What makes for a good story? A hook. Stellar writing. Humour. Pain. The shock-factor. Scandal. Perhaps it is a combination of it all.

I was recently told that a short article I wrote was not captivating, interesting, nor inspirational. There was clearly a story there, but I had written it in a way that only gave the reader knowledge about the autoimmune disease that I have. This was not appealing. I was horrified at first. The editor was unmoved by what I had written? How cold and heartless, I thought. I reread the email, again and again. Then I remembered conversations I have had with a few close friends. All involved the other party encouraging me to tell my story, only to be blanked by me saying, “I don’t want to get emotional about my illness in my writing. It just seems so self-serving and ‘poor me’. I need my story to end well, so that I can write objectively about it.”

Honestly, I have felt so proud of myself feeling this way and verbalizing this. It’s called handling the situation with grace and positivity. People respect you more when you’re not a bubbling mess. I suppose that out of respect, my friends have dropped the subject. It’s my personal journey, so they probably all feel that it’s really none of their business and they can’t make me do something I’m not ready to do.

So why am I so concerned about looking like an emotional wreck? Why don’t I want people to see that I am vulnerable. I am struggling. I am in pain. I am a happy person, that’s why. I mean genuinely happy. Even if I have a horrible argument with my husband, I don’t feel the misery that one has when heartbroken. Even when I am fed up with being sick, it doesn’t take long or much to make me happy once more. This is how I am the majority of the time. Happy. So why on earth would anyone want to see the miserable side? What good does it serve them? In fact, I made a pact with myself that this blog would serve my readers, hence the name Serveyouwrite. It would be a disservice to you all if I was to write about my hardships.

Last night, I was watching the latest Scandal episode, which I had recorded. Mely Grant had dropped off the manuscript of a book she had written at Olivia Pope’s office, pleading with her to read it. Upon Mely’s return, Olivia told her that the book was basically boring. A whole load of facts, but no feelings. That would not appeal to anyone. That would not sell.

This got me thinking. (I know, seriously sad when I’m having a revelation after watching a political soap opera-esque show, but bare with me, because the creator of the show – Shonda Rhimes – she is far from being a fool). Anyway, as I as saying, it got me thinking. People do want to read the dirty, gritty, messy drama which we call life. That’s why these dramatic television shows do so well. That’s what appeals to so many people. We love drama. We love the build up to the drama, we love the moment when someone’s world is blowing up or falling apart, and we love the conclusion – whether it be a happily-ever-after or a tragic end. The story pulls us in, grips us and then gives us some kind of satisfying release. Whether it be a wonderful or devastating outcome, we are inspired in some way – in the former case, to emulate, and in the latter, to find a way for that never to happen to us.  Either way, it makes for a good story.