telling the story

We've all been captivated at one time or another by a story that we didn't want to end. The hero/heroine, the villain, the conflict, the setting, the supporting characters, the climax, the resolution, the end. We were drawn in, and we didn't want to leave.

Who doesn't like a good story?

But what makes a good story a good story?

Check out some of Emma Coats' (a former story artist at Pixar) thoughts in "22 Rules of Storytelling by a Pixar Storyboard Artist." Here are a few of my favorites:

2. You gotta keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer. They can be very different. ...

10. Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you’ve got to recognize it before you can use it. ...

14. Why must you tell THIS story? What’s the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That’s the heart of it. ...

I was compelled by Coats' thoughts for two reasons:

First, I enjoy writing. I'm not very good at the narrative side of things, but I want to be. Like many, I want to write a "great American novel." I've got a few ideas, and I think Coats' list will help me.

Second and more important, I view the gospel as a story. A rich, compelling, provocative, life-changing story. Sometimes we reduce the story of Jesus into a list of propositions that we must agree with, or a set of laws that we must submit to; you don't hear that language out of Jesus. Jesus invites each of us into a story -- into a relationship with Him.

As you read the article, dream a little about how you share the gospel. And about how you share other God-stories. Because everyone loves a good story.

What do you think?