Another way to refer to a sad story is as a 'woeful yarn'. 'Woeful' means full of woe or misery. A woeful yarn is like a sad story that someone might spin, perhaps around a campfire or in a small gathering. It could be about personal tragedies, historical disasters, or any event that brings out feelings of sadness and pity.
A 'doleful story' can also be used instead of a sad story. The word 'doleful' has a connotation of sadness and grief. It makes you think of something that is mournful or depressing. For example, a story about a character who has lost everything - their family, their home, and their hope - can be described as a doleful story.
In a war - torn country, a young mother named Aisha was living in a refugee camp with her baby. She had lost her husband in the war. One day, while she was trying to get some food from the relief center, a group of looters raided the camp. In the chaos, she got separated from her baby. She searched everywhere, screaming her baby's name. But she could never find her baby again. Aisha was left alone, broken, and with a hole in her heart that could never be filled. She was constantly haunted by the last sight of her baby and the fear of what might have happened to it.
Eerie chronicles. 'Eerie' gives a sense of mystery and uneasiness, which is very much associated with ghost stories. 'Chronicles' implies a collection of stories or events, so 'eerie chronicles' can be another way to talk about ghost stories.
Well, another term could be 'heartbreaking story'. A sad story often makes you feel sorrow, and a heartbreaking story has the same effect. It can break your heart when you hear about the misfortunes, losses or difficult situations in the story.
Sure. In a certain city, there was a prohibition on dancing in public places. A group of dancers who used to perform for the joy of the people were heartbroken. They had spent years perfecting their art, and now they couldn't show it to the public. They lost their main source of income and the sense of community they had built around their dancing.
Business triumphs.
Yarn. This is a more informal way of referring to a story, often used when the story is a bit of a tall tale or something that might be exaggerated for entertainment purposes.
A Chinese student who was studying abroad really wanted to go back home for his birthday. But he couldn't afford the flight ticket. On his birthday, he watched videos of his family back in China celebrating birthdays in the past, and he was very sad as he missed his home and family so much.
Sure, 'plotline' is another name for the plot of a story.
Dirge. A dirge is a slow, sad song or poem, and it can also be used to describe a story that has a very mournful tone. It's not as commonly used as some other words for a sad story.