We live in a grand era for television. There is a surplus of quality stories on the screen right now and it’s too bad we don’t have enough time to view them all. If we did, we wouldn’t have much left to live our own stories.

However, there are some that are worth slicing out time for (or scheduling your DVR for).  Here are five of my favorite scripted shows on television right now.  If you’ve got a taste for solid storytelling, you might enjoy them too.

Sons of Anarchy (1)

Premise: Explores the lives of members of an Outlaw motorcycle club (MC) who learn to adapt in an evolving town while a ghost from the past surfaces questions that influences their future.

Why I love it:  Besides the intriguing world of MC’s, this appeals to me because it’s about family. The upbeats and beatdowns of a close-knit crew who would do anything for one another really connects with me (and apparently millions of others). Also, the storytelling of the three main characters (Jax, Jemma, and Clay) is dynamic and really drives the show. The Creator, Kurt Sutter, and his crew have something special here.

Dexter (2)

Premise: Vigilante serial killer, and blood spatter expert for the Miami Police Department, explores the depths of what it means to be human.

Why I love it:  Conventional wisdom says you shouldn’t root for a guy who kills people. Yet, that’s what happens to viewers who experience Dexter. For starters, you know his backstory which explains why he is the way he is. Then, you mix in the fact that he’s channeled his killer instinct to take out vicious criminals, and before you know it, he doesn’t seem so bad. Ultimately, he represents all of us and what we’re capable of on both ends of the morality spectrum.

Modern Family (3)

Premise: One family, consisting of three diverse families, experience the outrageous reality that there’s no such thing as a normal family.

Why I love it:  It’s clever, funny, and moves fast. All things a comedic sitcom should be.  It’s also relatable. All viewers have family members who are little off (if you don’t, it’s probably you). At the end of the day, the family loves one another despite their antics and that’s heart behind this witty show.

Mad Men (4)

Premise: Advertising executives from the 1960′s navigate the changing times within culture and themselves.

Why I love it:  The advertising age the show depicts a period that seems so glamorous and is what hooks you at first. This was a time when cartoons like The Flintstones could market cigarettes and no one thought twice. As you step into the story, you discover it’s about image and appearances, but not just in advertising, but also in humanity. It reveals how what’s happening externally doesn’t always represent what’s going on internally.  This is certainly what we see in the lead character, Don Draper. And if we’re honest, it’s what often see within us.

Raising Hope (5)

Premise: Following the arrival of an unexpected daughter, a dude and his parents must learn to help her grow up while growing up themselves.

Why I love it:  The sitcom is charming and full of heart yet doesn’t take itself too seriously. Besides being hilarious, it contains the most important element that all stories should have: change.  The creators of the show did an excellent job of establishing a starting point with the characters and with each episode, they give us glimpses of their growth.

How about you? What shows do you dig?

Honorable mentions: Breaking Bad, The Office, Justified, Parenthood, Parks and Recreation.

Some stories need changing.

This weekend, we hosted a screening of the documentary, Sex+Money: A National Search for Human Worth. The film highlights the issue of human trafficking and exploitation in the U.S.  For many, it was the first they had thought of the issue. And the impressions following the screening varied from reflective sadness to indignant anger.  It was clear to many that this was a story that needs changing and that they need to be a part of changing it.

How about you?

Is there a story that needs changing that you should be a part of?  Is there something in this world, in your community, or in your relationships that fires you up? Something that makes you think, “This should not be!”? That makes you think, “Someone should do something about that!”

Perhaps that someone is you?

You can gripe about it or you can do something about it. It’s up to you. But heroes do something, and I believe that’s who you are.

If you act, you’ll discover that you’re not alone. Others are passionate about the same thing. And it’s remarkable what a group of people who are fueled with the same passion and driven by the same goal can accomplish.

They make a difference. They change a story. They do what they’re called to do. They become who they were meant to be.

Why not you?

I was fidgeting with the little cups of half-and-half as a good friend and I were talking life over lunch. Both of us being the ambitious dreamers that we are, we discussed all of the hats that we wear and all the ones we hope to wear.

