How An INTJ Writes Tear-Jerking Stories Readers Love
“The Mastermind” in the group and one of the rarest personality types in MBTI, a cold-hearted INTJ writes tear-jerking stories sounds appalling. How could someone as logically-driven and indifferent as this group writes works that make their readers cry? Well, in fact, they don’t seem they’re emotional enough to show it.
As an INTJ, I’ve been tired to hear people telling me I’m cold, apathetic, and tactless resulting in desolation. Nobody can understand how my mind works nor how I live my life to how I wanted it.
What they didn’t know is that behind my death stares is an emotional freak, a little girl with a soft heart, who prefer not showing any sign of emotional reaction to others.
People are emotional by nature. They feel pain and happiness. Joy and despair. The difference, as per observation, is the emotions I feel are deeper, lingering inside me for a longer time. Because of my self-awareness to situations requiring emotions, it’s best not to show it explicitly. In fact, it goes back to my body affecting my health in secret.
Rather, I put them into my works of art. And that’s what my readers have been enjoying. I’ve been writing stories since I was 12.
How An INTJ Writes Tear-Jerking Stories?
Bookriot defines INTJ writers as logical, systematic thinkers who are able to turn their visions (stories in mind regardless of how impossible they are) into a reality. This is all due to our intense inner worlds nobody could dare enter and survive. Besides, it’s too deep for an average person to apprehend.
Further, we don’t like to work with other persons and rather work independently and in our own pace. We love to work inside our caves alone as we keep going. Not even my husband is exempted from this rule.
Because the end goal is big, we do everything we can to make that vision we have in mind become real in our own eyes. Let me tell you an example. I wrote “Accidental Quest” for months as a crap. I was too distracted to continue writing the story, leading to a complete hiatus.
Months forward, I decided to work on it again and committed to finishing the whole book. I did in exchange for a 30-day rule wherein I set more than 5 hours per day to writing until I finish it within the month. As a result, I finished a draft with 100,000 words.
I did the same with my gay romance novel “The Rival” with 60,000 words. I set aside a few hours every day until the last word.
How did I do it? Click here.
Everything INTJ writes, including the drama and romance, are dug deep within our souls backed by science and research.
Every word we write means something and will make an impact on someone else’s life. We don’t write just because. We have a great, a crazy vision inside our heads that we don’t like to compromise it for the sake of trend.
Thus, we instill a bit of authority to the readers because of the nature of writing style. It’s given. And we’re so damn serious about what we scribble.
The readers didn’t read crap from me — they did before I got serious into novel-writing. So they know the author behind this work knows what she’s doing. They testify that to me many times.
Although a particular scene is dramatic or too emotional or heartbreaking, we still apply the same principle which has been effective in my writing so far. Logic remains and will never be put aside. It’s always present in the works I write.
My readers on Wattpad love my books because they could see the progress of the story and development to the characters. Especially the dialogues between characters.
I tend to inculcate philosophies people usually forget about within the conversation. For example, Alexandra, the main character of my book, said, “You don’t need to compare yourself in the standards of others.”
In addition, I’d also like to point out that they neither — NEVER — predict what’s to come. In fact, one of the readers sent a message and begged to tell her what’s up in the next book (Book 2).
Why? Or shall I say…how did I do it?
How did I touch their hearts and make them listen to the lessons I want them to know and apply in their own lives?
Learn the secret sauce behind my writing.
Intelligent Use Of Logic Behind Emotionally-Driven Scenes
Most of the time, an INTJ writes tear-jerking stories with the use logic even during events wherein emotions are required. We rather put ourselves in a position wherein I must use my head at all times.
Let’s say, during a wake or death of someone. The average person cries or sobs to the point he couldn’t think properly. If not, he panics. For an INTJ, it’s unwise to do the same. I rather think of my next move or see the whole situation objectively and plan my next step forward.
The same thing with writing a story. I don’t simply write a scene without sense. It has to be logical in a way the readers will pick up the reason behind the situation.
Why I have to write it down and make it difficult for the main character?
What’s the reason behind taking her life in the story?
Lots of questions.
To do that as properly as possible, what I do is to follow a formula that tick to my readers’ hearts.
- Start with a comical scene and drop to the saddest scene
- Place the character in a desperate time, goes up to the happy times, and take that happiness away from her
- Take every valuable thing or person from the character
- And more!
Most of the time, I do the second and third tips.
I typically place the main character in a desperate situation wherein she craves to obtain that something she loves or values. Once she reaches that goal, I let her feel happy about it for a short time. I allow her to indulge it while she can.
But then, I want to take it away from her again. From there, readers feel the emotionally-draining scene as they see the character rotting away. That’s where I bombard the readers with the drama they want.
