Virtual fist fights break out on Facebook all the time.
People have their opinions, but rarely couch them in polite terms. How can we
express our opinions without alienating those who differ from us?
In a word: Story.
When faced with difficult questions, Jesus often told a
parable. Think about The Good Samaritan, The Pearl of Great Price to name a
couple. He painted a word picture in real-life terms.
I started out as a non-fiction writer. The task of
communicating scriptural principles came out more as a textbook than something
to catch the reader's attention. Using some basic fiction techniques helped
"put skin on the words."
Dialogue
Anecdotes
Action
These changes made the pieces come alive. Readers (and
editors) could relate to the stories, and the principles jumped off the page
without beating the reader over the head.
Ha! Perhaps if we applied these less combative methods to
social media, it wouldn't feel like a war zone.
And that's my opinion for today.
Writers: Do you touch
on social issues in your writing? How do you keep it from aggravating the reader?
Readers: How do you
feel about expressing your opinion on social media? Is it something you dive
into or do you shy away from it? Please share.
Photo Credit: Richard Styles
Photo Credit: Richard Styles
