Carole Bell recently published a parenting book that isn’t boring at all. Why? It’s filled with stories.
Without a doubt, your truth is important, or you wouldn’t want to write. But the truth isn’t enough to captivate most readers. What should you do?
Narrative exposition puts people to sleep, even when it’s important theological truth.
You’re sitting in a church service, watching people nod off during the message. The reason you noticed is that you’re struggling to stay awake too. Why? You’re not impressed with the preacher’s truth, even when spoken with conviction.
A little boy once went to see Joel Osteen after a service. “I really love all your stories,” he said. “But if I were you, I’d leave out all that boring stuff.”
Great stories keep your audience awake and wanting to find out what happens.
Next time you’re in a church service, watch what happens when the preacher begins to tell a story. The wife elbows her husband to sit up and take notice because this is sure to be good. Faces brighten, and people are quick to laugh at the funny parts.
A captivating story does more than tell what happens.
News tells what happens, which isn’t all that exciting. Your story will hold attention when it shows a situation in which your character faces a conflict in getting what he or she wants.
