Finding Ourselves in Fiction: How Stories Inspire and Heal

Ever glanced at your quirky in-laws and thought, “You belong in a novel”? You’re not alone. Stories have a unique way of stirring emotions, just like the people in our lives. Whether it’s an exploration of grief, like John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, or the sci-fi franchise we know and love as Star Trek, fiction provokes our reflection and connects us to our shared humanity. And it goes both ways: reflecting on our lives to inspire our fiction likewise enriches our stories, and deepens our capacity for empathy for each other and the world we live in.

We’ve all heard “write what you know,” but what does that mean, really? It means the people in your life matter, and you matter. When you think of those you know well—whether they make your day or drive you up the wall—there’s an emotional charge. That charge is the storyteller’s goldmine. Let those thoughts and feelings loose in your writing, and you’ll have a wealth of authentic material to draw from for your fiction. While your characters are fictional, your relationships are real, so a mindful touch is ideal. You might find it healing to work out any angst you have with those people through the lens of your characters. Perhaps through writing, you’ll glean some insight into why you feel the way you do, and why they are the way they are. Besides being a pro tip for writing nuanced characters, writing what you know provides an extraordinary opportunity for insight and empathy.

I’ll tell you a story about a story…

When I was just seven, I wrote a short fiction piece on what I thought was the pinnacle of my own creative genius: a potato, but PURPLE. You can imagine how humbled I was to discover the red-skinned sweet potato in our local supermarket the following week. Turns out it was brought to Aotearoa New Zealand by my Polynesian ancestors in the 13^th century. Whoops. This innocent faux pas taught me an early lesson about the richness of drawing from real life: even the most mundane details of our world can inspire creativity and connect us to our roots–like a potato. Examining that story now, I can see my heritage in it, grounding my fiction with real-world authenticity while sharing the history of the Pacific peoples—an underrepresented group I was only nebulously aware I belonged to when I wrote it. My story became an exercise in self-discovery and interconnectedness, where I was able to find deeper meaning in both my writing, myself, and the world around me. Magic.

Consider how you engage with the stories of your own life. Do you find echoes of yourself in the epic tales of heroism or in quiet moments of introspection? Do the natural phenomena of the world stir a new appreciation for nature in you? By understanding these connections, we can glean new and deeper insights, and sometimes, that can be just as powerful as the latest advances in psychology or the innovations that fight climate change. Sure, you might just be telling stories, but don’t you feel you’ve learned a whole lot? Enclosure: enriched. Neurons: activated. 

We all have a story!

Stories remind us that everyone has a voice worth hearing, a story worth telling, and the power to rewrite the narratives that define their lives—and, in turn, the world. It’s this belief that fuels our work at F(r)iction and its nonprofit parent Brink, where we strive through our education programming to create spaces for new and underrepresented voices to be discovered, shared, and celebrated. Whether it’s a purple potato or a mission to boldly go where no man has gone before, we believe stories have the power to inspire and heal. If that sounds like your jam too, you can explore how we make it happen on the Brink website.

I’m reminded of the famous quote by Jean-Paul Sartre. He says: “A man is always a teller of tales, he sees everything that happens to him through them; and he tries to live his own life as if he were telling a story. But you have to choose: live or tell.”

To that I say, it’s both. It’s always been both.

The Power of Stories is a limited blog series that dives into the ways stories weave themselves into the fabric of our lives. It’s an invitation to reflect on how narratives—whether passed down through generations or splashed across the big screen—shape who we are, how we connect, and the worlds we imagine. Each post peels back a new layer of storytelling, so stay tuned—next up, we’re diving into the enchanting world of escapism. See you there!

Suggested Reading: Stories that Inspire and Heal from F(r)iction:

• ‘Bloodline Whispers’ by Naomi Rae in ‘Footprints Ahead: A Community Feature with The Octavia Project’,  F(r)iction #18: The Legacy Issue
• ‘Grief is The Bird’ by Samantha Jean Coxall, F(r)iction #18: The Legacy Issue