Introduction
I know it sounds boring, but I’m on a journey.
I want to know a simple question, does story have an identity?
Because with an identity, it must have a Driver’s License?
What did its picture look like?
Where would Story call home?
Would it relish in the glamour and glitter of Los Angeles?
The old money and high society of Philly?
The artistic sophistication, fashion, and passion in Paris?
The romantic and exotic adventures in Italy or Spain?
I intend to find out.
You can’t tell me nothing, I know how to conduct an investigation.
I spent my childhood watching Columbo and I read Sherlock Holmes.
It’s not that hard, so let’s start with the basics.
What is Story?
Like you, I was told the same thing.
Those in charge gave the same cliche.
They mumbled through excuses, then took me around the entire universe.
And they gave the same answer.
I can’t put it into words, you know, it’s a STORY, take my word for it!
After that faithful day, I learned a powerful lesson.
Every child in the world understands a simple idea.
If you want to find something, you have to go LOOKING for it.
The only way to look for something is with our eyes and the eyes are the windows to the soul.
Sounds simple, but seriously, who lied to us?
Who told us that we lose our innocence when we grow up?
As I walk around the bookstores and libraries, I am always hit with reality.
How could we have access to smartphones and data, but somehow, not even LOOK?
Until one day, I visited my chiropractor and the answer was, as they say, on the wall.
It sat there, bent over, holding its knees, worn from the waiting.
I scratched my head, was this synchronicity or was the Universe talking?
I couldn’t overlook this, I snapped the photo and kept looking.
Where is Story?
I found refuge in a small corner of the bookstore, it was called Screenwriting.
These people were so innovative, spouting out ideas about inciting incidents, structure, sequences, beats, and magical worlds.
I’m sure, somewhere in these conversations, the definition existed.
My belief, strong as any fanatic, was the same.
It had to!
After decades of perusing books and seminars and DVDs, the definition still hid in the shadows.
The more I sought, all I found were other words:
- Outer Motivation
- Story Structure
- Character Arc
- Hero’s Inner Journey
Go Searching
So, I went to the basics, just search for it!
When I searched, this is what I found.
It sounds good, but like those peering eyes of Perry Mason, the truth is never what it seems.
So, I looked again.
And the words stuck out there, this evil dangling widow of a word.
Entertainment.
That’s not right, it can’t be.
When soldiers talk about War or when the ancient ones speak about vimanas, is this for entertainment?
Are the legends of Dibia and the Dogon for entertainment?
The Second Definition
So I moved to the second definition.
Hmmm, an account of past events.
Now, this seems closer to the truth, but I refused to give up my position.
So I searched again, but this time I chose Mythology.
A collection of myths, how are they defining one word using another — OMG!
So I searched again for Myth.
And I was met with another contradiction.
A traditional story explaining something, but it is ALSO a false belief or idea.
Isn’t this what I’m experiencing now?
Why is Story’s definition so elusive?
How am I going to find its address at this pace?
So I stopped researching and talked to some kids.
They laughed at me and one of them giggled, “why you make things so hard, why can’t you accept the truth?”
And as her wheat brown eyes looked skyward, she smiled, “I love stories, they always make me go somewhere!”
And I paused, could it really be that simple?
I wasn’t going to find story by what it looked like or what it sounded like, but what it FELT like.
How does Story feel?
Like that first love, it ignites the heart, pushes the blood to race, and lights the soul with the divine fire of lightning bolts!
Is this how stories feel or is this how we react?
Like Love, does Story exist in energy and vibrations?
And now that I’m turnt all the way UP, I can clearly see the path to Story.
We have mistakenly called it the Hero’s Journey, big mistake.
It has always been Heru’s Journey.
He was the first one to honor his parents by restoring their kingdom to its sacred space.
It was he whom outgrew the darkness and used his “EYES” to bring light back into the world.
After thousands of years, Heru changed into Hero and many of us have lost our way.
I’m actually SAD about discovering the identity and the address.
I always thought sharing the truth would be wonderful, but the myths have been right all along.
Finding the Grail
When you finally find the Grail and bring it back to our world, it turns to dust and disappears and we’re left standing in front of our tribe.
Their eyes, looking for direction, call out to mine.
And as I detail my journey and my hardships, the words become magical and dance around in our souls until I see the LIGHT in their eyes.
The light of HERU!
And as I walk back to my home, I realize there is no treasure, no address, and no identity.
There is only light and it lives in our souls.
It is this LIGHT that we all innocence in children.
Now I know-
When we share our stories, they streak across humanity like lightning bolts and it is these brilliant flashes that attract the children’s eyes as we turn the page and start reading.
One dark and stormy night. . .
