{"id":1229,"date":"2020-03-11T16:30:28","date_gmt":"2020-03-11T20:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chistell.com\/africanamericanfiction\/?p=1229"},"modified":"2022-10-28T18:12:16","modified_gmt":"2022-10-28T22:12:16","slug":"life-changing-stories-that-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chistell.com\/africanamericanfiction\/life-changing-stories-that-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"Life Changing Stories that Matter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Books Writer Denise Turney<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"life
Life changing stories<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Life changing stories are part of the human experience. Sharpen your radar, and you might notice that people tell stories before they ask for money, for a time investment, or for a favor like helping them to pack and move. For example, just before she asks you to help her pay her rent, a friend might tell you a story about how she contracted a virus and incurred an unexpected medical bill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life Changing Stories \u2013 Lasting Impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Certainly, some of us are better storytellers than others. And it doesn\u2019t mean that someone is lying simply because he tells good stories. In fact, before humans were writing or reading, we were telling stories. Oral traditions date back centuries. In places like West Africa, oral storytelling was used to entertain, educate and maintain histories. As it did then, storytelling offers so much to appreciate, love and share<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other parts of the world, chants were used as part of storytelling. So too were songs, poems and dance. Clearly, storytelling is a powerful communication tool<\/a>. Marketers use it to develop emotional connections between consumers and their brands, products and\/or services. Preachers use it to clarify scriptures and biblical teachings. Furthermore, romantic couples use storytelling to build a bridge of understanding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of the reason, to be impactful, stories must resonate. And, it\u2019s not the storyteller who gets to determine how deeply a story resonates. But, a skilled storyteller can be so finely tuned into her audience, that she easily picks up cues from her audience, alerting her when to shift the focus of a story, share new events and churn a story with questions and cliffhanging emotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Great Storytelling Does<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even then,\nthe goal of the story remains unchanged. Dare it be said that the goal of a\ngood story is to connect two people (the storyteller and the listener)? And, if\nnot to connect the person telling the story and the listener then the goal is\nto connect the characters in the story and the reader. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about it. If you love reading stories, you probably have a few favorite book characters. Maybe it\u2019s the inquisitive girl who grew up to be the detective who solves a century old mystery that has been plaguing a culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or maybe it\u2019s the injured Olympian who attempts suicide only to stumble upon a beggar who changes his life, inspiring him to give his life one more chance, the very chance that finds the injured Olympian doing the work that helps orphans go from living desperate to triumphant lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Part in Great Life Changing Stories<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Admittedly, you may not notice it. But, as it is with the friend who tells you a story before she asks you to help pay her rent, you\u2019re a part of the story. You\u2019re not just a listener or a reader. In fact, the story wouldn\u2019t work without you. Every great storyteller knows this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can\u2019t you see an audience sitting around an oral storyteller centuries ago, waiting to hear what happens next, waiting to hear what the storyteller will share next? Have you ever wondered if these eager listeners knew that the stories that they listened to would impact their lives? Yes, even made up or fictional stories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you think that\u2019s why you like to read so much? You want your life to change. Somehow, you do. And you love when you happen upon a skilled storyteller who can help you to realize just that change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n