Think about the stories that move you. The ones that stick with you long after you read the last sentence. The ones that challenge the way you see the world, yourself, others, God. There are stories that once read, become part of who we are. They shape our futures by reaching our hearts and minds on a level deeper than the spoken word can reach. They burrow into our souls and illuminate the dark places.

In each of these stories, the stories that transform us, there is a piece of the author’s heart, an uncovering of fragile places in the author’s soul. When an author’s experience or imagination is expressed beyond their self-protective fear, beyond a façade of confidence, the story cannot help but leave the reader richer, fuller, more alive.

Our stories wield that kind of power.

Each of us has a story to tell. Many stories to tell. And whether we write about our own lives or someone else’s, or from an imaginary place we can only see with our eyes closed, our stories matter!

Let’s resolve that in 2015, we will tell our stories. We’ll use them to show how brokenness created beauty in us. How pain has brought perseverance. Our stories will appear anecdotally in our nonfiction. We’ll weave the truths they’ve taught us into our fiction. We’ll capture their emotions and convey them even as we write some else’s story.

We resolve to bring our stories to life in 2015. We will not allow them to languish in files and folders where they can’t bear fruit, lined up like so many headstones in a cemetery. They will go out into the world in search of hearts to touch and lives to impact.

Who’s in?

Are you ready to tell your story? Are you willing to learn and grow and become ready to tell your story?

If you’re new to Inspire and don’t know where to begin to tell your story, may I make a few suggestions?

• Join an Inspire critique group and start growing as part of a community of committed writers.
• Sign up and attend the West Coast Christian Writers Conference next month.
• Create space in your busy life to write daily. Even a little. Everyday. Until you can’t bear to miss a day.
• Pray for the courage you need to free your stories from the recesses of your heart and launch them into the hearts of your readers.