There Is Glory in Our Stories

It’s been four years since I last posted here. A lot has happened in that span of time. Professionally, I stepped away from writing to focus on editing. One of my jobs was editing comics and web novels that were translated from Chinese into English. It was fascinating! I was exposed to storytelling from an entirely different culture and point of view. In working with the translators, I got to know people from another culture and learn a little bit about their way of living. I loved it!

During my time with that client, I also learned about a new genre I’d never heard of before: LitRPG, which stands for Literary Role Playing Game. I enjoyed reading stories that immersed the reader in the world of a video or computer game, kind of like Sword Art Online, only a lot less deadly. Speaking of Sword Art Online…

Over the last few years, I’ve also been exposed to a great deal of anime. My son is a big fan, and he’s shared some of his favorites with me. I’m so glad he did, because anime has its own storytelling conventions, rules, and tropes that are different from ours in the US. It’s a whole different way of looking at things, and I think that difference is a big part of why anime is so popular here in the States.

I love stories in all their various forms. Stories connect us. We learn through stories, communicate through stories, even our word for the past – history – has “story” in it.

One of my favorite storytellers is Sean Dietrich, whom you probably know as Sean of the South. He tells stories with his own unique voice, yet he tells them in a way that resonates on a universal level. More often than not, I need a Kleenex after reading one of Sean’s stories.

That’s another thing I love about stories: They make us feel. They show us that we’re not alone in whatever it is we’re feeling or going through. And that is a big reason why it is so important for us to share our stories.

A few months ago I was shopping for a birthday card. One in particular jumped out at me with the words, “There is glory in your story.” Perfect! It was true for the card’s recipient, but it’s also true for all of us.

Stories can be a tremendous uniting force, but only if we share them.