4 Valid Cases to Prove Fictional Stories Teach Readers

Are novels, movies, and television shows simply entertainment, or can fictional stories teach readers something special about life? 

One of my biggest pet peeves is hearing people comment about how a story has no real meaning in the reality of life. For some time I was angered by these remarks, because I secretly feared my love for reading and imagining fictional stories was a waste of energy. 

I didn’t want stories to be an unproductive past time, because I loved them, and they felt real and comfortable to me. 

Eventually, I came to my own conclusion: stories have weight in the world. 

I believe stories are a reflection of our world, and when we read we see a glimpse of the wonderment of life we often miss seeing on a day to day basis. 

Also, fictional stories can teach readers lessons in personal growth, resilience, and how to live a better life. 

And it’s true, sometimes we just need a warm hug from a magical novel to get us through the day, but there’s no shame in that. 

For today’s blog post I’m trying something a little different. I am listing four stories that have personally given me eye-opening revelations about my life, and helped me grow into the woman I am today. 

These four stories hardly encompass the impact all the fictional stories I have absorbed have influenced me. These examples just happened to be the most prominent in my mind at the time I wrote this post. 

But enough with this exposition: here is my proof for why I believe the fictional stories we read and write have the power to teach and influence readers. 

1. The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

This may have been the first novel length book I read as a kid, and one of the first novels I fell in love with. 

Very few novels have I read twice or thrice. The Little Princess is on that list. 

 If you’ve read the book, you may remember Sara’s incredible imagination. She would create her own worlds and characters, and then share those stories with her classmates and the servants at her boarding school. 

Not only did she have a powerful imagination, but she exhibited kindness to people who were not respected by others. 

When Sara fell into financial and emotional misfortune, she kept her chin up, did the work expected of her, and endured abuse no child should be subject to. 

While her life remained rough for many years and at times she gave up hope, Sara still imagined, lifted up the spirits of people around her, and even stood her ground against abusers. 

Exhibiting these traits, many thought Sara was a strange child, but their comments didn’t drive her to hide her true self. 

First, Sara taught me I was not alone in having a vivid imagination, and that I didn’t need to hide it. If fact, I learned that if I shared my fictional stories I could serve others. 

Second, Sara taught me that through every adversity—no matter how dire or unfair—to always remain kind, fight for hope, and keep my head high. 

In the end Sara got justice and freedom—a resolution we can persevere and persist for in our lives. 

Find the book:

View the book on Barnes & Noble.

2. Supernatural television series created by Eric Kripke

Confession time: I spent waaayy too many nights binging until 2am with this show. 

I started watching this show because I had heard good things about how the writers and cast depicted depression.

Seeking to commiserate and find answers for my own depression, I faced my fears of watching a dark fantasy television show which leaned into the horror genre. (I found out I like some creepy things, hehe.)

This show gifted me an enormous, eye-opening revelation into how I had been living my life for years. 

This is what happened. . .

Late one night a few seasons in (I don’t remember the exact episode), the two brothers in the show—Sam and Dean Winchester—were in one of their usual fights against a monster, and one brother was in dire need. He was trapped and about to die most likely, and the other brother had to overcome another obstacle before he could come and save his buddy. 

While the one brother was trapped, I rooted for the second brother to hurry up and rescue him. I usually cheered for whichever brother had to come and rescue the other. 

Before the second brother had a chance to save him, the first had wriggled out of his predicament and saved himself. At that moment I realized I felt disappointed. 

Why? I asked. The guy is alive and the monster defeated. 

Then it struck me: in every story I had watched and read I usually rooted for the free character to come and rescue the trapped one. Never did I root for the character in trouble to save himself. 

Then I realized in my life I had always desired to wait for someone to whisk me out of my troubles. When I felt trapped, I wanted someone to rescue me. 

I never thought I could save myself, and that is a difficult perspective when you know there is no one about to ride in on their gleaming horse and slay your demons. 

What could I do to rectify this habit?

I decided to conduct an experiment: from then on I would root for the brother in trouble to save himself, and carry that mindset through all the stories I watched and my own life. 

My outlook on life changed soon after.

I stepped into a position where I could make a change in my circumstances. I began to believe it was up to me to get myself out of the messes of life and that I possessed the abilities to do so—I was not trapped beyond escape.

