Write Your Story

Write Your Story is a workshop Teresa Shields Parker presented at C2 Church in Columbia, MO. It is designed for individuals who have a desire to write their stories or testimonies, whether it be a book, a memoir, a short story or three- to 10-page testimony.

She presents basic concepts of story, what a story is, how to develop a story, how to hone in on the things you want to tell, various styles of stories, the parts of a story, how to begin your story, how to write the body, how to write the ending. Information about good titles, good openers, organization techniques are all included.

The workbook for the workshop is included in its entirety below the video. However because Teresa believes in the power of writing she suggests you get a three-ring binder, fill it with paper and download the workbook by clicking HERE. Print it out. Three-hole punch it and put it in your binder. Write your answers and your notes as you go through the material.

The material is included in one video so you may wish to note times where you stop so you’ll know where to go in the video when you return. Or not sections you want to revisit.

There are also various times in the video where you will be instructed to stop and engage in a writing exercise. This is great if you’re with a group. Or you can do it on your own. It is simply placed there because those are the times during the 3-hour workshop when group work was done.

We hope you enjoy this video class. You may login any time from now until Jesus comes back and actually if you’re still here, which I hope you won’t be, you could probably login then. However, we don’t plan on being around then to help you. Now let’s get started with Write Your Story! Just click the arrow to start. It may take a minute to load. Be patient.

You’ve probably heard of the Writer’s Muse. They are mythological Greek goddesses of literature and art who who are said to give writers and artists inspiration.

Who is your muse? (John 14:26)

You and I should never sit down to write in our own strength. We should always connect with the Holy Spirit– who is not a mythological god, but the One true God of the Universe.

Lord, first of all we thank you for our lives. We thank you that you have been working in each of our lives to this day. We thank you for the truths you have been teaching us. Right now, we ask that you bring to our remembrance those times in our lives when you moved, when you taught us, when you challenged us, when you changed us. Help us to know what you’d like for us to share with others.
Amen.

Did you know that there is already a book written about you?

“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” Psalm 139:16 NLT

Jesus is the Author of your book.

“Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2 ASV

Jesus is the Author of your testimony.

“And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.” Rev. 12:11 NLT

What is a testimony?
A formal written or spoken statement, especially one given in a court of law. Synonyms: evidence, sworn statement, affidavit

What is a story?

Recounting of a sequence of events.

Why do you want to write your story?

Write it for yourself, first. Take the time to invest in the process.
It heals us. God uses the process to help us understand where we’ve been and what He has done.
Writing connects us to God. We can share how His truth, the Scriptures work in our life.
Because people have asked me to write my story down.
To leave a recounting of things I’ve learned to my ancestors
To tell of God’s goodness
To encourage, inspire and motivate others. Condemnation doesn’t work. (Don’t preach. Don’t overuse “you” or “should”. Show what happened.)

Why is it important to actually write your story?

To be able to recount my testimony in a succinct fashion.

“Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.” 1 Peter 3:15 NLT

When you write, it organizes it in your mind, it clarifies your story and helps you to know what to share.

What story has God written on your heart?

Song: The Story You’re Building in Me by Love & the Outcome

First and foremost, what story is God building in you?

Has He saved you? There are some basic parts of a salvation testimony to keep in mind. Some people will have more or less in each of these sections. For instance, since I was saved at 7 my life of crime before becoming a Christian will consist of stealing penny candy from Nowell’s on West Worley which is now the county health department.

Describe your life before you were saved.
How did you come to want to become a Christian? What drew you to God?
Tell how you became a Christian. (Show others how to become a Christian, just from reading your story.)
Describe what God has done for you since salvation.
What does God mean to you today?
Besides conversion are there other aspects of your spiritual life you probably have a testimony about?
Have you had a physical healing?
Perhaps God healed you miraculously of a disease. Maybe the healing came at the hand of a doctor.
Has He healed your mind?
Did God bring some circumstances in your life to heal you?
Has he provided for your needs?
Has he healed your mind? There a many different ways (counseling, spiritual mentoring, etc.)

Questions to ask:

What is your first memory as a child?
Tell us about growing up and your family life.
Where did you live? Who were your best friends? What did you enjoy doing?
When you were a child what was God like to you?
What was your life like before you became a Christian?
How did you know you needed Christ?
How did you become a Christian?
What has your life been like since you became a Christian?
Tell us about one specific time when God did something very special for you.
When has God seemed the most real to you and why?
Tell us about a time you experienced God as Jehovah Jireh the provider.
Tell us about a time when God revealed a new side of Himself to you.
When you think of church, what events or activities come to mind?
What different aspects of the Holy Spirit have you experienced? Tell us about each one.
Did you ever doubt or question God and His ways? Tell us about that.
Who was the most instrumental in your spiritual upbringing? What types of things did they teach you and how?

