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Parables and the Book of Matthew

So I am going through a bible study for writers, and it asked me to read Matthew 1 thru 17.  As I was reading through it I kept trying to figure out what this all had to do with writing.

I'm pretty new to all this Bible stuff, and although I've read and analyzed a lot of literature, this piece is a toughy.

But this book has Parables.  Simply defined, a parable is a simple story to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.

Well that's not just in the bible.  A lot of stories do this.  Fables. Fairy Tales.  Children's books.  They all use story to illustrate lessons.

And isn't that the point of fiction? Not only to tell a good story but to teach....something? Obviously, you don't want to beat people over the head with moral.  Readers don't want to be lectured.  But they should come out of your story a changed person.  Even a little.

I write speculative fiction..closer to the horror genre than anything.  And even I want people to learn something from my writing.  I don't just want to scare people, or gross them out ,or make them feel uneasy.  I want them to have an experience.

The other day I wrote mission statements for both of my current projects.  A short statement that explains the purpose of the story (aside from entertainment).  Some things I mentioned were teaching people to reach out to those they wouldn't think to reach out to, to be curious, to stand up for those you love and what you believe in.

Doesn't sound like a normal horror story does it?

Will my stories be as obvious as the Parables in the Book of Matthew?  No.  But I hope that I will plant a seed of some sort of knowledge in my future readers.  Like those who wrote the Gospel.

I am not planning on writing the next "Gospel".  But I think I can write some important literature.


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