What Do You Believe?
What do you believe?
Belief is a quintessential part of human existence. We all believe something. In fact, we all believe many things.
What we believe differs widely from person to person, and it can, and often does, change throughout a single person's life, but the nature of belief is consistent. It binds us all together.
Belief comes in many genres as well. You probably hold beliefs about food, about cars, about movies, about vacation spots, about clothing, about people, about family, about friends, about politics, about religion, about morals, about values, and of course, about stories, about books.
These beliefs, some more than others, or to a greater extent than others, influence you. They shape your thoughts, your actions, your decisions, your worldview, your storytelling.
No story exists in a vacuum. No story exists without a lesson it wants to teach, without a moral it wants to bestow, without a point it wants to make. In fact, most of the time, the story is simply the wrapping, the vessel in which to carry the lesson, and the lesson is born of belief.
“Love Conquers All”
This may be a romance.
This may be fantasy.
This may be a sci-fi/superhero story.
This may be a children's picture book.
This may be a poem.
This may be a biography or memoir.
Each one can carry the message.
Just as each can carry any other message.
“You're All Alone.”
“Be Your Own Savior"
“The World is Beautiful"
“The World is Terrible"
“God is Real"
“There is No God"
“Work Hard"
“Have Fun"
“Explore"
“Play It Safe”
"Love Everyone”
"Love Only Your Own”
“Conform”
The list goes on and on. There is no shortage of themes that are commonly addressed in literature, from love to power to freedom to purpose.
A book without a lesson, a theme, a belief is nothing more than gibberish. It’s merely words on a page. It means nothing. However, when you imbue those words with belief you give them purpose. You bring them to life.
Belief, expressed through story, is what moves people. It is what changes the world. It is what inspires and transforms. Not words, not action, not setting, not characters, not even plot, but belief makes your writing a story, not merely a book.
The wonderful thing about stories is that they offer us the opportunity to explore and to strengthen our beliefs. You can use both reading and writing as a vehicle to explore your own beliefs, to learn about others’ beliefs, to grow and expand your beliefs, to strengthen your beliefs, to convince others of your beliefs, to challenge and test your beliefs.
So, I’m curious:
What have you read, or wrote recently, and what beliefs were expressed in those stories?
Did they draw you to the story?
Did they turn you off to the story?
If you’re not sure, I’d challenge you to pay attention to the next story you read. Belief is important.
What do you believe?
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