stories, and so did those who penned the New Testament.

Where would we be today if they had not told their stories?

You are part of a story much bigger than yourself:

Your story is part of God’s story,

and God’s story is part of yours.

Stories are important!

Stories are among God’s most powerful and effective tools.

Stories bridge gaps between past and future generations.

Stories fortify timid hearts and soften hard hearts.

Stories help solve problems.

Stories inspire readers to make sense of their lives and plan for the future.

Stories guide, persuade, and influence.

Stories empower.

Stories inspire prayer.

Stories bring healing.

Stories share wisdom, hope, and faith.

Stories help readers comprehend and remember more readily than do facts, figures, rules, lectures, or sermons.

Stories help readers make important decisions.

Stories help readers discover God’s purposes for their lives.

Stories make a difference.

Stories can change individuals, families, communities, towns, nations—and even the world!

Stories can change lives for eternity.

Your stories are not your own.

They have been entrusted to you by God.

Serve Him, and your readers, with your stories.

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