Writing in a way that creates an effective and safe exchange between what's on the pages of your book and the reader's heart, mind, and actions is important. It's what helps bring the change, outcome, or transformation they seek. It's what keeps them reading. It’s what motivates them to tell others about what they are reading.
"Emotions are important in literature because they help us to understand people better, enabling us to practice empathy and problem-solving through reading." (Louise Tondeur)
A while back, I posted writing tips for the speaker turned writer. In response, some of my speaker-turned-author clients left comments basically saying, "Thanks for the tips, but the one thing I want to know is how do I convey the emotion I have while speaking in my writing?"
Maybe like them, you are new to writing or are writing in different ways than you have in the past. Having spent most of my career writing and editing nonfiction adult books to, more recently, writing children’s chapter and picture books, I know the newness of this feeling too. Getting across the right feeling to evoke the desired response can feel daunting. Words are made up of two-dimensional marks on a page. Your ability to craft and order them well is what brings them to life--into another dimension.
Let's look at some ways to add emotion to your writing, helping you connect with your readers in more meaningful ways.
Consider your own emotions while writing. Are you anxious, bored, frustrated, rushed? Are you feeling open, free, focused, creative, inspired, passionate? How you feel while writing can impact the quality of your writing and, in turn, how your reader feels while reading your words.
Know what you want your reader to experience. Detail this for yourself for (1) your whole piece and again (2) for each section or chapter--what is the emotional arc you wish to create for your reader? What should they be feeling at the start? Where should they land emotionally by the end of your book?
Observe everyday real-life happenings. Disconnect from social. Head out to the mall, museum, or coffee shop. Take a look around as you wait for doors to open at the concert or play. Do some people-watching. What do you see? Jot down your observations. What emotions do you see or imagine in their interactions? What’s their story? How is it making you feel?
Use emotion memory. Like a method actor, you can recall a personal memory that created the same emotion you are attempting to infuse in a particular story or idea on your page. Recall the memory in as much detail as possible, using your senses. If it helps, consult an emotion or feelings wheel. Use those emotions to fuel your writing.
Experiment with word choice. Word choice refers to the words you use to support your purpose for writing a particular piece. every word carries a certain weight and has specific meaning and connotation. The implied connotation in conjunction with the actual definition of the word, play a part in conveying the right emotion, especially when it comes to your selection of verbs and adjectives. (study.com) Maintain awareness of your your target reader’s unique characteristics. Their gender, culture, ethnicity, education, age, income, and religion can influence how they weigh certain words and their usage.
Employ various literary devices.
Tone/mood, e.g. uplifting, inspirational, regretful, assertive, sarcastic, formal, casual, persuasive
Voice—a blend of your personal style, tone, personality, vocabulary, syntax, unique experiences, and perhaps consistent themes you choose to focus your writing on—grief, belonging, vulnerability, leadership, selfhood, rest, liberation, faith, ethnicity
Other devices: imagery, idioms, objective correlative
Play with form. Form is about sentence structure and length. A succession of short sentences create a fast pace to your writing and could express anger, fear, suspense, or urgency. Sadness or melancholy can be expressed with slow-paced, longer and more complex sentences.
Find emotional connection through free writing or journaling the scene, idea, or concept you are drafting. A writer doesn’t often know what they think or feel until they have written. Sometimes disconnection from your emotions or thoughts is the very thing causing your writer’s block.
Writing with emotion is just one piece of the whole craft and involves much more than what I describe here, but hopefully I've given you things to investigate further and dive into deeper. Also, how you care for yourself while writing impacts how you write. I have an article and workshop on writing and mental wellness. Check them out by clicking here.
Happy writing!