Archive for March 2010
Learning by Stories
I recently heard a speaker explain some statistical analysis of leadership and then described how one particular leader changed his style to be more effective. Five minutes later, he asked how many of us remembered the stats and how many remembered the story of the leader who changed.
The vast majority of the group remembered the story but did not remember the stats.
I then realized how the best non-fiction writers take the facts and tell them through the eyes of those who lived them. Jon Krakauer, Michael Lewis, Jim Collins, C.S. Lewis, etc. The list continues on and on. Jesus, while on earth, taught in parables. How many of us have read the very important theological work, The Pilgrim’s Progress.
In the end, the writers who make the biggest impact are the story tellers. So, my challenge as a writer is to find stories to tell. We all learn fromĀ On the other hand, the best fiction, even fantasy fiction, has its roots in reality. Good fiction tells stories to which we can all relate.
Update: Thesis Almost Finished
In case the seven of you who read this blog are wondering, I had to take a quick hiatus to write my thesis for graduate school. I will be turning in most of the content today and then working on the bibliography while making editing changes. (Blah, Blah, Blah… just know that I am on pace for graduation this Spring).
I have baseball, theological, and cultural thoughts all milling about in my mind. I should be back to blogging next week.
