Why not every story needs to be a blockbuster
--> Drop the drama
So yesterday, I was scrolling through my emails (as you do) when I spotted this subject line screaming at me:
"How I nearly lost it all"
(Actually, that wasn’t quite the subject line, but I don’t want to make this about the specific email and the person who sent it - more the general trend it exemplifies)
Anyway, my curiosity obviously got the better of me and I opened it. I mean, who doesn't love a good tale of narrowly-averted disaster?
But as I read on, it became clear that our intrepid emailer hadn't exactly been teetering on the brink of total ruin.
Nope. Turns out he'd just had a minor setback. A blip. A tiny hiccup in the grand scheme of things.
Now, I'm not saying his experience wasn't important or potentially stressful. But "nearly lost it all"? Come on. That's like saying you almost drowned because you got splashed by a passing car.
It’s become a trend these days. “Use stories to make your writing more interesting” has become “use every tool in the fiction-writer’s arsenal to make your stories dramatic, emotion-wrenching must-reads”.
Here's the thing: not everything needs to be a heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat thriller to be interesting. In fact, constantly cranking up the drama to 11 is a bit like that friend who insists on yelling "Surprise!" every time they walk into a room. It gets old. Fast.
And worse, it subtly erodes trust.
When every story is life-or-death, when every setback is a catastrophe, when every success is a miracle... well, your readers start to wonder if maybe, just maybe, you're laying it on a bit thick.
Think about it: the most interesting people you know probably don't regale you with tales of narrowly escaping death every time you meet for coffee. They're interesting because they notice the little things, share genuine experiences, and occasionally surprise you with an unexpected insight.
Your emails can work the same way.
Instead of trying to turn every anecdote into a blockbuster movie, why not aim for something a bit more... real? A bit more you?
Maybe it's a small observation that made you chuckle. Or a minor frustration that led to an "aha" moment. Or even just a random thought that popped into your head while humming "Burlington Bertie from Bow" (I still have no idea why that was stuck in my head).
The point is, your readers signed up because they're interested in what you have to say. Not because they're expecting the email equivalent of a Michael Bay movie every time they open your message.
So next time you're tempted to amp up the drama in your subject line, take a breath. Ask yourself: "Is this really a 'nearly lost it all' situation? Or am I just trying a bit too hard to get attention?"
Because in the long run, it's the genuine, relatable stories that keep people coming back. Not the overhyped melodrama.
And of course, if you want to learn how to write emails that are genuinely engaging without resorting to clickbait tactics, well... you know where to find me.
- Ian