One word, one question is the most important starting point for any story.
Why?
It can be a real challenge to answer.
Young children love to pose this question as they seek out meaning to the world around them. They make you stop and think. Why is the sky blue? Why is God? Why are there flowers on that plant? Why? Why and Why, until you are exhausted, or simply don’t have an answer.
There is no shortage of stories all around us every day. We can hear, them, share them often without stopping to think why we are telling them, and even if they are true. They will often tell as What, When, Where, but the Why is not always clear.
Thinking about the Why in every story is also about your intention in telling it.
What are you creating with the telling of the story? Are you trying to convince others of your point of view? What is in it for those who are receiving your story? What are you creating with it?
In New York there is an organisation called Children at the Well.
It is for children of different faiths to come together and share their stories.
So the Why for these children is very clear. They are interested in something that many people joke about, dream about, or believe is impossible.World Peace.
They want to know and share their stories, regardless of faith or background. They seek connection and understanding.
Right now, as adults are killing children in religious conflicts in the Middle East, who is stopping to ask Why.
If you put together a group of children from Israel, from Syria, from Gaza from differing faiths, what sort of stories might they share? What would the Why be in the stories that they might share?