Fifty-five couples from around the world have worked with me to document the stories surrounding how they met, fell in love, and why they’re pledging a lifetime together.
You see, I'm at the same time a fractional content strategist for businesses and a love storyteller for engaged couples.
I don’t take the task of capturing love stories lightly. On the contrary, in fact. It's deeply personal. I'm conveying the most intimate moments of a couple's life together. They're counting on me to turn their memories into memoirs.
I say to myself, “If I were a fiction author writing the next New York Times best-selling novel, how would I make this story a page-turner?"
In essence, how do I write an engaging story that this couple is going to cherish for a lifetime?
For that, I rely on some time-tested approaches. These techniques work for all types of stories–even business stories. That's because they evoke emotions that keep readers reading, emotions like suspense, intrigue, surprise, and curiosity.
The key to writing engaging content is to tap into your readers' emotions and their desire to want to know how the story is going to unfold in the next paragraph and on the next page–or scroll.
Apply these techniques and you'll see your engagement rates soar. I'm using examples from some of my love stories to bring each technique to life.
Your first paragraph fascinates the reader–or turns them off. Make it count.
“An undisclosed spot in the Chili's break room doubled as the housing place for love notes between two employees.”
Sounds thrilling, doesn’t it? Do you want to know more?
Find a central theme and weave it in and out
"Noah’s eyes got really wide, smacked by awe, star-struck even, as he encountered Miss Florida for the first time. He was nine but remembers it vividly. How could anyone forget their first marriage proposal? It happened when he and his dad stopped at a gas station to fix a blown-out tire, and Miss Florida unexpectedly walked in. She greeted him with a smile and said, “Hi cutie!” Noah was instantly smitten and decided to make his move. Unfortunately, Miss Florida was already taken, but that didn’t deter him. He turned to his dad and declared, “I’m going to marry Miss Florida one day.”
Guess what? Noah did marry Miss Florida–three decades later! I weaved this theme throughout the story from the beginning to the middle and end, keeping the reader wondering about how Miss Florida is relevant to the story. Little by little they learn more.
Why not start in the middle?
Sequential order isn’t always the right order. Starting in the middle or even at the end can make your story a more engaging read the whole way.
This opening paragraph of one of my love stories isn’t even close to the beginning of this story.
"Jane felt Eddie shivering from the bitter cold wind when he put his arms around her from behind. The sun had set hours ago and Eddie and Jane were the only two left from an evening with friends. Standing there on his balcony, Eddie knew this was the moment to profess his feelings for Jane. He shared with her just how much he liked her and then leaned in for a kiss. Jane closed her eyes, knowing that the timing finally felt right, and let him kiss her for the first time. It had been a long time coming."
Add personality and plot twists with quotes
Cut up the third-person narrative of an article with first-person quotes. They'll give your content personality–and sometimes, like in this example, a plot twist!
"I have a problem,” Katie expressed to her new boyfriend Matt. “I don’t like you….," her voice trailed off. Something in Matt stopped him from thinking the worse and before Katie could finish her sentence, Matt completed it for her. “You’re right, I don’t like you either,” Matt professed. “I love you.”
Now, I want to hear from you. What tips do you find most interesting or useful? How do you write engaging content? Let me know in the comments!