How to Add Emotions to Your Story

Have you ever read a novel that dragged you so deeply, you can feel the emotions the characters were feeling? It takes a lot of practice to write a novel that good. Don’t be discouraged if you still can’t get the hang of it. We’re here to help you out.

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How to Add Emotions to a Story

The followings are six simple ways to evoke the emotions you want from the readers. Try all of them to give the optimum impact.

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#1. Tell readers why they should care

Readers care for your characters when they are relatable. Even Superman, an alien from a distant planet, can be made relatable when he mourns the death of Ma and Pa Kent.

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You can make the readers care for your characters by giving the characters some flaws and hard choices. Make those characters yearn for something. Whether they achieve it or not, it’s all up to you.

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#2. Show, don’t tell

Let the readers pain the scenes in their minds. Instead of telling the readers that the character is scared, show readers what makes the characters feel afraid. Describe how those characters react to the situation.

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One great way to show a scene through writing is by using sensory words. You can learn more about it by reading this article: How to use sensory words

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#3. Break the characters

A story in which all the characters are swimming through life is unmemorable. You need to add sharks that torn the characters to pieces. Well, you don’t need to go that drastic, but you still need to add challenges so hard, the characters can barely handle them.

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#4. Be emotional

The writer, that’s you, needs to be emotional too. When you’re writing with a straight face as your characters are double-crossed by their loved ones, chances are your readers will do the same.

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#5. Use dialogs

Using dialogs is an excellent way to make readers feel the emotion. How angry is your main character at his cheating boyfriend?  Does she scream, call him names, cross her arms, throw the furniture, or what? The character’s actions can add so much emotion to a dialog.

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Don’t forget about facial expressions too. Write while looking into the mirror if you have to. What kind of expression does your character wear when she’s about to explode and cry her heart out?

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#6. Make the details matter

Let’s say you’re writing a romantic drama novel following a love-struck couple whose whole relationship buildup was thrown to the gutter because, in the end, one of the main characters dies for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

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Now, a tragic death like the one in “Bridge to Terabithia” that can make big burly men cry is allowed. But if the character’s death is just meh and has no relevance to all the dialogs, twists, and turns, then your readers will be very disappointed.

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OK, that’s all for our simple tips for evoking emotion through your writing. Last but not least, we need to remind you that you should always double-check your work before handing them out for the world to see.

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Memorable novels such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, An American Tragedy, and many others were not free from typos, but you don’t have to follow their footprints in this matter. So, be sure to use the online spelling checker. It’s easy to use and it can help you find errors in no time.