What Stories Changed Your Life?

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms. She writes weird books for teens in lots of weird genres like, fantasy (Blood of Kings trilogy), science fiction (Replication), and dystopian (The Safe Lands trilogy). Find Jill on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or on her author website.

There is power in stories. Tremendous power. Whenever I start to forget that, I just think of King David and his court prophet Nathan. King David decided he wanted Bathsheba, as if he didn't have enough wives already. So, in a series of bad choices, he got her. But that included having her husband killed. His choices in this matter remind me of a mob hit. He might as well have told his people to, "Take care of it."

But who was going to call out the king? Um, no one? It's not like people didn't know what he'd done. I'm sure the wives were all talking about it. "Did you see David's new wife?" "Mmm hmm." But no one was brave enough to confront the warrior king who, as a teenager, killed a giant, cut off his head, and paraded through town with that head on a pole.

Yeah, I probably wouldn't have said anything either.

But in a brilliant move, Nathan the prophet gives it a go. And he doesn't say, "Hey, King. What was that with the stealing of the wife and the killing and things?" Instead, he tells the king a story. Now, I'm sure many people told King David stories. There wasn't any TV back then, so entertainment was either storytelling or singing. David probably settled back for an diverting narrative. And Nathan must have been good because David didn't see it coming. He listened to the story of a rich man who killed a poor man's only sheep and served it to his guests for dinner. And when the story angers David and he flies into an outrage and demands to know the name of this horrible person, Nathan says, "You are the man!" (And that wasn't a compliment. It was an accusation.)

Boom. Instant humility. And, yes, another king might have had Nathan killed for that little move. But not David. He knew he'd messed up. We always know. But sometimes we just keep covering our mistakes and hoping that no one notices. And before you know it, we're buried deep.

David was buried deep. And he knew it. And he listened to Nathan and made it right, as best he could.

King George and the Duckie is my favorite
re-telling of David and Bathsheba

Stories have the ability to change lives. Many stories have changed my life. Here are some. I'm putting on my vulnerability hat here, so no judging.

The Nancy Drew series. These books, which were an obsession of my mother in her childhood, became my obsession as a child. In my home with no electricity or running water, I escaped into these books. I loved Nancy and Bess and George. They were my friends. They kept me company for years. And we solved many cases together.

This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. This book made the spiritual world real for me. Before I read it, I believed it was real. But after reading this book, I could picture it. And, yes, it's fiction. We don't know this is the way things are. But, man. It sure does make sense. After reading this book I looked at the world in a different way.

The Street Lawyer by John Grisham. I grew up in a poor family. I'm a hard worker. So I had a difficult time with homelessness. I just couldn't wrap my brain around how someone gets to that place. In my head I think, "Dude, get a job, negotiate. My dad did. He worked for free rent. He hitchhiked to get groceries. He once pawned his beloved guitar to feed his family. It wasn't easy, but he did it." And then I read John Grisham's The Street Lawyer and I was humbled. People tend to make assumptions based on their own experiences. And my experiences were narrow indeed. I didn't understand how someone could become homeless, so I arrogantly jumped to the conclusion that they were lazy. And maybe some homeless are. But Grisham's book told a different story. It showed how people can get stuck. And the realization that I had been very wrong to make such assumptions not only changed the way I thought about homeless people, it changed the way I thought. Making assumptions wasn't a wise way to live, and I didn't want to make the same mistake again. Well done, Mr. Grisham.

The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis. In this final installment of Narnia, the people are sorted. Some get to come into the new Narnia. And some do not---some beloved people do not. The phrase, "It is far bigger inside than it was outside" is said of this new Narnia. (Makes me think of a Tardis.) This was a beautiful and eerie look at heaven. Like many, I had always understood that heaven would be all clouds and golden streets. But the Bible says that there will be a new earth. And The Last Battle showed me that new earth. And it showed me that only those who choose it will enter. Heavy stuff. And very well done.

No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green by Melody Green. This is a true story. Melody Green tells her husband's life story as best she can. Keith Green was a famous musician in the 1970s. And this book changed me. The way Keith lived each day changed me. But what I remember most from this book was how Keith gave up control. He trusted his life and what he held precious to his creator. It never occurred to me to live with such trust before. And as a new mom at the time, this was exactly the story I needed since I was a little bit overprotective of my new child. Just a tiny bit. Okay, so I was a total momma bear and petrified that he was going to be injured in just about every conceivable way.

Love this picture of Keith and Melody.

Tilly by Frank Peretti. This story. Wow. Frank has an incredible imagination. It continually floors me. It had never occurred to me that unborn children might go to heaven. And once I read Tilly, I can't imagine it any other way. This story is absolutely beautiful.

Harry Potter series. I think that, perhaps, the mysteries in these books reminded me of Nancy Drew. But how did the Harry Potter books change me? They opened my mind to the idea of creating an immaculate storyworld complete with flying paper airplanes at the Ministry of Magic and howlers from an angry parent. Having been obsessed with Nancy Drew as a child, I had never considered contemporary fantasy as a genre. The possibilities fascinated me (and still do).

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. After reading this book, I was in awe. I had never before read a book that so captured a character's voice. And I had also never read a book that told an issues-based story in such a clever way. This book has helped thousands of teen girls. And it makes me teary-eyed as I think of the power of Melinda's story helping all those hurting girls. This book set a standard for me as an author.

Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore. I loved these books. But it was a simple image that changed me. The image of how angels see human fear as black tar, weighing us down, keeping us from our potential. That will stick with me forever, Shannon. So powerful.

These stories have become part of my life story. But you have your own. What are some stories that changed you? Share one of them in the comments. And remember, your pen (or your fingers at a keyboard) has tremendous power to change lives. Don't ever forget it.