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When you are reading, what is that makes you cry?
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Kenzi
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Feb 01, 2014 01:45PM
In my novel my character is a bit wild and rebellious in a good mode but when something bad happens, he gets border line suicidal. What type of thing could I put in that would make you cry? What makes you cry when you are reading? The sweet moments? The depressing horrible stuff? Angry outrages? Any advice on the subject would be great!
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The heartbreaking moments. I'm not a crier, but if the book "When It Rains" by Lisa Dejong made me ball like a little baby. I was crying and I didn't even realize I was crying LOL. For me it's the moments that are just terrifying and heartbreaking, but with a tinge of happiness and nostalgia. Like for me I'd be more likely to cry at the flashbacks. I'm not sure what your book is about, but I'm more likely to cry when I see flashes of the impactful moments that the deceased had on the MC. Like the goodbye that was never meant to be a goodbye or the goodbye that was so inevitable.
There are many different things that can evoke an emotional response in a reader, from sweet to bittersweet to tragic.Sometimes it's the simple things that work best.
The dying man who decides to wait with and be a companion to an artificial entity while it counts down to self-destruct.
The spirit of a woman who died young, that comes back from the other side to save the rebellious granddaughter she never met, but has to return as soon as the younger woman is safe.
With the setting you have, define your character's pain so you can access it and you'll have your answer.
That helps quite a bit. My mc hasn't really had any deaths of people they know. Do you think adding one would be good? Its a very intense and somewhat complex plot. He is siding with a villian to keep his family safe. But in certain ways he kind of likes helping this guy.
KeNzI wrote: "That helps quite a bit. My mc hasn't really had any deaths of people they know. Do you think adding one would be good? Its a very intense and somewhat complex plot. He is siding with a villian to ..."What if someone he's trying to protect dies due to his actions?
R.F.G. wrote: "There are many different things that can evoke an emotional response in a reader, from sweet to bittersweet to tragic.Sometimes it's the simple things that work best.
The dying man who decides t..."
Thanks! That actually is what I needed to hear! Define the pain. My only issue is the pain is somewhat pleasing to the mc
If it fits. Which it might. If he's siding with a villian and he likes it, it would be interesting if there's an undercurrent reasoning for why he likes it. Like maybe it makes him feel like he's getting vengeance for the death of his friend or whatever you want to do. You know what i mean?
R.F.G. wrote: "KeNzI wrote: "That helps quite a bit. My mc hasn't really had any deaths of people they know. Do you think adding one would be good? Its a very intense and somewhat complex plot. He is siding with..."Yes!
Tianna wrote: "If it fits. Which it might. If he's siding with a villian and he likes it, it would be interesting if there's an undercurrent reasoning for why he likes it. Like maybe it makes him feel like he's g..."Totally! You guys are geniuses
I make no claim to genius, I've just covered some interesting territory in my lifetime.
ITS AWESOME! YOU GUYS JUST BROUGHT MY NEXT CHAPTER TO LIFE!
Glad to have been of help -- I've got roughly 24 projects to finish, so I might ask for a nudge in return at some point.
My second effort was very emotional, I wanted it to be, if I wasn't weeping when I wrote it how could I hope that my readers would? It still gives me an emotional pull even now and readers have told me it made them cry. I try not to smile at the reaction.
There is a part in my second western that never fails to bring me to tears; I can only hope it has the same effect on my readers.
A man who's dying, and a machine that wants to die. Both have their reasons to seek an early end, and it involves their respective pasts as well as their families.
KeNzI wrote: "But what scenes are they?"Sorry didn't say that, mine is a virus catastrophe where the victims know they will die so choose to end it early. The particular scene I found most emotional was on a beach where an ill woman watches her well man for the last time. That whole section of the book has several other emotional scenes.
Oh gosh. I cry at a lot of books, sad endings, poignoint endings. Watership Down, Wuthering Heights, Schindlers List, Phantom of the Opera, Reach for the Sky, Beyond Wizrdwall, I blubbed.
Nearly all of Cathy Kelly's books have me reaching for the tissues!
I'm planning to write a book about a guy wanting revenge for the murder of his parents, but then he meets an old man who recounts his life (he wanted revenge too). I need to have a lot of sad scenes in it, a lot of scenes that'll break your heart or make you cry. Any ideas?
The reminicising will do its job well enough just do parts that seem sentimental and sweet memories and you would have me bawling
All right then.
Here's a sample:
I sprinted into the abandoned subway station and looked wildly around, shouting, "Amanda! It's me, Daniel! Where are you?" I then heard some coughing in the direction of the ticket booth. I ran straight towards the ticket booth. Then I saw here there, on the cold concrete floor, a pool of blood slowly expanding around her. I screeched to halt and fell to my knees before Amanda. I grabbed her and lifted her up slightly. "Amanda! Amanda, answer me! Who did this to you?"
Amanda opened her eyes and looked at me, tears welling in her eyes. "Daniel? Is that you?" She coughed up some blood. Terrified for her life, I grabbed her cell and began to dial 911. "I'll call an ambulance! Don't worry, you'll be - " Suddenly, she knocked the phone from my hands. "It's all right, Daniel." I was frozen with shock and fear. Then I shook myself out of my daze. "What are you doing, Amanda? We need to get you medical attention immediately!" I reached for the phone but she grabbed my hand, stopping me.
