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Inspirational Story Writing

A few years ago I joined an inspirational study group for writers. Everyone walked in the door with a different set of expectations in their back pocket. Some people thought God or some mention of a belief system equaled inspirational writing, while others didn’t think a divine ingredient necessary and even considered the God element intrusive.

While belief in God inspires many writers, not every inspirational story mentions spiritual things. Dictionary.com defines inspiration as: “Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity, an agency, such as a person or work of art, that moves the intellect or emotions or prompts action or invention, divine guidance or influence exerted directly on the mind and soul of humankind.”

Something to Share
Life overflows with inspiration. As writers, we develop skills that capture poignant, motivating insights on paper in a way that evokes a range of emotions. We strive to rouse the intellect, and stir passions while offering an underlying solution or principle of life. Sounds great, but exactly how do we write works that inspire?

It’s a process. Once you encapsulate the idea, a new modus operandi kicks in as layers to the story unfold. I’m in the final stages of a class based on the theme Hero’s Journey for Parents.

When I signed up, I knew it wouldn’t be an easy class because the course syllabus warned I would be required to write five short stories. I decided to roll up my sleeves and put my pen to the test. I’m a parent. Surely, I could conjure up five short stories.

I walked down memory lane with the aid of a text, instructors, peer support and creative consultant, Shauna Smith-Duty.

Parent encompasses one aspect of my life. Within this one role, a multitude of stories exist. It’s the same no matter what life role or experience you choose to write about. Sit down and make a list of the various “hats” you wear. Within each category, you’ll find fodder for inspirational stories. I’ve listed a few categories to get you started.

Parent
Writer
Sibling
Daughter/Son
Friend
Pet Owner

Pen, textbook, and assignments in hand, I jotted down a few ideas ready to write. Ideas surfaced, but I clutched personal details and guarded them at the threshold of my heart. If I hoped to put together a true, emotionally engaging inspirational story, I had to lower the shield guarding intimate particulars. Stories must penetrate that shield from the writer’s heart to the reader’s imagination.

Once you’ve broken through the ambiguous shield and pour out details near to your heart, look for something to leave with the reader. Search for the part of the story that prompts them to action, or leaves them changed. The inspiration.

Lock In the Real Story
For the sake of this article, let’s consider the role of writer.

The first step to writing an inspirational short story: focus on one incident. If I tried to condense my years of writing into a short inspirational story, too many details would clutter the page and detract from any one story.

Pick one story within your larger range of experiences.

For example, if I start out letting the reader know that the story will detail the experience of having my first story published, that’s what they expect. Fine points, even interesting points, outside this central theme are not pertinent. It’s okay to let the reader know I’ve written for years, but they don’t need the details. No matter how fascinating they may be, that’s not the story I’m telling. They’ll want to zero in on the phone call, the excitement, and the lesson learned.

In fact, as you write an inspirational story, the process of narrowing the focus helps gather other possible ideas. Keep a file of the story kernels that fall by the wayside as you lock in on the central story. Ripe with inspirational possibilities, this file awaits cultivation. Don’t let it go to waste.

Tell It In Your Own Voice
Creative Consultant Shauna Smith-Duty says, “Inspirational writing should flow, be conversational, set a mood or a tone for the reader to settle in with. Write what you would say, then go back and edit.” The way you say it with your pen involves each of these elements. This constitutes your voice.

Voice sets mood and stimulates insight. When writing an inspirational story, this conversational tone invites readers to pan the stream of life experience in search of a nugget to cherish or ponder.

Practice develops your voice. Writers create inspirational stories based on true experiences, fiction with the necessary elements, or a blend—fiction based on a true story. Experiment and exercise your voice. Take a piece written in third person and rewrite it in first person or visa versa.

At times the creative flow dries up and leaves us stranded with an unfinished story. One tool to aid writers beyond this stymie is a creative consultant.

“As a creative consultant,” Shauna Smith-Duty explains, “my passion is to support the author’s imagination, strengthen his skill, and free his thoughts. In writing, as in life, we stumble, and sometimes freeze in painful unfinished prose. When a story stops flowing, when punctuation and grammar stall, when an idea needs inspiration to take flight, the writer is not alone. A creative consultant will experience your work, digest the thoughts, the purpose, the technical issues, and offer support and direction. Today’s writers create tomorrow’s literature, eternal and inspiring.”

Focus on Your Protagonist
Inspirational short stories revolve around the protagonist dealing with a difficulty and changing because of it. Tell the story from the POV of the protagonist in a way that the reader not only relates to the experience on an emotional level, but also walks away with the same valuable life lessons the protagonist learned.

If you’d like to learn more how to drive the protagonist’s life lesson home, I recommend looking into Voyages Writing Programs. This course not only provides helpful tips for organizing thoughts, but also offers ideas to draw readers into an I-can’t-put-it-down, life affecting tale.

The Solution
American poet Maya Angelou believes, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

When writing an inspirational story, seek a universal problem that readers around the globe relate to. Once you establish the problem, take readers by the hand. Lead them through a personal maze of emotional choices and consequences that leaves them feeling satisfied and inspired.

About the Author
Author and freelance writer, Donna Sundblad, resides in Florida with her husband, Rick. Her creative writing book, Pumping Your Muse, is available in paper or ebook format. Check her website for more information at www.theinkslinger.net. Donna also edits for and co-owns Team Spirit Critique and Editing, LLC.