“Once upon a time.” That’s how many stories start off. Whether those stories are fiction, non-fiction or anything in-between, they all have to start off with that sort of hook. Get the reader interested and then proceed to drag them through the rest. Whether they are terrible or life-changing, we all love stories: telling them and hearing them. For those who claim otherwise, take a moment to consider that stories are everywhere and in every media outlet. We all have this inner desire to express what has happened in our lives. Even the benign question “How’s life?” could spur on stories upon stories. Stories are a part of the fabric of our existence.

While our stories are an important facet of our lives, the majority of people are either unwilling or feel unable to tell their stories. All of us want to be heard, whether through our opinions or stories, but many prefer to let someone else tell their story or to simply pass on the opportunity. This is a travesty as there is a plethora of stories worth hearing, but unfortunately there are few who are willing to create and invest in them.

Most people fear that their stories aren’t interesting enough to be told, especially in print, and that there is someone else out there with similar experiences who can tell their story better. It is difficult to foster the idea that it is not necessarily the story that people are interested in reading or hearing, but the feelings and personal experience of the author. This is why we as a culture have popularized memoirs in the last few years; the experiences are not often extraordinary, but the author has spun the story to create a deep sense of meaning and connection with the reader.

Creating your own personal blog has become easier and more accessible; people today can share their ideas, opinions and stories to the masses with a stroke of the keyboard and a click of the mouse. This advent has allowed freedom of expression that our parents weren’t afforded and so our stories can be heard by more than just one’s friends and family.

Stories, tales, sagas, chronicles or narratives, however you want to spin it, are tools for which others can discover and experience life with you and that you can use to create something that is self-relevant. Spinning a tale is more than just being able to cobble a string of interesting words together into a plot; it’s more than that, it is something which allows you to take a introspective look into your own life and to cultivate your own humanity. Our stories are what make us unique and should not be withheld for lack of “talent,” but all should look for that medium which best expresses their own personal experiences.