You may notice this sounds a little like victim mentality, and there is an aspect of that mindset I clung to. 

I had been stuck in thinking everything was against me, and that I was powerless to change a single circumstance. Then through Supernatural I realized no human could pull me out of the mud like I could. 

I didn’t need to stay a victim of my struggles; I could rise from them stronger.

And if that lesson wasn’t enough, here is a bonus: I learned no matter how many scars you have, you still hold the power to change the world and do extraordinary acts. 

(I will say I don’t agree with everything taught in this show, but nothing in life is perfect.) 

Find the television series:

View on The CW.

(At the time this blog post was published, Supernatural seasons 1-15 were streaming on Netflix.)

3. Rise of the Guardians animated film based off the writings of William Joyce

As soon as I saw the trailer to this movie, I knew I had to see it and would probably love it. After a few years I finally rented the film, and to this day it remains one of my favorite animated stories. 

In fact, I used it as an example in a blog post about how to use character motivation to create a tension-driven novel. 

Jack Frost showed me I am not alone in searching for the answers of who I am inside and what my purpose on earth is. Relating in this way to a character is a powerful comfort, one which I may not need to tell you about.

What the movie taught me is that even if we don’t know exactly who we are or what our purpose is in every circumstance, we can still help our friends, serve the world, and bring light to destroy pitch black darkness. 

We don’t always need the answers to our questions to be able to live, love, and have fun. 

If we are patient and search, our answers may reveal themselves, but even if they don’t we can still live the life God gave us. 

Find the movie:

View on DreamWorks.

View on Amazon. *

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no expense to you.

Related Resource:

• “Why Does Character Motivation Matter? (and some tips on how to nail it in your writing)”

4. Prison Break television series created by Paul Sheuring 

There’s a quote spoken by the character Michael Scofield in this show that I use a lot in my blog posts:

“Just have a little faith.” 

I loooovve this quote. 

Michael, a quiet genius, wants to get his brother out of prison for a murder he didn’t commit before the death penalty is carried through. 

During Michael’s plan to free his brother, multiple characters doubt his crazy schemes at some point. 

Michael’s response? Just have a little faith. 

And you know what? His crazy schemes worked most of the time. But if Michael hadn’t had faith, he wouldn’t have saved his brother. 

When we face a gigantic obstacle that seems impossible (or something small that feels big to us), we need to practice having faith in the outcome. 

If we doubt ourselves, we will fail. If we have faith, we will probably emerge victorious, or at least better off than if we had doubted ourselves.

So when my novel stares me down (or my website, social media account, etc.), looking like a looming mountain about to crush me, I have faith that I will publish it someday. 

Whatever we face, we need to keep faith that we can beat it. 

This show also got me to meditating on how we all have a prison we are trying to escape from. Whether it is a physical building or concrete walls in our mind, there is something we are escaping from or running to. 

Sometimes we need to create our own escape plan, and we need a little faith. 

Find the television series:

View on Fox.

(At the time this post was published, Prison Break seasons 1-5 were streaming on Hulu.)

A behind the scenes story…

After finishing the fourth season of Prison Break last year, I sat down and made my own “escape plan” to finish some writing goals I had in my pipeline.

Then, I wrote this blog post based off the plan I made:

• “How to Get Motivated to Write: A Foolproof Strategy”

I believe I mentioned Michael’s quote in there, too. I hope you find the post helpful!

Sometimes Fictional Stories Teach Readers Better Than ‘Real Life’

There are too many stories that have influenced me to list here. Really, every story I have read or watched have effected me in a positive or negative way (or both).  

I have learned about life through stories for years, and the lessons they teach me can make more sense that those I learned in life. 

Stories have taught me to persevere, to be courageous, and to face my struggles and problems head on.

They have taught me that I sometimes need a support system and I sometimes need to fight my own battles. 

Despite what anyone might say to the contrary, fictional stories teach readers and leave an imprint on each human heart, mind, and soul. 

We need to write them with respect to the power we wield, and read with an open mind salted with discernment. 

Stories have been shaping history for centuries, for good and bad. 

And now our stories will shape this age. 

Tell your story, 

Sarah 

Related Resources:

• “How I Decided to Change the World by Writing (and how you can make a difference with me)”
• “Struggles, Suicide, and How Writers Can Start Spreading Hope”