How To Write A Touching Short Story

“Only the foolish, blinded by language’s conventions, think of fire as red or gold. Fire is blue at its melancholy rim, green in its envious heart. It may burn white, or even, in its greatest rages, black.” – Salman Rushdie
When a writer bleeds words on to a page, he hopes in his heart of hearts that someone somewhere will read his work and feel a connection in his soul. Every writer writes, not just to get words out there, but to touch and influence readers in even the smallest ways. We write to touch lives, to somehow make the world a better, happier, wiser place.
While it is quite natural for some authors to spew out masterpiece after masterpiece, for others it is a little more difficult to figure out how to get that edge, that hook, that element that will reach down into the souls of each reader and yank at the depths. So, “How do you write a touching story”, you might ask; it can be simple, if you start right, young padawan.
The most important thing to remember when attempting to write a touching story is to write about what you know.
You definitely know how difficult it is to fake knowledge of an essay answer when you have no idea what the answer is. The tendency is for you to write random thoughts that seem correct and to go around in circles until you’ve written yourself into a corner.
So, write about what you know because this is the purest and easiest way to start. If you write about things that you have personally experienced, you can write authentically and confidently. You may even choose to think about how you’d react and what you would say in a fictional situation. Find a way to channel your deepest and strongest emotions, especially those that you’ve already experienced. It is often easier to start when you’ve got a strong personal emotion and experience you can draw inspiration from.
Remember that if it comes from within you, there’s more of chance of you writing something great. If you need any help, you can always do a little research.
Next, try to use elements that are easy to relate with. Create a character that can be real, who acts in a natural way, as if she were your friend or someone you know. Listen to the way people talk and use it in your story, having a child talk like a child and an adult speaking appropriately. Try to use situations that people can relate to, such as the loss of love or the death of a friend. The more relatable your situations, the wider the audience scope will be.
Don’t worry too much about how touching your story will be; it just might block you. Instead, focus on writing for you. Write because you just gotta. Write because the words need to be said. Write purely, authentically, seeking to please no one but yourself. Whatever you write, if it’s done purely, it will touch someone somewhere. And if there’s at least one, then that’s good enough. Just write.
Happy writing!