You've already identified the components of your story; to review, they are:

A character

Who wants something

But can’t have it because of an obstacle

And has already attempted on their own

Meets a guide (Jesus or perhaps someone Jesus sent) that helped the character overcome the obstacle, by giving them a plan

And calls them to action

To avoid failure and experience success

And experience transformation

Try to find a photo that represents the stakes in the story. Your character wants something- but why? Think of what is going to hook a viewer in- what will get them to ask a question or feel curious, and what question will they ask? A picture that shows what’s at stake in the story, or the results of the character attempting on their own, or the transformation at the end of the story are all very compelling- but if you don’t have those, a well framed photo of the character (you!) will be great too. If you need to take a photo, here are a couple of suggestions:

• The best photos are often the simplest- so just standing in front of a plain wall and using your face to tell a story or express an emotion — like happiness, sadness, or determination — can be a great way to use a photo to demonstrate the character and tell us a bit about the stakes.

• Or you could take a picture of a church, a camp, a group of friends who surrounded you during your transformation — something that reflects the change in your life.

Now that we picked a photo to represent our story in a compelling way, figure out which parts of the story the picture will illustrate for us. A photo of you takes care of the character, and if you’re showing us an emotion with your face, it might tell us what you want, the failure you avoided, or the success you experienced, or even the transformation you went through.

Maybe it’s a photo of your obstacle or the people that God used to help you overcome that obstacle.

Make a note of what your photo says for you.

Next, write a caption to cover the rest of the story. If you have established yourself and shown your transformation, your caption might say “I wanted something for so long, tried to get it on my own, but my obstacle was in the way. I’m so thankful God showed up when I needed Him most.”

Post this photo with your caption in a safe environment — click here for an invitation to the One Journey private Facebook group or, if you prefer, click here for an invite to the private Discord server. This is a great way to get feedback and encouragement from people just like you on the One Journey, and it’s also the best place to ask any questions you might have. It’s also a great practice run to help with nerves.

If you need to make any changes to your photo or your caption, this is the time. You can also share your new version back into the Facebook group or Discord server as many times as you like.

Now share it! Post it on social media, email it to a friend, or frame the photo on your wall and use your caption as a conversation starter for a guest who comes over to your house.