Writing a Parable

1.) Select a parable from the New Testament (e.g., the prodigal son, or the good Samaritan) or a story from the Old Testament (e.g., Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz; David and Goliath). You may rewrite the whole story or a specific scene(s). Some ideas are listed below.

Prodigal Son : Write a conversation between the father and older brother while the younger brother is away.
The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) : Write a conversation between the Samaritan and the man at the inn after the Samaritan returned from his journey.
Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz (Ruth 1-4) : Rewrite the scene at the city gate when Boaz meets with the kinsman redeemer, then offers to take Ruth and marry her.
David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) : Write a story about David and his brothers once he arrived at the battlefield.
2.) Read the story and take notes on the characters. Write a character list and descriptions.

Sometimes characters are not named. You can either give them names or write them as a title and number (e.g., Son #1, Son #2).
3.) Visualize and write the setting. Where and when is the story taking place? The story can be in the past or present; if there are multiple settings, please make sure to include them!

4.) Write the theme, which is the lesson of the story. A well-written emphasis should be one sentence long. If you are having some trouble finding the emphasis, try asking yourself these questions:

What is the lesson or moral of the story?
What did the character(s) learn?
How can I apply the emphasis to my own life?
5.) Write the introduction, also called the exposition.

6.) Rewrite the story in modern English as a story or a script. Copying and pasting from the Bible is not acceptable, even if it has modern language. You must have at least 400 words of dialogue, not including the other elements.

7.) Proofread your paper for any errors.

8.) Save your paper. The title must be your first name, last name, name of assignment (Brianne Johnson – Parable Essay).

12-point Times New Roman or Arial font
1-inch margins, double spaced
Heading and headers
Write at least 400 words for the dialogue portion of the essay.
Works Cited page
When saving your paper, the title must be your first name, last name, name of assignment (Brianne Johnson – Parable Essay).