Same Story

Copyright issues... hmm. That's something everyone worries about. What if you read a story that you really enjoyed - so much, that it inspired you to write another story. And this other story you wrote now seems to be far too similar to the one you read. Is there a copyright issue? Can you sell this story? And what made that story's plotline so good that you just HAD TO retell it?

Well, don't worry about that for now. Whether or not you can sell YOUR story, what is important, is to think about why that original story was so good and for that answer... please don't groan... let's take a look at the Bible! Now it seems a little tiresome when everyone is always asking for the sunday school answers. But think about it, the fact that so much information can be found in one little book is incredible! To think that a book contains SO much information that it can change the way we look at things is amazing.

Let's start in Genesis... Adam and Eve and in a perfect little world with their perfect little lives... everything seems normal. The story of humanity begins on the day that everything is different. The day that everything changed. Adam and Eve ate the apple and SUDDENLY... their world isn't perfect anymore. Their lives are hard and they have to work for their food, they get hurt, and worst of all, they are cut off form the One who loves them most... OH NO! So now what? Well, like any good hero, the One who loves them most wants to fix it. He tries to help them stay close, but they JUST... KEEP... MESSING... THINGS... UP!

First, everyone is bad... and no one loves him back

Then, they forget about him in Egypt and blame him for everything

Then, they blame him for the dessert

Then, they try and find another to replace him

Goodness... is all hope lost? No! He tells them that He is going to break down the barriers once and for all! He's going to get rid of all the sin that separetes them... He's going to promise them... A Messiah. A Messiah? A SAVIOR! A solution that would cost the One who loved them most very dearly, but nothing was too much for Him to restore the brokenness. So, He sent them a savior... He sent them... Jesus... a little nobody carpenter from little Nazareth. He sent the one person who would seem least likely to be able to fulfill His promise. In fact, because this incredible man wrapped under the appearence of a Nobody, promised to be something great, they decided to kill him.

WHAT? Kill him???? Now who is going to make things right?!?! How is the One who loves them most going to ever be with them again if they killed his solution? Black Moment. Very Black Moment... literally, the sky went black!

But when all hope seemed lost, Jesus ROSE FROM THE DEAD and now... Everyone can be close to the One who loves them most because Jesus death was ALL PART OF THE PLAN, because only the shedding of blood could fix things.

Pretty incredible story huh? Well how about that really good book you read...

1. Does it begin on the day everything is different?
2. Are there key events that drive the hero to need a solution?
3. Does the Hero face the problem?
4. Is there a moment (Black Moment) where all hope seems lost?
5. And does the Hero rise above these doubts to solve the problem?

EVERY GOOD story has these elements, and guess where they came from? Well, I just told you =)


So, as storytellers, we're really all telling the same story. Sure, the characters change and so do the problems, but really, God's story is woven into all of our best ideas. So... yup. All the same story... essentially. Not that you should ever copy someone's characters or problems... that is a copyright issue =)