ways to start a sad story

One way is to begin with a loss. For example, 'The day he left, the sun never seemed to shine again.'

Starting with the loss of a loved one can be very effective. You could write, 'She was sitting alone in the empty house, the silence echoing the absence of her mother who had passed away just a week ago. Every corner of the house held memories of her, and now those memories were all that was left.' This immediately sets a sad tone as the main character is dealing with a great loss.

One way is to begin with a description of a lonely place, like 'In the desolate cemetery, the cold wind blew through the withered grass as the old tombstones stood in solemn silence.'

You can start by showing the end of a friendship. Such as 'The last time they saw each other, there were no hugs, no goodbyes, just a cold, empty stare. Their once - unbreakable friendship had crumbled into pieces, and neither of them knew how it had all gone so wrong.' This gives a sense of finality and sadness right from the start. It makes the reader curious about what led to this sad state of affairs. It also creates an emotional impact as the idea of a strong friendship ending so abruptly is quite sad.

Begin with a moment of self - realization that is filled with regret. For example, 'As he looked in the mirror, he finally saw the person he had become, and the choices he had made that led him to this lonely existence.'

You can also start with a sad event from the past that still haunts the character. 'Every time she passed by that old oak tree, memories of that fateful day flooded back. The day her world had turned upside down and nothing had been the same since.' This immediately creates a melancholic mood as it shows that the character is still affected by a past tragedy, and the reader wants to find out what exactly that event was.

Beginning with a mysterious character can be effective too. 'There was a man in a long, black coat who always seemed to be lurking in the shadows. No one knew his name or where he came from. His eyes were cold and empty, and whenever he passed by, an icy chill filled the air.'

Start with a character in distress. Maybe a young wizard has lost his powers due to a dark curse. His struggle to regain his powers can be the starting point. It allows the readers to feel empathy for the character right away and be interested in seeing how he overcomes his problem.

Well, 'mournful story' is one way. Also, 'gloomy yarn' and 'melancholic anecdote' can be used instead of'sad story'. These expressions not only convey the basic meaning of a sad story but also add a bit of a different nuance. For example, 'gloomy yarn' gives a sense of a story that is not just sad but also has a kind of dark and dreary atmosphere around it, like a story told on a foggy, cold night where everything seems a bit more desolate.

A sad way to end a story is through separation. Like in a story about a family being torn apart by war or some other external force. The family members are scattered, and they may never see each other again. Another sad ending can be the loss of hope. When the protagonist, who has been fighting against all odds, finally gives up and succumbs to the despair. For instance, a character who has been trying to find a cure for a disease but realizes there is no hope left and just waits for death. And then there is the betrayal ending. Where a character who is trusted deeply by the protagonist turns out to be the one causing all the harm, and the protagonist is left alone and broken.