A Leap of Faith

Years ago, I had the honour of interviewing screenwriting expert Michael Hauge, who has worked with Will Smith, Reese Witherspoon and countless others.

He told me that all stories, really, are about courage.

The courage to do the scary thing.

To stand up for what you believe.

To love.

To leave.

As I’ve been working on my own stories – in fiction and, well, life – I’ve been thinking about that.

Take that proverbial phrase for example – leap of faith. It’s about drumming up the courage to take that first step – or the next one – but it’s a step in faith, too.

That everything will work out.

That we’ll be okay on the other side.

Can you have courage without faith?

And can you have faith without courage?

Deep thoughts, I know. And I don’t have the answers. Perhaps the answers are different for everyone, anyway.

Still, I’m curious:

What does courage look like for you today?

And what must you believe to take a step toward it?

If, like me, you are working on a book, a screenplay, or a talk – what kind of courage does your audience or protagonist need help with?

What are the obstacles in their way?

And what do they need to believe to take that leap of faith?

If you know the answers to that, you probably have a helluva story in your hands.