The Art, Science and Alchemy of Stories

Please welcome this month's guest author, Rob Schwartz

“The writer is the eternal outsider, the shape-changer, the dreamer, the illusionist, the trickster, the healer, the alchemist. He or she is the magician who makes truth appear, the blind seer, the thinking heart, the listener with a thousand ears. The writer is the world’s memory, the keeper of the stories, the guardian of the dream”.

~Ben Okri

“Let me tell you a story...”

Wait. Do you see what just happened? Did you feel it? You may not have even realized it, but those six words contain magic.

Let me tell you a story…

You might not have even realized it, but your brain took note and you leaned in. We can't help it. We are unconsciously attracted to those six words.

We are somehow addicted to stories. It is in us. Going back millions of years. You can imagine one of the first early humans. Let's call him Urg. And you can see him at the campfire turning to his mate and saying in their rudimentary tongue, "You know, a funny thing happened on the way to the watering hole this morning."

And she would be riveted.

Here's the thing about stories—they're not just entertainment, they're magical portals that change everything.

Think about it. When Harry Potter discovers he's a wizard, he doesn't just enter some fantasy world. He breaks through a barrier most people never even see. One day he's nobody, the next he's holding incredible power in his hands.

Or look at Neo in The Matrix. He takes that red pill, and suddenly. he sees the code behind reality itself.

Both moments represent the same revolutionary idea: There are hidden truths all around us, accessible only to those brave enough to look deeper.

Once you understand this transformative power, you will have the ability to reshape reality with narrative, to see the magic behind the ordinary.