Storytelling Resources
A reporter’s notebook is full of tidbits that never make it to print, which is why I curated some of my favorite resources, research, and references to accompany this book.
“Faith Storytellers: Unleash the Power of Your Story” is everything I know about the art and craft of faith storytelling. But as I researched, tested, and wrote this book, I discovered far more than I could ever include within these pages.
That’s why I’m opening my proverbial “reporter’s notebook” to you below. You’ll find additional resources (below) to help you:
➤ Craft and share your faith story
➤ Dive deeper into faith and writing
— Mackenzie
P.S. Stay in touch by joining the Faith Storytellers newsletter.
Facilitate discussion
Book club discussion guide
Quiz: Storytelling personality
Abbie’s story: In the news
➤ Read the Des Moines Register article
➤ Video: Abbie meets state trooper
➤ Video: Abbie’s healing story
➤ Podcast: Abbie’s 2017 interview
Pat’s story: The video her son made
➤ Video: Pat’s son Eric recorded his “last wishes” prior to Eric dying in a plane crash.
Miracle stories
➤ Video: Pastor miraculously regains use of vocal cords on live recording (starts at 9:30).
➤ Podcast: Hearing God through prayer and our church’s miracle or rings “sticking” to walls (starts at 28:20).
➤ Article: Harvard Medical School professor says ‘Miracles from Heaven’ and other remarkable cures could be real
➤ Full list of miracles performed by Jesus in the Bible.
Share your story
Story structure cheat sheet
Faith story prompts
Gratitude story worksheet
Tips for public speaking
Submit your story for consideration in a future Faith Storytellers book
➤ Read faith stories online or in Part II of the “Faith Storytellers book” to get a sense of the stories we consider. We seek a wide variety of stories: joyful, sad, exciting, difficult, adventurous, inspirational, funny, moving, etc.
➤ Follow the Faith Storytellers Framework.
➤ Check your story against the Faith Story Guardrails.
➤ Use our style guide for proper formatting and punctuation.
➤ Submit your faith story for consideration here.
Dive deeper
Bible verses
Storytelling tips
Recommended films:
➤ Deidox Films. Short and feature-length documentaries. (Short films are typically 5 minutes; Free Burma Rangers is 1 hour 30 minutes.)
➤ Faith & Co. Short documentaries on living out your faith at work (typically 10-15 minutes long).
Recommended podcasts:
➤ Compelled. Longer stories about an individual’s lifelong journey to faith (typically 1 hour).
➤ Wow God Stories. Mid-length stories about a specific way God worked in an individual’s life (typically 30 minutes).
Recommended books:
➤ “Case for Christ” series by Lee Strobel. Mackenzie read most of Strobel’s books as an adult as she wrestled with her faith. They were an important part of her spiritual healing following a car crash in her late 20s that left her with herniated and bulging discs in her neck and back.
➤ “On Writing Well” by William Zinsser. Mackenzie read this book each year for multiple years at the start of her journalism career.
➤ “Good Prose” by Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd. Kidder is Mackenzie’s favorite nonfiction authors, and this book explores the journey of writing, the relationship between a writer and editor, and the importance of finding the “right fit” topic. Kidder’s career as a journalism flourished once he started writing about the goodness in people.