As I shared my current roles and aspirations, I randomly placed a thimble of half-and-half on the table for each one I mentioned. When I was done, I looked at all those little cups scattered on the table, representing my life, and began to line them up by priority.

Then it hit me!

There’s a thread that connects them all. I identified what all of these cups had in common and a theme emerged. And let me tell you, it was such a moment of clarity for me!  So much so, I themed this site after it.

That’s the thing about a story, it needs a theme. So does your story.

If someone asked you what your favorite film was about, you could describe it, right? Could you do the same thing for your life? 

Here’s the thing: you have been empowered to craft the theme for your life. You get to decide based on your interests, talents, passions, and convictions.

Let me encourage you to inventory the roles in your story and the ones you hope to have.  Use a tangible object (half-and-half cups, pen and paper, Fruity Pebbles, whatever), and ask these questions:

• What do these roles have in common?
• If someone didn’t know me and saw this, what would they think matters to me?
• Which ones get my juices flowing most?
• Is there anything I need to let go of?
• And of course, does this line up with what God wants for my life?

 
Chances are, a theme is there just waiting to surface. It was there all along. And once you identify the theme, it will help you make better decisions and live a better story.

At least that’s what I’m learning.

There is nothing like the rush of a good idea. When you hold this nugget of inspiration in your hand, so full of potential and life, it’s as if you’re holding a winning lottery ticket.

Those who live in the realm of ideas know how beautiful and rare this is.  Mostly because we’ve had so many ideas fall flat. And when a good one comes along, we great take pains to nurture it to life.

So how do you know you have a good idea?

While there’s no formula, I do believe all ideas contain these five basic elements in its anatomy:

Irony - This may seem odd, but every good idea should be ironic when contrasted with the current state of things.  It should have a sense of turning something on it’s head in an unexpected way. It’s what snags the attention of others and hooks their interest. Locally, there’s a car dealership that wants to sell cars. Not unusual.  But their promotion is to plant a tree every time they do sell a car, which is unexpected because vehicles are known more for what they do to the environment than what they do for it. That’s a bit of irony. (I love this piece on irony from The Oatmeal)

Simple - You must be able to explain it clearly and succinctly. If not, it’s too complicated and can’t travel into the imaginations of others.  As Einsten is quoted as saying, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough”

The Click -  This is the, “A-ha!” moment when the gist of your idea connects with someone other than yourself. Many of my ideas were amazing until I tried to communicate them to someone else. Then I realized how off they really were. But the ideas that required minimal convincing before another person could picture it, were the ones that have blossomed most.

Solves a Problem -  Every single idea must solve a problem, or else why bother? There’s a need out there somewhere and your idea is the solution.

Pushback – If your idea goes in a different direction than conventional wisdom, it means it’s going to change something. When you change things, some people won’t like it. Even more, some will push back. I would add that if you don’t have any pushback after making your idea public, you likely don’t have a very strong idea.

Where do good ideas come from?

When I try to manufacture ideas, such as standing a whiteboard, looking at a piece of paper, or staring at a computer screen, the ideas I have are, well, ordinary at best. Yet, there’s still a purpose for doing these activities because it’s where the work begins.

However, it seems the best ideas I’ve ever conceived, or heard of, have come from one of two places. This is where the magic happens:

1) Out of the sky – It never fails. When I do normal things like taking a shower, playing catch, driving my car, getting a manicure (oh, wait), these are the times when an idea strikes me like a lightening bolt.  This is why I always keep something on me to record it.  Pen or paper, phone, iPad, laptop. If you want to catch lightening in a bottle, you’ve got to have a bottle nearby.

2) Piggybacking - The best reason I can think of to share your idea with someone else is because of what it could lead to.  You and a friend are discussing some idea when BAM!, you are inspired by a fresh idea.  You realize the original idea was just the foundation for this new and better idea.  This could be the wall you needed to breakthrough, or it perhaps an entirely different idea, or the merging of several ideas. Regardless, you needed to flesh it out before you could find it out.

Think back to your best ideas. When have they struck you? Do they contain these basic elements? I hope these tips help you in generating your ideas.

God knows the world needs them.