The one word that makes any story more engaging

It's not better characters or more drama

Author

Stephen Stanberry
July 29th, 2025

In partnership with

Hey friend,

Want to know the fastest way to make any story instantly more engaging?

It's not better characters (though those help).

It's not more drama (though that's fun too).

It's one simple word that makes people's brains go: "Wait, what happens next?"

"But."

That's it friend.

I know, I know. You're thinking: "Stephen, seriously? One word?"

Yep. One word.

Here's why this tiny word is pure magic:

It messes with your reader's brain.

When someone reads "but," their brain immediately expects something crazy to happen.

It's like telling someone "Don't look behind you..."

They're definitely looking behind them.

Take this example:

"The meeting was going perfectly. But then I noticed my Slack access disappearing in real time."

See what happened there friend?

The first part sets you up for a boring work story (yawn).

But (see what I did there?) that little word completely flips everything.

Now you're thinking: "Wait, what? Is he getting fired? During the meeting?!"

Here's why "but" works so well:

Step 1: It signals something's about to go wrong Your brain loves drama. Drama = you keep reading (every Netflix show knows this).

Step 2: It breaks the pattern Most content is predictable (boring). "But" is like hitting the brakes on a highway. Everyone pays attention.

Step 3: It builds suspense instantly "But" is basically a promise that something cool is coming. Your reader has to keep reading (it's like a itch they can't scratch).

Step 4: It makes stories feel real Real life is full of "but" moments. Like when you think you're crushing it... but then life happens (we've all been there).

Step 5: It makes your writing flow better "But" creates natural breaks in your writing. Better flow = people actually finish reading (revolutionary concept).

Here's how to use it:

  • Start normal: "I thought the client call went great..."

  • Add your "but": "But then I got an email the next day..."

  • Drop the bomb: "They fired me."

Or try this:

  • Setup: "Everyone says you need 10K followers to make money."

  • But: "But I made my first $5K with just 200 people."

  • Payoff: "Here's exactly how..."

Simple, right?

Look, most people write content that puts readers to sleep.

But you? You're about to start writing stuff that makes people think: "I need to see how this ends."

And if you want more tricks like this one...

I've got a whole guide full of them. It's called "Love, Learn, and Live Storytelling" and it's packed with simple ways to turn your everyday moments into can't-stop-reading content.

For seven bucks.

(That's less than a fancy coffee, by the way.)

Check it out if you want to stop boring people and start hooking them instead.

Till next time,

Stephen

P.S. Seriously, start using "but" in your next post. You'll be shocked at how many more people actually read to the end.

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