Archive for March 26th, 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 from 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.
