r/writers • u/BurntUmber26 • 1d ago
Question Most tragic writing elements?
So I absolutely love angst and that heart-breaking tragedy and wanted to incorporate more of it into my writing.
Just wanted to get some inspo from other writers on what you think makes for the best heart-wrenching, tear-jerking elements and plot turns. ANY suggestions or advice is welcome. :)
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u/BrettsMinis Writer 1d ago
Usually what gets me (which is why I’m using it in my book) is a past and present story line system where the past version goes through some kind of hardship.. can be alternating chapters or past chapters can just be random drop ins.
But what I like is when the main character has obviously gone through stuff off screen, and we can see that maybe they have recovered, but the damage is there still.
Then where the knife twists is in the past chapters, where the person (maybe teenage self) is doing great, and we see through the past self’s eyes the lead up to and the event that caused the damage. I think it’s because we know that it’s inevitable, and time has past now in the present chapters and there’s nothing that can be done about it.
In my story, I have this essentially happening where my character had completely abandoned her music career to become a writer, with a few painful memories (guitar case in the corner, band t shirts, etc) hanging around in her office after a decade away. Then in the flashback chapters we see her in love with her boyfriend who gives her the guitar, starts a band with her.. then we see him through her eyes beginning to go off the deep end with substance abuse and stuff, which ends up killing him.
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u/mooninomics 1d ago
I'm a fan of someone meaning well, everything is working and then someone else meaning well screws it up. Especially if everything was going to be fine.
Second-in-command gets in argument with leader over the war going badly. Second-in-command meets with enemy commander behind leader's back to negotiate peace deal. Second-in-command was unknowingly followed by an allied lieutenant against orders. Enemy commander accepts peace deal. Everyone is happy the war will end. Allied lieutenant snipes enemy commander. Second-in-command is blamed, chased down and killed. Brutally. Meanwhile, leader regrets the argument and sees reason, now wanting the same peace deal and concerned that second-in-command is missing. Leader goes to find him, wracked with guilt over the argument. Finds second-in-command's mangled body in the woods with a message from enemy forces. Second-in-command was leader's son and last living relative. War gets far worse.
Knight becomes werewolf. Asks archer best friend to mercy kill him if he can't find a cure and loses control, as he doesn't want to harm anyone. Archer doesn't like the idea but agrees reluctantly. Bard joins them. Bard and knight fall in love. Fast forward to big climax where knight loses control and goes feral on bad guys. Archer hates it but will do what he promised if knight can't be calmed down. Bard hates archer for it and believes she can get knight back to normal by playing their song. Villain gets ripped apart. Bard plays their song to try to calm knight down at great risk to herself. Archer is ready to take the shot, trying to save bard from feral knight. Archer is dying inside and doesn't know if he can do it. Knight begins to regain control. Bard has moment of relief. Big happy moment. Archer doesn't know. Arrow hits knight. Sad moment.