A good story ought to light us up with possibilities and hope.
I’m reading The Way Of The Warrior Kid (Amazon) right now at home and I cherish the way the kids lean into the conflict.
(Honestly: Why put adversity into stories anyway? No really, think about that for a second.)
There are lessons on bravery, obstacles, grit, persistence, fear, and fitness that my children will literally sit on the edge of their seats for.
Now that I think about it, this book has the exact same format that most other stories do.
Seeing children learn, is a beautiful thing to watch. C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton championed this.
I mean, who wants to read stories that tear people down?
A good story ought to perform a service by making us better, stronger, wiser, or happier than we were before. It makes us laugh or cry. It imparts wisdom. It teaches lessons about human nature and our place in God’s creation. It addresses our need to find coherence in our lives. It gives us a sense of continuity within the overall stream of human experience.
-John Erickson, Story Craft (Amazon)