I’ve always been a bit of a drama queen. I get very emotional over trivial things and often cry at the drop of a hat. When my now-husband Adam and I were dating, he learned to call me a “tear-jerker”– a phrase that still makes my heart melt every time I hear it. On our wedding day, Adam gave me a box of Kleenex and warned me not to scare myself by shedding too many tears. It’s safe to assume that writing about crying is something I’m very familiar with. I’ve written multiple articles on the topic, some of which you can find here, and–aside from this dedicated page–I even wrote a book about it:
If you’re looking for advice on how to write about crying, you’ve come to the right place. Below, you’ll find a simple guide detailing how to write fiction with a dramatic arc that keeps the reader interested and how to make the most out of your writing experience. Let’s get started.
Unexpected Turns
Since our brains are geared toward storytelling, it’s only natural that we would want to put this skill to use. We want our readers to feel something, to feel a connection to our characters and scenarios, and a good storyteller will always make us think and feel something. That’s what makes a good story — it forces you to think and feel something, to imagine something and live through it yourself, even if it’s something sad or happy; the point is that it makes you feel something. Sometimes that something is sadness, but often it’s happiness. It really is all about the story and whatever emotions it ignites in you.
This kind of story usually has an unexpected turn, something that changes the course of the story in some way. For instance, a romance might begin as a happy story about two people falling in love and getting married, but then the tables might turn and it becomes a tragedy as they are forced to part ways when one of them is diagnosed with a terminal illness. That is an unexpected turn that will make you feel something different than you did at the beginning of the story. In terms of writing a story with a dramatic arc, this is one of the most important things to keep in mind: make it surprising and, above all, make the reader care about the characters and the outcome of the story. The following are some tips on how to do that.
Keep It Real
To connect with your readers, you want to create a story that feels as real and genuine as possible. Write from your own experiences and draw on your own feelings to give your story some authenticity. If you’re writing about something that actually happened to you, it will resonate with your readers more and make them more interested in your story. Sometimes it’s good to write a story that is a combination of fact and fiction; the key is to make it seamless. If you do this effectively, you will make your readers believe that what you are writing is reality and they will feel as though they are living through this story with you. This authenticity will make a huge difference and give your story an extra sparkle and shine.
Sometimes it’s good to write about things that haven’t happened yet but which you anticipate will in the future. For example, if you are a journalist writing about the future of media, you can give your story some spice by including things such as:
- Selling of digital currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum
- The rise of artificial intelligence
- The death of print journalism
- Online abuse and safety
- The future of work
- Climate change
- The fight for equality
- The growing divide between the elites and the masses
- The rise of the ‘common’ person
- And many more…
These are all genuine and plausible concerns that are not only interesting but which you feel as the writer that your readers will be interested in. It is a good idea to do your research before you start writing and familiarize yourself with what is happening in the world today. If you write about things that you’re not familiar with, it can make you appear ignorant, which is never a good look in today’s world. Even if you are writing about something you’re an expert in, it can still be interesting for your reader to learn about new things from your perspective. Always make sure that your information is correct and that you’re using your own judgment and not that of someone else. In terms of research, don’t be afraid to hit the books or visit places to gain knowledge about a specific topic. That’s what made this country great – it wasn’t that long ago that America was practically a blank canvas, with opportunities available to anyone who decided to put down some roots and work hard. The same goes for you – if you do your research and learn about how to write a compelling story, the world is your oyster.
Use Your Imagination
As I mentioned above, sometimes it’s good to write about things that haven’t happened yet but which you anticipate will in the future. If you are writing about an experience that you had and which you feel was important at the time, don’t feel bad about putting it in a story. Indeed, sometimes it can even be a good idea to write about things that had happened before but which you feel should be brought to the forefront of society’s attention. One of the most important things to do if you want your story to have the potential to do some good is to imagine the best possible outcome and then use your writing and research to make it happen. You can use things such as:
- Past experience
- Success stories
- Proven methods
- New ideas
- And many more…
Whatever it is that you decide to write about, whether it’s something sad or happy, it’s always good to remember that your readers are more interested in your story than they are in anything else. Make sure that your story always has a protagonist (or antagonist) that your readers can empathize with. It can be challenging to write about things that are so personal, but that’s what makes it compelling. If you want to learn how to write a compelling story, the answer is simple – put yourself in the shoes of your readers and think about what would make them interested in your story, what would make them feel something, what would make them feel that this is a story that they need to read. From there, you can create an engaging narrative that will keep your readers on the edge of their seats.