Exercises:

Write one sentence that contains the subject of your story. (What do you want to write about?) 48.43
State in one sentence what you want to convey. (What is the purpose or theme of your book.) 56:25
- This story is about…
  …how integral forgiveness is in relationships.
  …the importance of communication in love.
  …how honesty is the best policy.
  …the importance of prayer and blessings in the family.
  …God’s plan always works out for the best even if we can’t see it at the time.
Brainstorming (Throw up on paper!)
- Jot down words, phrases, Scriptures you might include in our story (doesn’t have to be in order).
- What are some sights and places on your journey?
- List people who are part of or involved in your story, friends who helped, etc.
Brainstorming Cluster (A way of organizing your thoughts.)
- Choose one events or another experience.
- Use a white board or a clean sheet of paper and in the center draw a circle. Put the event in the circle.
- From that circle branch out into other aspects that relate to the event. (weather, people involved, family, what was happening before and after, location).
- Make correlations between the different aspects. These become chapters in your book, or paragraphs in your story.
Timeline Method
- Write a timeline, starting when you were born to current day.
- Write key events on your timeline.
- Mark highs and lows based on these events.
- This helps to hone in on themes in your life and organize the story

Exercise: Develop your timeline. 1:13:40

Every Story has Three Parts

BEGINNING—Summarize what you want to say in the story you are about to write. Give them the essence of the main point but not the totality. You may want to ask a question, bring in a scripture or concept you are going to clarify the meaning of. Give them an idea of where you are going. It should tie in some way to the ending of the story. There are various types of leads (a situation, question, etc.) but intrigue people and give them idea of what they are going to learn.
MIDDLE—Describe the situation. Tell people a story giving some details of place, people, taste, touch, sight, sound, smell, emotion, all of the things in your brainstorming activity. Is there a conflict? Show, don’t tell. You don’t have to provide every detail but give several specific details to help the reader visualize the situation.
- I have several of my grandmother’s journals. Hers read like this: “Monday–Did wash. Picked beans. Fixed chicken, mashed potatoes and beans for supper.” That is an OK way to record history, but a little more information would have been good. She never wrote what she thought about situations. Its best if you can describe the setting, the sights, the smells, the sounds, tastes, touches and what you felt during the time.
- Anti-Climax – When you think the problem is solved, but it isn’t.
- Climax – How the problem was solved. The resolution. What is the tangible way this connects my story to God?
END— with your main point. Tell what the story was all about, your reason for writing. You may want to bring up a scripture or poem at this point but end with a final statement that leaves the reader with your primary reason for why you wrote this story. Say it from your point of view without saying “you”. Tell what happens in your life, and that will activate what the reader needs for their life. Consider writing the ending of your story first.

Exercise: Write your story using the three parts as a guide. 1:27:30

Be real.

Write from your memory, not someone else’s. If you have forgotten details, others can add information, but this is really your memory and your interpretation of the event, not someone else’s. Your interpretation is just that, an interpretation based on your age and experience at the time. You may look back and reflect on it and make a different observation but never forgot that it is your interpretation. Your feelings about that event are more important than the event.

When writing about people who are still alive you have two options:

Write realistically, honestly and tell exactly what happened. Get their permission and let them read it.
Change the names and specifics. Share how you felt, your feelings and perceptions. Be willing to take the flack, knowing some people will know who or what you are talking about. “…We will speak the truth in love…” (Ephesians 4:15 NLT) Transparency is important, but weigh the consequences.

Leave a Legacy.

Your friends and family will treasure the things you write. The most treasured possession I have from my father is his sermon notes because I know they came from his mind and his thoughts.

Don’t worry about spellings or misspelling or grammatical correctness.
Keep a notebook and keep writing thoughts and things that come to mind. It does not have to be in chronological order, just let God bring the thoughts. As He does, write them down.
Consider writing the ending of your story first, then go back and write the lead. Make an outline for the middle. You might end up going back and changing your lead.

What do you want to do with the story after it’s written?

Publish it on the church website
Publish it on a blog
Publish it in a book
Have it written so you can share more effectively with others
Use it as a basis to share your testimony on video
Use it as a foundation for speaking to groups, etc.

Your Next Steps

Write your story or book.
Decide on your method of delivery. Is it an article or a book?
Get help with editing, writing and publishing your book.
Teresa has services to help you with various aspects of writing. Click on the blue box on the right side of this page that says Time to Write Your Story for more information. Or, you can email her at [email protected].
Teresa will be doing more writing workshops around topics such as Going the Distance to Write A Book, I’ve Written My Book Now What? Using Createspace to Publish Your Book for Almost Nothing, How to Promote Your Book and more. These will be announced on this website.
Don’t forget to involve God in every step of the process.