Oneshot How do I write a Tragedy?? Please give me ideas

I have found some interesting ideas for creative writing from random YouTube channels. Two of the videos I especially like discuss "How to Begin a Movie" and "How to Do a Plot Twist". The first is always a great place to start when you want to open a story, and the second is especially important in ensuring your plot holes are filled and improving second and third re-reads.

Look at the other videos in their channels as well if you have time. Plot twists are especially important in tragedy and horror genres, and you want to carefully map them out before you write to ensure everything holds up.

 

My memory is pretty shit, so I don't remember who said it, probably some Greek philosopher, but who knows. According to him, the best tragedy is one that comes without anyone's purposeful interference. It just happens without anyone expecting it. "Written in the stars" if you will. I'm paraphrasing of course. So, have a bunch of characters having a normal day, and maybe one insignificant thing triggers another and it ultimately ends up in tragedy. Introduce all the characters and make them unique enough to be recognizable, have them interact with others. Build some connection between them and the reader. Decide whom you'll kill, heck, maybe all of them but one, lol. Decide on your insignificant trigger depending on your setting. For extra despair, give the tragic character a slow death, where they could've been saved if only others noticed, like drowning or suffocating or being stuck on the rails. Speaking of that, there's this movie that fucked me up as a teen. It was all fun and normal and kinda romantic, then the big bro I was crushing on in the movie got his shoes stuck on the rails and got run over by the train while all his friends and love interest watched from afar and screamed at him. Can't really remember the scene exactly. And it was so out of the blue. I probably hate tragedies ever since then.

EDIT: I was lazy and didn't read your whole post. Just read it now. Car accidents are overdone. For a story, it's too expected. But still, if you want it more tragic. Don't kill the kid. If the tragic hero is the husband, have his wife notice the car and run out to save the kid. She gets run over instead. So now he's depressed but has to care for his young child and has less and less energy for him. One day he just nods off out in the park or somewhere and the kid disappears. He can't kill himself because he wants to find him and hope keeps him alive, but there's also the uncertainty haunting him.

 

I like your plot, if you made the kid a little older, you could write the story from the Child’s perspective as watches his family collapse. Furthermore, since it’s told from a child, you could make it sound really naive and innocent—like the child doesn’t really understand what is going on. However, we the reader understand and that’s all that matters. For example I might write a sentence like this:


The sun was warm that morning. I felt like the world was shining. A perfect day to play with my brand new ball. Mommy and daddy think it’s funny when I throw it really hard. I want them to laugh a lot.

Wow, the ball went really far this time, like a little birdie in the sky!

“Oh no! My ball haha, I’ll get you!”

My legs are so short but I’m a fast runner. I have to chase that ball down. Just a little further...Almost got it—

Why.

Where am I?

Everything is white and black and way too colourful. My head feels like it got hit by the ball. Oh no where is the ball?

Mommy?

Daddy?

Ah, colour. I can see again, but why are mommy and daddy crying. I don’t get it.


——————-
Ok well that’s all I’m gonna write. You can switch to third perspective too.

 

death is a powerful type of tragedy, but it's meaningless unless the audience actually cares about the characters. what type of family were they before Fernando died? what kind of person was José before the death of his son? what did he turn into, and how did his change affect those around him? how did Elisa feel after José died as well?