What Story Are You Writing?

What Story Are You Writing? 

In the novel A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean (although not in the 1992 movie based on the novel), Norman contemplates how life’s stories mirror natural landscapes. He explains that “stories of life are often more like rivers than books…The fisherman even has a phrase to describe what he does when he studies the patterns of a river. He says he is ‘reading the water,’ and perhaps to tell his stories he has to do much the same thing.”

Are you a storyteller? As a communicator and a man on a mission, I am a storyteller; and I’m proud to say it in large part, because I recognize the utility, the power and the art of storytelling. And I might add—I believe my hero, Jesus Christ, was a masterful storyteller. His Parables are masterpieces of the craft. Through brief, relatable stories, Jesus communicated profound moral and spiritual truths that have shaped human history for over two millennia. We are still reading and discussing his Parables. In fact, not long ago at my condo, myself and six other FATC guys enjoyed a 6-week study of the Parables.

Robert McKee is an author, lecturer, and world renowned story consultant, widely considered the most influential screenwriting instructor in the entertainment industry. Here are a few things he has said regarding the power and utility of storytelling: Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today…To connect to people at the deepest level, you need stories… Stories are how we remember; we tend to forget lists and bullet points.

Here’s another testament to the power of story telling: I read somewhere that only two things have been proven to help survivors of the Holocaust? Massage is one. Telling their story is another. Being touched and touching. Telling your story is touching. It often helps set you free.

I think storytelling is art…and as Tolstoy said, “Art is the transfer of emotion from one person to another.”

Sometimes God puts a message or story in me that claws away at my heart until I set it free. That in large part is why I write in the FATC FORUM and to my family.

I have a lot of stories in me that I want to tell my kids and grandkids—not for my sake or my self-indulgence, but hopefully for their good and their growth. Stories often include the good, the bad and the ugly—and sometimes I’m the bad and the ugly in the story. I paid a lot for my mistakes and I’ve learned a lot in the process. I want to get as much as possible out of that expensive education. But most of all, I want to tell stories and send messages that honor God.

Stories are our primary tools of learning and teaching, the repositories of our lore and legends. They bring order into our confusing world. Think about how many times a day you use stories to pass along insights, memories or common-sense advice.

We have lore and legends and ethos in my family. For example, Haven’t you heard, when a Muckerman goes into the woods you know something’s going to die. Another, although on loan from Mel Gibson is, Aim small; miss small.

Deer camp, turkey camp and fishing camps—especially around a campfire and at dinner are some of the most fertile environments for stories to abound. Meal sharing is a powerful catalyst for story telling. And when two or more of us sit around a campfire, stories and memories of past adventures seem to quickly arise along with the smoke arising, and the crackling of the fire and the wonderful aroma of the wood burning.

Stories create community, enable us to see through the eyes of other people, and open us to the claims and desires of others. Stories can communicate truth, ethics, and ethos without sounding preachy. The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon. A good story doesn’t sermonize. Generally speaking, people don’t want to be talked at. They much prefer it if you talk with them. That usually necessitates asking questions. I like it when my grandkids ask questions during or after my stories. It shows they are listening and processing.

And I like to ask questions about their stories. Often I’ll ask for them to add more details —more color—to their story. The first time, I asked one young grandson, Andrew, to tell us the story about the deer he shot, after he had killed his first deer ever earlier that day, he responded with, “I was hunting with my dad and I shot a deer.” I told him “We wanted to know more…so please add some color to the story.” He thought for a second, then replied, “My dad and I were hunting together; we saw a brown deer, and I shot it dead.” Needless to say, becoming a good storyteller is a process.

I want my kids and grandkids to be good story tellers also, so I’m really delighted when they actually volunteer to tell a story. Some of my favorite stories I like to hear from them close with the statement, so and so “saved the day”. I think, saving the day is a concept that even very young children can grasp and strive to do… Great stories all have a hero.

A few years ago, when my grandson Luke was about 5-yrs old, he told me a story about how that week, while driving to the gym, his dad saw an elderly man fall “pretty hard” along a busy street. Luke’s story went on to describe how my son-in-law Matt (Lukes’s dad) immediately turned the car around to go back and help the “old man” who now had blood running down his face. Matt pulled a clean shirt from his gym bag and gave it to the elderly man to help stop the bleeding. Matt then offered to call 911 for the “old man”, but the man said he lived close by and didn’t want to trouble 911. Matt then took the old man to his home, where the elderly man’s daughter met them. Luke ended the story by saying his dad had saved the day! Now that’s a true, powerful, present-day version of The Good Samaritan punctuated with a 5-year-old’s assessment that “My dad saved the day!”

As I’ve mentioned often in the past: Not everybody likes to think, but I do like to think. And if you read my FORUM posts, you know sometimes I even think about thinking. Over time, I’ve learned to analyze my thoughts. And I’ve learned, over my lifetime, not to believe every thought that pops into my head. So I suggest we each take some time to try to uncover the story we are actually believing. Who is the bad guy? Who is the hero? Who or what are we looking for to save the day?

Related to that, John Eldredge in his book Epic says this:

The story God is telling—like every great story that echoes it—reminds us of three eternal truths it would be good to keep in mind as we take the next step out the door.

First, things are not what they seem.

Second, we are at war.

Third, you have a crucial role to play.

Eldredge goes on to say, The story of God always has been, is now, and always will be the story of the world. Jesus Christ is the story.

So what do you think? Maybe it’s as good of time as any for us each to think about our story…or better yet, what story do we want to write about ourselves. What story or legacy do we want to leave? Just as they say, The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, but the second best time is today—maybe that’s also true about writing a story worth living and leaving.

John Gierach who died in 2024 was widely regarded as the voice of modern fly fishing. Based in Colorado, he wrote more than 20 books and countless magazine articles known for their wry humor, philosophical observations, and devotion to fishing as a way of life. I’ll close with this quote from John Gierach, The best fishermen I know try not to make the same mistakes over and over again; instead, they strive to make new and interesting mistakes and to remember what they learned from them. Do you think that quote could also apply to life in general?

By the way, have you been reading the waters of life to find the meaning of your life? We’d love to hear that story—including the riffles, deep waters, snags and long shaded runs of your river of life. If not, keep looking by choosing to look in the most fishy-looking water. Just as the rule of thumb or general principle that fish are not equally distributed across the stream or lake—so it is with searching for meaning in your river of life. Would you not agree that you have better odds of finding meaning by watching The Price is Right and 6 episodes of Real Housewives or by reading the Bible or an inspirational book…or maybe by helping out in your community, or at a homeless shelter or your church?

And to state the obvious: You can’t catch fish if you don’t go fishing. I think the same principles hold true for the quest for real meaning—and a legacy worth leaving. Do you think truly examining your life and actively asking more questions might help? Do you think maybe Christ could save the day for you?

In case you haven’t heard, I’m planning on facilitating another annual FATC BOOK STUDY. It will be 6 consecutive Wednesday evenings starting on September 9, 2026. The book will be THE MEANING OF YOUR LIFE —Finding Purpose In An Age of Emptiness by Arthur C. Brooks. You can sign up for the book study right now by going to the FATC CALENDAR and using the link available at the bottom of the info on the class. But we don’t need to wait till then to actively think about and cultivate our desire for meaning, significance and a story worth leaving.

Feel free to share your thoughts here on the FATC FORUM about this or about whatever is on your mind. Remember our motto: It’s not just about the fly fishing. By the way, it’s ok to let your passion show—whether it’s about fly fishing, fly tying or maybe even more so—if it’s about God.

John Muckerman

FATC Inspirational and Leadership Lead