Whether it’s writing war memoirs like Donut Hole by RC LeBeau or a war thriller, remarkable war stories contain certain elements and features that make the narrative compelling and unforgettable.

What makes a war story truly amazing? Is it the action scenes? Is it about the main protagonist and his exploits? Writing war stories, fiction or not, can be a bit tricky. ReadersMagnet offers these several writing tips to make your war narrative stand out from the rest.

Start your story with an engaging introduction. Compelling introductions are needed to tell a great story. For war stories, it can be a background story about family or how the main character got into the army. Great introduction can also come in the form of a great collective tragedy (the 9/11 bombings, the attack on Pearl Harbor, the fate of the Jews, etc.). Whether it is a fictional war story or a biography, start with a great introduction.

A “panoramic” view of the war makes it great. Telling an epic war story such as the Vietnam War or the Second World War requires a panoramic lens. There are many characters, many elements, and encounters. In the book Donut Hole by RC LeBeau, the author tells us how he got into a small unit of Force Logistics Command tasked with manual accounting and actually surviving one of the biggest enemy offensives against U.S. troops in Vietnam. Because of his narrative, we see a bigger picture of the war.

Portray both the protagonists and antagonists. War stories are biased, and it is understandably so. In the past, war memoirs and biographies written by soldiers from the Allied forces paint the Germans, Japanese, and Axis members as evil. But some painted an objective picture of war and gave their respective foes the credit they truly deserve. War stories are told by the heroes who took part in it, but if one can see both sides’ good and evil, then what we have is an incredibly amazing war narrative. tax planning australia

Show both the beauty and the ugliness of war. War is terrible, and that is true with all wars. Men die, properties destroyed, and lives are forever changed. But in writing war stories, it is essential to dig deeper than our usual portrayal of war. Some details also show the other side of wars- the comedy, the unexpectedly pleasant, the new, and the victories that bring about beautiful changes and realizations.

Historical truth lends credence to a war story. War stories and memoirs are often based on actual conflicts, whether geopolitical, religious, or economic. Historical facts and events are a war story’s backbone. A great war story features a setting, a plot, and heroes that actually exist. This is why the war memoir Donut Hole by RC LeBeau is exciting to read because of the element of historical truth or accuracy.

A good war story also conveys emotional truth. War stories are known for their factual truths but less so with emotional truths. During the later part of the century, war narratives invested more on emotional truths rather than the gory details of war and armed conflicts. Nonetheless, emotional truth is as important as historical facts. Some emotional truths are made up or inspired from separate but actual events.

Use sensory details to further give life to a story. Sensory and specific details play a huge role in telling a war narrative. Whether you are describing the frontlines, a battle scene, a soldier losing his leg, or a private dying and taking account of his last view, details can make or break a book. Sensory details can range from the make or model of rifles, tanks, or aircraft to the weight and texture of a soldier’s canvass backpack or the rough terrain the scene takes place.

Reading classic war memoirs can go a long way. There are tons of materials out there that you could use to polish your works further. You can read classical war biographies, documentaries, and even news articles about the timeline you are writing. For memoirs, you can interview friends and colleagues with who you shared those experiences. Every bit of detail will surely boost your work’s credibility.