Allegory is one excellent way to preserve truth in a relative format. Storytelling appeals to everyone. The lure of an allegory is in expressive language and colorful imagery. Using words to paint a picture in the mind is the sign of a true creative. Using that imagery to express an idea is pure genius. Spirituality has offered an abundance of material for allegorical expression. Authors such as Calvin Miller, C.S. Lewis and John Bunyan wrote creatively to express a spiritual journey. Allegory is not exclusive to one faith or religious movement. Many authors seek to communicate an effective truth using the appeal of storytelling.

Stories of the hero or warrior have circulated in many parts of the world, many reflecting a significant journey of faith and belief in the supernatural. American culture presents a sort of spiritual journey in comic book mythology. Many superheroes have embarked on a journey of self discovery, pertaining to a human element within them. The stories of such journeys serve as an access point to relation for humanity. It is through storytelling that the reader engages with a character and finds themselves in a place of empathetic response. It is as if the reader participates in a journey they would otherwise never experience and comes to learn the lesson of the character.

In order to write allegory, it is imperative to first determine the value or moral that will result from enlightenment. Once the value is determined, character development allows for relationship. The character is the one for whom the reader cheers and sorrows. As the journey deepens, the reader becomes more and more a part of the experience. Writing the journey itself is the storyteller’s canvas. The path to enlightenment for our hero will be plagued with trials which mirror those of a common human’s plight, yet may be set in a fantastic world of imagination. Hence, while the reader is lost in a story of colorful delight, they are also learning lessons of value.

I am a sucker for a great action flick, especially if it stars a certain ruggedly handsome hero, donning a fedora. Though, for all its charm and intrigue, it surprises me that the adventure rarely changes. The story line shows a characters normative, their fears, points of sensitivity and stress, and then the plot inevitably brings the hero to a place of exposure and vulnerability wherein a lesson is exposed. Is it about who you should trust? Is it about decisions? Family? Or simply a reminder that we should never leave home without a swiss army knife and a bull whip.

The best way to become a writer of allegory is to become a reader of allegory. Engage with other writers through their work. Writers don’t just write, they read; and it is an unquenchable thirst for perpetuating the art of storytelling that urges the reader to write. A writer must never forget that the reader is waiting to discover the great truths that lie below the surface.