The Power of a Good Story

A good story always leaves me hungry for more. But it does so much more than that. A love story can break my heart and make me cry. I fall in love with characters, and when they're gone, I miss them. Sometimes when a book ends, I can even get depressed because the characters are no longer in my life. When someone gets that wrapped up in a book, you know you've done a good job as a writer. 

You also can affect people's opinions of things. When I was child, I remember seeing Mary Poppins for the first time. Because of that movie, I fell in love with London and with British accents. Those endearments stuck with me throughout my adult life. 

If you asked me what's the most powerful love story of all time, I would say The Thorn Birds, by Colleen McCullough. It was a story of unrequited love. The kind that leaves you feeling empty and unfinished inside. And even though I read it in the 1980s, I still  think it was the best love story I've ever read. It left a mark on me that will always be there. 

So how does one write a powerfully good story? You keep it real and raw. You give the characters pain and heartache and loneliness and anger and love and tears of joy. You make them work their fingers to the bone to get what they want. You let them rise up from the ashes and overcome their challenges. Achieve their dreams. You surprise the reader with events they didn't see coming. You leave the reader wanting more for themselves and for the characters. 

After you've written a scene, sit back and ask, did it make you feel anything? Show it to your friends and colleagues. Make them describe it. Did it make them sad, happy, angry? If not, perhaps you need to add more detail to describe what the character is truly feeling. 

The power of a good story is in the words you choose and the way you put them together. Remember, you have the power to leave an imprint on someone's life with your story. Make it a good one.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.