Your Story Matters

As writers, we often focus on our books, marketing them, telling their story. But what about our personal stories? The ones that made us who we are. Do they matter?

A few years ago, a friend invited me to attend a book signing by a best-selling author who spoke to a packed crowd. He talked about his success, how many books he’d sold, and how much money he’d made in advancements. It was a brag session all about him and I quickly tuned him out. To this day, I don’t remember his name nor the titles of any of his books.

Months later, the same friend invited me to hear another best-selling author. Only this time, I sat captivated on the edge of my seat as he shared his story. Not his book, but his journey to writing it. He was told no one would read it. He was told no one cared about a character from long ago. He was told no one would buy it his book. He spent years believing the lies, until one day he decided he didn’t care if anyone read his story. He wanted to write it.

A lover of fairy tales, the author asked a simple question. What made the Wicked Witch of the West wicked? As he began to write, the story flowed out of him. His personal journey of being told he wasn’t good enough flowed onto the pages. And Gregory Maguire’s novel, Wicked, became an instant award-winning Broadway hit. The rest is history.

Think back to a time a speaker captivated you. What was it you remember? The graphs, numbers, and statistics? Or the story they shared?

“The stories in our novels captivate our readers. Our personal stories should captivate our audience.”

speaker & author, Julane Fisher

Circumstances, hurts, and scars tell us our story doesn’t matter. That our voice doesn’t matter. We begin to feel ashamed, beaten down, or embarrassed by our past mistakes or current circumstances. But there is still a story inside you.

We all have scars, some visible, some hidden. But our scars are only a small part of our story, meant to bring us to a place of hope and healing. Our scars tell our story, but they don’t define us. When you use your voice, someone else benefits. Your story brings healing to others. Your story encourages those who have lost their way. Your story inspires your audience.

There is a story inside all of us, waiting for the right time. Your story is as unique to you as mine is to me. We were never meant to be the same. The circumstances intended to harm you, to keep you silenced, God will use for good to restore others through you. Let your voice be heard.

Photo credit by Etienne Giradet on Unsplash