Mystery: Your Story’s Secret Weapon
Why the best stories don’t always give you closure
(Psst…scroll all the way down for your early release of our next podcast episode! 🙃)
We all love a little bit of mystery in our lives. The guy at work who says two words to everyone but still seems cooler than rollerblades. Or the celebrity who doesn’t have social media AT ALL. (Looking at you, Keanu Reeves.) Often, the less we know about something, the more intriguing it becomes.
The same principle applies to your stories. Not every story needs to provide all the answers. Sometimes, the most powerful moments come from what’s left unsaid. Ambiguity in storytelling is one of the most effective secret weapons in your toolkit.
This point hit me hard when I rediscovered a song I’d forgotten I loved until Spotify Wrapped reminded me of its brilliance. “Dear McCracken” by Bug Hunter tells the story of an unnamed speaker eavesdropping on a fellow passenger drafting an email on a plane. A simple moment—just a stranger writing to someone named McCracken—but the moment lingers with the speaker long after the plane lands.
The song is poetic, raw, and packed with incredible lyrics like,
…the abuse of the backspace key…
But why does the story of this interaction matter? What emotions are left unresolved? These questions—and the absence of explicit answers—are what make this song so damn good.
Let’s break down 3 reasons why you need to use ambiguity in your writing and how “Dear McCracken” uses this technique to keep you hooked long after the music stops.
1. Ambiguity Sparks Curiosity
The Problem with Over-Explaining
When we tell stories, we tend to over-explain. We add a bunch of unnecessary details to make sure the audience gets it. But these words rob readers of the pleasure of piecing together the puzzle pieces of your story all on their own. In a murder mystery, you know not to reveal the killer until the end. Easy enough, but in stories that require nuance, the balance between clarity and ambiguity can be tricky.
How Ambiguity Works in “Dear McCracken”
The song never fully explains who McCracken is, what happened between him and the woman who is writing the email, or why the moment resonates so deeply with the speaker, which is, in fact, fantastic. Instead, the tune gives us only glimpses: a “face from her past,” a trip that “changed everything,” and a rough draft of an email filled with longing and regret.
The song makes us ask:
Who is McCracken?
What’s the significance of them and the writer’s relationship?
Why does the woman hesitate to fully express herself in her email?
These unanswered questions encourage us to piece together the story ourselves, imagining the emotions and untold history between the woman and McCracken.
According to Spotify, I listened to this song 353 times last year. Every single time I did, I found myself wondering about the possibilities of the story. That’s the power of ambiguity.
2. Ambiguity Adds Depth
The Problem with Surface-Level Stories
Many writers struggle with surface-level storytelling with tales that are all plot and no subtext. Or worse, they overstate the emotions to make sure the audience understands. What does that look like? Here’s what “Dear McCracken” might sound like if it were surface-level:
I’m scared of being rejected by you, so I’m holding back / I want to keep my feelings inside to protect myself.
Yawn. That version tells us everything, leaving no room for interpretation or emotional engagement. Now, compare those lyrics to their original form:
She’s retyped that fourth paragraph four times / Swinging the tone back and forth until she’s so satisfied.
Here, the woman’s hesitation and internal struggle are shown through her actions. The song avoids explaining her feelings outright and instead implies her conflict—balancing vulnerability and restraint—through her obsessive editing. It’s subtle, and hits hard.
How Ambiguity Works in “Dear McCracken”
On the surface, the song is about an email being drafted on a plane. Nothing inherently fascinating about that. But through ambiguity, the song transforms into a meditation on fleeting connections, unspoken feelings, and the power of what if.
Take this lyric:
There’s an air of regret but not enough to reverse.
These word forces us to ask:
Why does she hesitate to share her true feelings?
What’s holding her back from pursuing McCracken?
With ambiguous words that do not land on our heads as hard as anvils, the song becomes so much more.
3. Ambiguity Strengthens Audience Connection
The Problem with Over-Resolution
Over-resolution happens when a story ties up every loose end and leaves no unanswered questions. While it’s important to wrap up your plot, it’s also okay to leave the reader wondering about some details. A little mystery forces them to engage with your work after it’s done—thinking about, talking about, or revisiting your tale to see what they missed.
Think of the classical image of a cowboy riding off into the sunset. What happens next? That lingering question keeps the story alive in the audience’s mind.
How Ambiguity Welcomes Engagement in “Dear McCracken”
The song’s speaker never gets closure, and neither do we. The mystery surrounding McCracken, the email, and the woman’s hesitation invites us to project our own experiences onto the story.
In the rough draft, she loved you.
This lyric captures the tragedy of emotions that never find their way into the final version of an email, a phone call, a relationship—or even a life. By leaving McCracken’s identity and the outcome of their connection undefined, the song becomes universal.
The song is not about the details but about the feelings: what makes the story relatable.
To Sum Up
Unanswered questions aren’t a sign of weak storytelling. They’re a tool to elevate your story. Ambiguity transforms your work from something static into something alive on the page. By leaving space for curiosity, depth, and connection, you invite your audience to engage with your story on their own terms. Ambiguity in your story:
Keeps your audience engaged, inviting them to uncover meaning for themselves. They’ll be drawn into the mystery of what remains unsaid.
Adds depth by letting the audience explore emotional and thematic richness on their own terms. It toys with universal truths without tying them to specific, overly explained details.
Turns your audience into active participants in your storytelling process, deepening their emotional connection by using ambiguity. Leave room for interpretation, and your story will linger long after it’s over.
So embrace a little mystery. Don’t answer every question. Let some of your most powerful moments remain unresolved. The next time you write, think of “Dear McCracken.” Trust your audience to fill in the gaps, and your story will resonate more than you ever imagined.
Also, go listen to the damn song.
Not sure if you’re using TOO much ambiguity own story? OBA Media is here to be your partner through the writing journey! We’re now booking limited spots for a FREE editing session—our team of story coaches will help you brainstorm how to tell your story in the most powerful way.
More related writing tips we’ve talked about:
Why Your Story Feels Flat
Subtext is all about what your characters DON'T say. Learning how to use subtext is like learning a different language. How do you get your story to speak even when it’s not speaking? How do you use contrast to paint a picture of what you really mean? Let’s take a look at "Malcolm & Marie."
Songs That Tell Magical Stories
Storytelling secrets appear everywhere, if you are paying attention. Let’s learn 5 powerful storytelling secrets by taking a look at a few songs I may or may not have cried to at some point in my life.
🎧PODCAST SNEAK PEAK 👀
This week, we chatted with author S.L. Zeidan about her romantasy novel, Inkbound. Check out our live editing session with her and get some insight about writing fresh romantasy tropes, nailing the nuances of satire, and how much of us goes into the stories we write. Watch your early release of the full episode here.
Listened to the song all the way through, and everything you talked about is spot on! It's a masterful use of ambiguity, in a way that excites the listeners and makes them want to learn more. I love stories that treat the audience as smart people, where you're first thrown into a mysterious situation or world, and you're left to figure things out with the character on the book. It's a sure-fire way to hook your readers.
This is such a cleverly written song, and a fun concept video. An economical way to tell a story. What we talked about yesterday lol.
I agree with the powerful aura that mystery creates. In film one of the best examples of this is the Man With No Name from the Sergio Leone spaghetti Westerns. We never learn much about him, so he remains aloof, distant, and fascinating.
In short fiction a great example of mystery is Philip K. Dick. In many of his short stories there's always in item or issue left unresolved in ways that linger in your mind after the study ends.
Happy Memorial Day!