Maybe I am The Scarlet Witch… Maybe I’m Not.

“Maybe I am The Scarlet Witch.

Unaware that I’ve created a false reality, but not false enough to mean that it doesn’t exist - that the people inside aren’t real.

Does that make me schizophrenic?

I used to think that I was screaming death in his face and scaring him away. Like I was some fierce being that couldn't be defeated. Like I had actual powers or something. I used to think that if she died, I would release a silent rage, a silent pain, that destroyed everything.

A silent pain heard and felt and seen and touched and breathed.”

How did I write this intro?

I used trending topics of the time.
I used my own experiences.
I used my own emotions.

The story, although written as prose poetry, or experimental autobiography (which has very little rules), is a fictional story.

That doesn’t mean that it’s a lie.
Or that it’s a falsehood.

It’s not a story written to lead people on.
It’s also not a story meant to hoodwink or trick someone.
It’s not a story selling anything.

But you know what? People did buy in.
It was rated as a top story in July 2022 on Vocal.

How did I claim Top Story?
By accident.
No, seriously.

I wrote from my heart, I used extremely descriptive and emotional imagery, I didn’t care if my words were too sad, or too angry, or too much for my audience.
I just wrote.
And I kept writing until I cried all over my laptop.

My biggest belief in my storytelling:
If you, the author, can’t stop crying while you write the story, you’re doing something right.

Emotions are the biggest connectors that we have to one another.
And that includes our audience and clients!

My top 3 top of mind storytelling tips that you can use to connect with your audience and to evoke that emotional reaction are:

(Everyone says: “know your audience” is key, I’m ignoring this, it’s said too much, and sometimes, when you ignore the audience, and write the words locked inside, you can create some really powerful stories.)

1. Create Relatable Characters

My relatable character: Me.

And your relatable character? You.
You know you better than anyone.
You know what moves you.

By creating a character that embodies you, and in turn, your audience, you will be able to connect your audience with the heart of any story - through yourself.

2. Build Emotional Investments

When your audience cares about the story, they’re invested.
They want to know what’s going to happen next.
They want to purchase that one thing that solves the problem.

Creating anticipation and emotional investment can be achieved through conflicts, tension, and resolutions.
All three of these things keep the audience engaged and wanting to know more.
Therefore, they keep reading.

3. Show, Don't Tell

Letting emotions unfold through actions and dialogue make the story more immersive.

Which makes the story more real.
Which ties into creating an emotional investment.
Which ties into the customer journey.
Which we’ll get into in another episode…

Stay tuned!

To read my full story about The Scarlet Witch, check out my Vocal Media profile:

https://vocal.media/poets/maybe-i-am-the-scarlet-witch

To subscribe to my LinkedIn Newsletter, Write on Time, where this article was originally published, click the link below!
https://bit.ly/3vl6zWo