This week: The Topic and Drama of Betrayal Edited by: Joy  
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“It was a mistake," you said. But the cruel thing was, it felt like the mistake was mine, for trusting you.”
David Levithan, The Lover's Dictionary
We have to distrust each other. It is our only defense against betrayal .
Tennessee Williams
“We disconnected. And I wondered if we had ever truly connected.”
Eric Jerome Dickey, Dying for Revenge
“Out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw Jace shoot her a look of white rage - but when she glanced at him, he looked as he always did: easy, confident, slightly bored."
Cassandra Clare, City of Bones
Hello, I am Joy , this week's drama editor. This issue is about betrayal as a theme.
Thank you for reading our newsletters and for supplying the editors with feedback and encouragement.
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If you are looking to create drama and wondering about its topic, may I suggest betrayal?
I mean, what could be more dramatic than a betrayal story to bring out the best and the worst in characters and keep the readers or the audience hanging at the edge of their seats? For example, you may choose to write something about a betrayal in business or betrayal in personal life with life-changing consequences. Then, what about best friends leaking secrets?
You see, the situations and the plots are a dime a dozen. and they can be incredibly powerful when tapped into emotion, like guilt, trust, pain, forgiveness, and transformation. A few themes to explore that come to my mind here are love and hate, justice vs. mercy, the cost of being vulnerable, and what it means to forgive.
So how do we go about it?
Here are a few ideas from yours truly.
To begin with:
* Define the core betrayal: infidelity in love, a family member's betrayal, social like a friend choosing status over loyalty, or moral such as a character going against society's or his own values.
* Choose a topic: Where and under which conditions will this betrayal take place? The home, society, school, office, in between groups or countries...
* Choose your characters: Establish strong bonds between characters, first. The closer the relationship, the more impact the betrayal will make.
* Flesh out the exact betrayal scene and make it as dramatic as you possibly can, but don't overexplain. Use words with impact.
* Write the most important part, the redemption scene. This might be your story's arc. This scene doesn't mean going back to how things were. It means transformation after the struggle.
As for the characters, the betrayer may change but not just apologize and also, may not get an easy forgiveness. It would help if the betrayer can do something selfless, like making a sacrifice.
Also, you might show the betrayed character's internal resistance, especially to forgiveness. Forgiveness must be hard-won. Yet, don't make the characters go back to their old ways as if nothing had happened. Let the betrayed character grow stronger while he learns to let go and trust again, possibly people other than that betrayer.
If you wish to end your story or play with a redemption, make the reconciliation partial, even if forgiveness is given. It is better to end this type of a story with a not-too-certain outcome.
In other words, whether the relationship is repaired or the healing is only personal, it is a good idea to avoid tidy endings. An example to what I am trying to say is:
At the end, the betrayed one helps the betrayer in a crisis but doesn't resume the friendship. The emotional closure is in choosing peace, not reunion.
Then, what if you were writing, say, a three-act play? The story of that play could be distributed as:
Act 1: First, you introduce the characters and their relationships. Second, you build up to the betrayal by either making it the last scene or a scene hinting at it.
Act 2: The act of betrayal itself if it wasn't shown in act 1. Emotional fallout and consequences. Use flashbacks to enrich the backstory. Here, both characters face guilt, anger, or loss.
Act 3: The betrayer may attempt redemption but meets with resistance. emotional or situational confrontation or test as the climax. Last scene could be the resolution, closure, and a new understanding.
Here is a tiny last-scene attempt by me. The story involves two friends and forgiveness:
The Park Bench
Setting: A park bench at dusk. Autumn leaves scatter the ground.
Characters: Mary, Jane
[MARY sits alone on the bench, staring ahead. JANE approaches slowly, somewhat hesitant. MARY doesn’t look at her.]
JANE
You always said this bench felt like home.
MARY (dryly)
Funny. Home doesn’t usually stab you in the back.
JANE
I didn’t come to defend it. Or undo it. I just… needed to look you in the eye.
MARY ( turns and stares at JANE)
You don’t get to need anything from me anymore.
[Pause. Wind rustles. MARY’s voice trembles slightly.]
MARY
You were the one person I trusted to stand by me. Not whisper about me. Not sell pieces of me to someone who’d use them like weapons.
JANE
I know.
And if I could trade what I have now for your trust back — I would. In a second.
[Silence. MARY studies her. Then… a flicker of emotion softens her face.]
MARY
Then start here. Sit.
(gestures to the bench)
Don’t talk. Don’t explain. Just sit.
[JANE sits, carefully, a respectful distance apart. They sit in silence. ]
[Lights dim.]
May all your stories shine brighter than the stars!
Until next time! 
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 Enjoy!
| | Troth (18+)
Her plan covered every detail and she so looked forward to repaying Shane for his devotion
#2257360 by Tileira  |
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 This Issue's Tip: Coming up with a flimsy non-betrayal betrayal chases the readers away. Ensure the betrayal is meaningful enough to warrant emotional collapse or change.
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Feedback for "The Drama of War"
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Damon Nomad 
I was about ten years too young to serve in Vietnam but I do have some memories of the news. When I was in college, I worked the summers as a welder in a shipyard. I was able to earn almost enough to pay for a full school year. There were a lot of Vietnam bets working there, and many of the. struggled with the emotional scars. When I lived in the Middle East I met many Palestinian, Syrian, and Sudanese refugees whose families had been torn apart by wars. It was humbling to realize what life was like for so many people around the world. From the edges I have observed that war is the most horrible failure of mankind.
I agree and I congratulate you for your insight. Yes, wars are terrible and they show how badly we've failed as people. Thanks for responding.
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Drama: May 21, 2025 Issue [#13135]
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