The beginning of the past century was marked by a world war and less than three decades later the world would experience the horrors of another world war. Apart from these major wars, other wars were fought and more people perished. The impact these and other earlier wars have had on virtually every nation in the world is profound. War stories continue to be written in a bid to commemorate these events and their aftermath. Here are a few tips to consider if you wish to write your own war story.

Tip #1 Highlight the smaller details

When writing a war story, zero in on a character’s specific experience in war instead of summarizing a whole group’s experiences. When you concentrate your focus on the perspective of war from a particular person’s point of view, you allow the reader to have a closer glance at what actually happened. Another important benefit of this type of writing is that you can discuss the feelings of the person during those frantic and painful moments, which enhances the emotional impact your book is going to have on the reader.

Tip #2 Determine what needs to be included

Even though it is a war story, not everything needs to be included. Determine first what message and lessons you want to convey and who your audience is. Apart from determining what you want to include, think of how you want to present it. Wars contain gruesome details and if you are writing for a younger audience it is best to keep in mind that they may not be able to comprehend and process such events. If gruesome details are included, then there needs to be a reason, for instance, in a case where the author needs to justify the intensity and the effect of an experience on a character’s life.

Tip #3 Use accessible language

Not every reader will be familiar with military jargon. Most readers will have little to no experience of war and, as the author, you need them to understand the content. Using effective language and defining difficult terms is crucial in the writing of any war story. Unfortunately, some war books focus too much on words used in war, including slang words of which the reader has no understanding. For a war story to have the intended impact, the events need to be understood by the reader first.

Tip #4 Bravery is not everything

Most participants in a war feel vulnerable at some point. Few experience the magnitude of the events without ever questioning the purpose of the war, feeling vulnerable at some point or showing emotion over loss. Making space for vulnerability in the story makes it realistic and honest. Additionally, the moments of vulnerability in the book have the most impact since they present a contrast in the reader’s mind between the courage of a particular character and the ability of war to affect even the bravest characters.

Every person that has been to war has a story to tell. Determining why you want to write the book is the first step to writing an meaningful war story.