ELISE MACKELPRANG

 I’ve always loved stories. At the age of 6 I was reading books for fun, at the age of three I watched my siblings play videogames that invited players into a world beyond reality, and the day I was born I was sung songs and lullabies by my mother. Whether oral or written, interactive or passive, stories are everywhere. It’s how we’re entertained, it’s how we remember what we believe, and it’s one of the most incredible things that differentiates us from the animals. Stories are the foundation of human identity, and it’s the easiest way for us to remember what’s important. A memory is nothing more than a story to tell other people, and the stories we embrace and remember define us. Our character and personality is a mere collection of experiences stored within a memory bank that taught us right from wrong, good from evil, and determined our goals and ambition.

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Today, stories come in all forms such as film, art, music, writing, dance, and videogames. The fundamental source to all of these mediums can be found in the art of writing. Writing is a technique that passes through time and space, where thoughts and intentions are known by another person without opening the mouth. Writing from ten days ago may be read ten years from now, in a different place and by any number of people. It is a profound power and skill that most take for granted today. Depending on what is written and how it is written, an author can bring tears to a stoic, laughter to the sad, and inspiration to the curious. What a man writes is what will allow him to live for eternity. What's written on stone (or online in today's world) can be molded and translated into a number of different forms. Scripts create movies and plays, writing describes the image that becomes art, and all of it becomes a new means of telling a story, and changing the hearts of the people. 

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Unfortunately, much of our stories today are flat, and stagnating. The entertainment industry releases remakes and reboots, recycle the same thoughts and ideas that already exist while ignoring new thoughts and problems, or even dismissing traditional values that still carry so much weight. Themese and messages are poorly presented or outright ignored. It does little to inspire the recipient beyond a temporary thought or passing fancy before they move on to the next distraction.   We live in a society where new stories remain unheard, unseen, and unfelt. Creative stories lack the exposure necessary to grow and become something fully tangible (or profitable). Yet they are there, and these stories deserve to be investigated and cultivated.

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That is my purpose. To make it easier for stories to be told, to make it possible for writers, musicians, artists, and creators to tell their stories through their chosen medium in such a way that they can be recognized for their value by the modern market. I want to use storytelling to better lives. Stories that return to works of literary depth, where human nature is reflected upon the pages and the screen-- where the characters and the plot display subtle parallels of ideals and principles, using motifs and patterns to reflect thoughts and opinions to inspire new thinking and new hope. I want creativity to have a chance to come forward in produced works, whether written, visual, or interactive, and I want these techniques to inspire righteous values. Values such as integrity, courage, charity, and virtue.