Amy Clipston is an award-winning bestselling author and has been writing for as long as she can remember. She’s sold more than one million books, and her fiction writing “career” began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories. She has a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan University and is a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. Amy works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC, and lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, mother, and four spoiled rotten cats. Visit her online at AmyClipston.com; Facebook: @AmyClipstonBooks; X: @AmyClipston; Instagram: @amy_clipston; BookBub: @AmyClipston

Whenever someone asks me who my favorite authors are, the stories that always come to mind first are gripping tales with complex characters who grow throughout the story. Just off the top of my head, I can think of a handful of stories that have stuck with me long since I finished reading the books. Those stories have stayed with me because they were novels that included relatable characters who spoke to my heart.

My goal as an author is to improve my writing skills with every book I write, and I strive to create relatable characters and stories, which is why I believe you shouldn’t shy away from grief or loss in your writing.

We’ve all been there

Now I know what you’re thinking. This sounds crazy, right? Reading a book is supposed to be an escape, so why would you want to read about a character who lost his parents when he was five? It’s because we’ve all been there.

By the time you’ve reached adulthood you’ve most likely lost a family member, a friend, or a precious pet. Grief and loss is universal. We all remember how much losing someone we loved rocked us to our core and that pain still stings decades later. We all experience loss, and it’s the worst. And that’s what makes us human.

The stories that capture our heart and stay with us are the ones that we can relate to, which means that a main character who lost someone close to them might be a character we’ll remember and cherish forever.

Lean into the Grief

Now if you still think I’m off my rocker, just bear with me for a bit, okay? Let’s pretend we’re writing a book together, and our main character lost his grandpa, who was his best friend. This detail is one of many that make this character whole, but if we add that thread of grief, we can weave that into our story to add layers.

Our character may remember conversations or advice that his grandpa gave him. Perhaps he blows a tire on his way home from work one day, and he recalls how Grandpa taught him how to change a flat. That conversation can float through his mind while he’s stranded on the side of the road. Maybe Grandpa showed him how to change the flat when our character was eleven. Since our character had a tough time getting off the lug nuts, Grandpa taught him a tip or trick he still uses today. He can smile or even chuckle while he tries that trick, and it still works. He’s recalling the loss, but he’s smiling, not crying.

See? Adding that tiny thread of grief gives a mundane scene about a flat tire some texture, and also brings our main character to life. A scene like this conjures up memories of the times I spent at my grandparents’ house, and it makes me smile too. And that’s what makes it memorable, and it touches my heart.

Creating Bonds

Grief doesn’t only add dimensions to characters. It also helps them relate to other characters within your story. Loss can create a bond between characters, which is a way to bring a hero and heroine together in a romance.

Let’s take our hero who misses his grandpa, and we can create scenes where he goes fishing with his love interest. While he and his female friend sit on the dock overlooking a romantic, sparkling lake, he can share that his beloved grandpa taught him how to bait a hook. She might smile at him and say, “Tell me more about your grandpa.” Soon he opens up and recounts stories about how Grandpa also showed him how to check his oil, change a flat tire, and keep the lawnmower running.

Now this may sound like a ridiculous first date for our hero and his love interest, but stay with me. His love interest can be so touched that she’s inspired to tell him about her favorite late aunt who taught her how to bake, sew, or rebuild motorcycle engines. (Those details are up to you, of course!)

Now our hero and his love interest are bonding over their grief. They can laugh and share funny stories about their loved ones. This scene not only deepens their characters but also deepens the emotions and the romance. They’re sharing personal and precious memories with each other, and they’re falling in love. And all along, you’re bringing your characters to life and making them more sympathetic.

Create memorable stories

By adding grief and loss to your stories, readers will latch onto these special scenes and become completely engrossed in the story. Not only can they feel your character’s grief, but they might also recall special memories with their grandparents or another friend or relative that they cherish and miss. And guess what? They won’t want to stop reading, which is the goal, right?

Don’t be afraid to pull from your own experiences of grief and loss and weave those emotions into your books. I’ve found that the more of myself that I pour into my books, the more real the characters and the stories become, and those are the stories that resonate with our readers.

Second Chance at Sunshine Inn

Second Chance at Sunshine Inn by Amy Clipston

When Everleigh Hartnett inherits half of her godmother’s bed-and-breakfast, she crafts a plan to sell it to fund the nonprofit her godmother dreamed of. But Cade Witherspoon, the co-owner, would do anything to prevent that from happening. Despite being polar opposites, Cade and Everleigh are drawn to each other, but their connection is tested when developers begin to close in on the property. Will Cade and Everleigh be torn apart by their differences, or will they unite to save the place they love most?

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