Read time: 2.5 min.

This week, I traveled to Germany.

I went to witness the European Championship semi-final between the Netherlands and England.

A record-breaking 100.000+ orange-dressed fans took over the city of Dortmund.

The game unfolded with nerve-racking tension.

A roller-coaster of emotions

In the 7th minute, we took the lead.

Beer flew through the air, strangers fell into each other’s arms, and everyone went nuts.

But the euphoria didn't last long.

England equalized 1-1 a few minutes later through a controversial penalty.

Then, in the 91st minute, disaster struck.

England scored the winning goal a minute before the final whistle.

It felt like the ground collapsed from beneath me.

The whole place went dead silent.

I stared at the screen in utter disbelief.

A wave of sadness and frustration washed over me.

I wanted to burst out in tears and rage at the same time.

But I did neither one of them.

Instead, I chose to look at the facts:

• England deserved their victory.

• The game didn’t end in a penalty shoot-out (I hate penalties).

• Despite the outcome, I had an unforgettable day.

Because of this quick shift, the disappointment was short-lived.

I rode back home, recalled the beautiful moments of the day, and felt grateful for the experience.

If I had lingered in my emotions, I wouldn't have been able to.

Switching from emotions to facts isn’t just useful when your team suffers a significant loss.

It's also crucial for crafting a compelling story.

How I write a good story

Facts alone make a story boring and dry.

Emotions alone make it feel exaggerated and unbelievable.

It’s the balance of both that brings a story to life.

Before I begin writing, I ask myself:

• What are the facts?

• How did these facts make me (or others) feel?

Let's take the story of this newsletter as an example.

1. Start with the facts

First, I write down the general facts of the story.

To highlight a few:

• ''This week, I traveled to Germany.''

• ''A record-breaking 110,000+ orange-dressed fans took over the city of Dortmund.''

• ''In the 7th minute, we took the lead.''

2. Add the emotions

Now the storyline is clear, I want to make it personal.

To do this, I add in the emotion associated with the fact.

• ''The game unfolded with nerve-racking tension.’’

• ''It felt like the ground collapsed from beneath me.''

• ''A wave of sadness and frustration washed over me.''

Emotion gives color to a story and makes it relatable.

3. Share a lesson (bonus)

If you want to add the cherry on top:

Extract a lesson from the experience.

By ending the story with a lesson, you provide meaning to it and give the reader something valuable to chew on.

In this case, the lesson is about the power of perspective in the face of disappointment:

''I rode back home, recalled the beautiful moments of the day, and felt grateful for the experience. If I had lingered in my emotions, I wouldn't have been able to.''

It's not just about recalling an event but also about extracting the wisdom from it and passing it on to the reader.

Now you know how I write my stories.

Hope this helped.

Much love,

— Martijn