Thoughts on Storytelling

Why do people write? I believe it is largely because of an innate need to tell stories. Storytelling has been a part of the human race since the beginning. It is, perhaps, our way of making sense of life. Whether it is a tiny slice of life in a short poem, or a multi-generational saga in an epic novel, we are trying to sort out our experiences and observations and come to some conclusions about them.

Long ago, before it was easy to even write one's own thoughts, much less print multiple copies of books containing our creations, storytelling was oral. The use of poetic devices such as rhythm, meter, rhyme, alliteration, simile, and metaphor made it easier to memorize even long and involved stories so that they could be passed on. Singing the story, such as medieval troubadors did, also helped people to remember. Now, of course, we are blessed to live in the computer age, when we can type our thoughts quickly into our word processing programs and then go back and refine what we've written to make it as clear and as interesting as possible, so that others will be able to read and understand. These stories can then be published in books or in blogs or anything in between.

Those who hear or read stories gain the same benefit as those telling the stories--making sense of life. The hearer/reader comes away with much to think about. Some may be rejected, some may be incorporated in one's viewpoint. Whichever occurs, the person who received the story gains some insight into life.

Stories told don't have to be fiction. The writing of history or the reporting of news involves selecting what to present and how to present it. When a story is fiction, it is a telling of observations about human nature disguised in a highly imaginative costume. Either way, we come away with much to ponder.

To me, those who write contribute something special to people's lives, something that can provide insight and knowledge. Not all writing is equal, of course, but the thoughtful reader can sort out that which is intelligent and good and wise from that which is trivial or false. Even that exercise can contribute to our making sense of life.