New Year’s idea: let’s toss out everything we think we know about storytelling and reimagine it ourselves. Maybe we start with the ending—some guy walks into a bar, boom, he’s dead. Then we work backwards to figure out why he was dumb enough to walk in there (haram!) to begin with.
But I digress….
Anyway, at a time when so many stories merely offer safe, sanitized versions of reality…
Perhaps we need to forget all the formulas and truly reimagine what storytelling can be, starting with simply: How can we speak directly to the primal parts of ourselves that we try to keep hidden?
Let’s study what actually makes us unable to look away from a story. What makes our primitive brains light up with recognition? Could it be:
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The gut-wrenching moment when a mother must do something horrible to her beloved son to save him from a fate worse than death?
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The animal terror of being trapped in absolute darkness with something inhuman?
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The visceral betrayal when you discover your own family might be hiding monstrous secrets?
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The way certain stories bypass our rational minds and trigger our deepest instincts?
None of these rely on tired clichés or careful explanations—they work because they tap into something ancient within us.
If we look closely at what makes stories truly unforgettable, we may see that it isn’t the polished prose or complex world-building, but those visceral moments that hit us in the gut and stay with us forever.
We may notice that the most powerful stories don’t try to lecture or preach, but instead drop us right into moments of raw truth that force us to confront what we’re capable of when pushed to our limits.
We may discover that the stories that haunt us aren’t the ones that play it safe, but the ones that dare to venture into the darkness where our deepest fears—and greatest truths—reside.
In short, let’s rebuild storytelling around these primal human truths instead of tired formulas.
Who’s ready to experience a story that doesn’t hold back in 2025?
Click here to see exactly what I mean in this trailer for Brotherhood of the Wolf: The Lesser Evil.
All the best,
Wes
P.S. Something special is brewing – exclusive “accessories” are on their way to our fulfillment center, with the books themselves close behind, inshAllah
There’s that link again: https://talesofkhayr.com/untold-tragedy/