The tip? Make them feel there is something valuable being taken away from them.
The readers, oftentimes if not all the time, place themselves in the shoes of the characters for whatever reasons. That’s one thing why they love a book. It’s because of a relatable character. They might see their own identity on him or her psychologically or perhaps physically. Many reasons.
If you’re able to put them in that position, you hold their emotions. You become responsible for that. So, when you put the character into one hurdle to the other, it’s expected you’re successfully driving your readers crazy in terms of making them feel bad.
And boom!
Take something more valuable from the character after a newly surpassed hurdle. Then, add a flashback and a spice from that person’s dying words or parting words whatever. Your readers will surely cry.
If you want some references or proof of this technique, watch the best Korean drama series and you’ll know what I’m talking about.
Showing How Emotional We Are
Nobody or only a few (only the closest ones) knows how emotional we are in contrast to how others perceive us. I just asked my sister today about it. She confirmed I do act cold to others which is in contrary to how I do behind the mask.
They think we lack empathy. In fact, my husband told me once I keep hurting him with my words because they’re too brutal to accept. Others told me the same thing.
Well, this is no news for me. However, as I grow older, it started to affect how I behave in front of others apparently. You know, I want to keep my connections and social interaction. When I was younger, rebutting against someone — it doesn’t matter if you’re from a higher rank — is nothing. Though I still do until now (if it’s needed).
To prevent this in my marriage, I tend to control that behavior. But once my husband asks me for opinions, I ask, “Do you want me to be honest with you?” If he said yes, that’s when the most painful words come out from my own mouth. He asks for it, I give it to him. Simple. No drama.
The same principle applies when it comes to writing my novels. Of course, every reader wants something from the story they’re reading. And I don’t want to disappoint them with some crappy plot or chapter. That said, I give them what I couldn’t show in person.
Intense emotions.
I couldn’t simply show it to my lifetime partner all the time, not even with my family or friends (much more). Thinking where to channel these unbearable feelings that take a toll on my health, I do it within the chapters.
Just so you know, people who belong in this spectrum are more sensitive than you think. Ironic, isn’t it? But yes, they don’t show it to you. They don’t allow you to see they’re crying because, for us, it’s weakness and too illogical. It’s something we’ll regret later on.
Satirical Touch Mixed Within Stories
An INTJ writes tear-jerking stories with a mix of satire. If you come to know Jane Austen, author of the classic “Pride and Prejudice,” she’s a famous INTJ. That means we innovatively use satire to the romance and again, do the 3-step technique in our novels:
- Character’s desperation to escape
- Their success or at least hint upon obtaining the goal
- Their desolation (after the valuable thing taken away from her)
You may think what we’re writing is simple teen fiction. What you have to keep in mind is when an INTJ writes tear-jerking stories, there’s always a targeted social issue underneath the drama.
How An INTJ Writes Tear-Jerking Stories — Final Thoughts To Share
Writing a novel, in general, isn’t an easy thing to do regardless what personality type you have. Though it can be learned, it’s difficult. It’s not something the public or the majority delves into. It’s always been a big and tough choice.
Yet, if you want to begin writing your story and finish it this year, I give you my FREE eBook to learn the basics of novel-writing. The same technique I use for my books resulting in 3 finished books in 1 year.
However, for an INTJ like me, my writing style in comparison to the writers of my batch (my age) is quite different and somehow unconsciously touches Jane Austen’s. I didn’t plan it or intentionally follow her techniques because I recently discovered it myself.
I love the drama and how my characters immerse in events that I’ve created and try their best to survive the tough world. In various ways possible, they manage to escape or attain the goals they have from the beginning. Although there some circumstances wherein some of them couldn’t take it or simply quit.
By creating the fantasy within the words I write, I’ve always thought of 3 things:
- Theme (What do other authors avoid?)
- Character’s personality (How could they survive the tough world I make?)
- Lesson or moral of the story (What message do I convey to my readers?)
All I do is play around these 3 principles here. I create a theme, which will become a premise, and craft my novel outline. Afterward, I determine the overall message I want my readers to learn or keep.
This is how an INTJ writes tear-jerking stories. It’s still based on logic but way too intense to handle. Especially if you aren’t ready for exposing the brutal truth. (My readers told me after reading “Accidental Quest” it’s affected them the way they think about things).
To end the post, I have a few assignments for you:
- Go to my Wattpad profile and start reading the books I’m writing (especially my book “Accidental Quest”).
- Share this post to your social media accounts and spread the word.
- Download your FREE eBook to start writing now and finish your novel fast using the same system I use for my books.
Thank you for reading, my writing buddy!
Originally published at mgaspary.com on January 18, 2019.
