Welcome to the Store...er, Story!

My wife and I were invited to a movie premiere last month, so she decided to buy a new dress for the occasion. “This won’t take long,” she said. “If I go to ___________ Store, they’re sure to have something I’ll like.”

I had not visited that upscale store, but I decided to tag along and see why Maribeth was so confident of finding what she wanted there. The merchandise was tastefully displayed according to gender and size. Aisles were wide and well-lit. And if the store was playing background music, I didn’t notice it. (That’s the best quality of background music, wouldn’t you agree?)

As soon as I stepped inside, a salesman strolled by and asked if I needed help with anything. I declined. Without skipping a beat, he smiled and invited me to ask anyone on their staff if I did need help. Several salespeople were walking about the store, so I knew I could get a quick answer to any question.

I soon found some clothing items to try on, and that salesman came by again. He showed me a couple of other items and pointed me to the fitting rooms. The fitting rooms were clean and in good order, without stray hangers or other distractions. In half an hour, Maribeth bought two dresses and I bought two sweater vests with shirts. She was right: The store had exactly what we wanted, even though I didn’t know I wanted anything!

A good story is rather like that good store.A good story gives us confidence that it contains what we desire. Its narrator clearly knows where to take us and how to entertain us along the way. Everything that comprises the story’s background (the physical setting, the characters’ eccentricities, their sub-plots and detours) stays in the background so it doesn’t distract us from our quest. Most important, a good story gives us something rewarding and satisfying, even when we don’t know what we’re looking for.

I suppose I’m thinking along this line because November is such a busy shopping month—Black Friday and all that--at any rate, it’s a good time to learn from the best retailers how to welcome readers into our stories. Even casual browsers!

Joe Allison writes both fiction and nonfiction, and has been a member of the Indiana chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers since 2010. He lives in Anderson, IN, with his wife Maribeth and daughter Heather.