What exactly makes a great story so great? Is it the triumph of good over evil against all of the devilish odds? Is it the underdog rising to the top? Is it all of the Davids throughout the history of the world conquering all of the Goliaths? Can a great story be simple and less than five hundred words in length? Or does a great story need to have the word count of The Brothers Karamazov or the Holy Bible?

I believe great stories come in all shapes and sizes. They travel through kids on the playground during recess to old men swapping tales in a diner. Stories explode through poems, fiction, plays, paintings, photographs, songs, improvisational comedy, newspapers, sitcoms, movies, our very own lives, and the lives of all of the others we meet along the way.

All of our lives have moments of comedy and tragic times…