"Daniel, I always loved you…even when I learned that you had killed my…my cousin…I couldn't bring myself to hate you…even when I was diagnosed with amnesia…I fell in love with you again." Tears began to spill, streaming down my pale cheeks. "No, don't die! Don't die!" I didn't know where the cell phone was anmore. It was lost in the dark, and I had forgotten my own. I pressed my hands down on her wound as her blood began to spread even more. "Don't die! Don't die!"
Amanda smiled softly as her glazed green eyes began to close. "No matter how many times I'm reborn, I'll always fall in love with you. That's all right with you Daniel, right? That's all right…because it'll be me in a new form. I'll always love you, even in death…" Her eyes then closed completely.
The world slowed down around me. I froze with horror at what had just happened. Then my world shattered. "Amanda…Amanda!" I screamed her name over and over again. When we were found by the authorities, I wouldn't - no, I couldn't - stop screaming her name.
Here's a sample:
I sprinted into the abandoned subway station and looked wildly around, shouting, "Amanda! It's me, Daniel! Where are you?" I then heard some coughing in the direction of the ticket booth. I ran straight towards the ticket booth. Then I saw here there, on the cold concrete floor, a pool of blood slowly expanding around her. I screeched to halt and fell to my knees before Amanda. I grabbed her and lifted her up slightly. "Amanda! Amanda, answer me! Who did this to you?"
Amanda opened her eyes and looked at me, tears welling in her eyes. "Daniel? Is that you?" She coughed up some blood. Terrified for her life, I grabbed her cell and began to dial 911. "I'll call an ambulance! Don't worry, you'll be - " Suddenly, she knocked the phone from my hands. "It's all right, Daniel." I was frozen with shock and fear. Then I shook myself out of my daze. "What are you doing, Amanda? We need to get you medical attention immediately!" I reached for the phone but she grabbed my hand, stopping me.
"Daniel, I always loved you…even when I learned that you had killed my…my cousin…I couldn't bring myself to hate you…even when I was diagnosed with amnesia…I fell in love with you again." Tears began to spill, streaming down my pale cheeks. "No, don't die! Don't die!" I didn't know where the cell phone was anmore. It was lost in the dark, and I had forgotten my own. I pressed my hands down on her wound as her blood began to spread even more. "Don't die! Don't die!"
Amanda smiled softly as her glazed green eyes began to close. "No matter how many times I'm reborn, I'll always fall in love with you. That's all right with you Daniel, right? That's all right…because it'll be me in a new form. I'll always love you, even in death…" Her eyes then closed completely.
The world slowed down around me. I froze with horror at what had just happened. Then my world shattered. "Amanda…Amanda!" I screamed her name over and over again. When we were found by the authorities, I wouldn't - no, I couldn't - stop screaming her name.
What do you think? What should I do to improve it?
This was close. I started to get a bit of a teary feeling. I might have more if it was in full context but here it what I can say to help you! Put a thought process. What Amanda was to him how she made him feel. Imagining life without her. How to fix the situation. Something! It will make the reader feel closer and more understanding of the realationship and how it affects Daniel. Also an author recommended this to ne on one of my scenes. How does the character feel physically.? Is he on the verge of tears are they hot? Adrenaline or no? Compression in the chest? Something like that. Hope this helps ask anymore questions you have :) I am happy to help!
All right then! I'll try that!
Hey, what would you recommend for a betrayal? I want the old man (Daniel) to remember a betrayal in his life, and I'd like it to be sad, but not so sad that you'll cry. I just want it to make you a bit teary. How should I do it?
Hey, what would you recommend for a betrayal? I want the old man (Daniel) to remember a betrayal in his life, and I'd like it to be sad, but not so sad that you'll cry. I just want it to make you a bit teary. How should I do it?
Well... Hmmm if his love dies....than it cant be someone stealing his true love XD maybe someone could have done something that night (don't know the scenario) to help Amanda even before hand or told her where she was or something and didn't for a selfish reason. Maybe even becuz they didn't like Daniel being with her? Or somebody sold him out to a boss to get ahead even when he thought they where great friends. You could really play up on how much Daniel needed the job (promotion) for somethign important or he had been wanting it a very long time. But maybe he needs money for a ill family member or to be able to move to a country far away to meet a person (relative old friend etc) lemme know
I've been planning for David and another guy to become really close friends, but then he finds out that the guy killed Amanda because he was jealous of Daniel, and that the guy also framed David because he wanted the position that Daniel got as a promotion from their boss (David is framed for a crime he didn't commit and then he is found guilty and spends five years in jail).
So then that seems perfect? Did you need a more minor one or something? :)
The things that make me cry are always the things I can relate to. In The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, one of the scenes is where Hazel is looking into Augustus' casket and she says something along the lines of, "And it suddenly hit me that I'd never see his blue eyes again." I related to that thinking of past funerals I've gone to, thinking things such as "I'll never hear their voice again" or "I'll never go to their house on Christmas ever again." It struck up a personal, relatable memory and that's what made me cry.
There are some signs of emotion. a good strong piece of writing like this is a good start.
I am currently writing about an unlikely team
that discover they all share the same connection
sadly this is verbal if not physical abuse.
As I said the three characters are all female.
but their jobs are tested when ' faith' plays a part.
How ever the emotion are strong:
I have never cried at all. Not even at funerals.
I do tend to bit my lip and shed one tear.
Try and make me cry that is you target.
I am a hard one to upset Good luck.
I didn't even cry at Titanic.
