How to Include Emotion in Writing

By Guest Blogger, Elliott Kurta

Introduction

Elliott Kurta has been reviewing books for me for over two years. It’s been a pleasure to watch him develop his writing skills and I was happy to write letters of recommendation for him to attend writing camp this past summer. He attended The Alpha Writers Workshop in Pittsburgh where he heard Kameron Hurley, Mark Oshiro, Meg Ellison, and Roshani Chokshi speak. The workshop is primarily for horror, science fiction, and fantasy writers, but some of the other students also write literary fiction. Elliott said, “In the workshop, I learned about the different forms a plot can take, how to worldbuild by asking targeted questions about a story, how to show emotion, and what makes a bestseller sell.”

I asked Elliott to write a post and share what he learned. Here is his essay. I’m sure you’ll agree with me that Elliott is well on his way to becoming an outstanding writer.

On Emotion

A story is about people—their triumphs, their setbacks, their rich inner worlds that so rarely come to light. At its best, storytelling reminds us what it’s like to be human—or, better still, it pushes us to be better humans.

            Stories are rare in that they’re one of the only ways to inspire empathy in others. As we hear a story, mirror neurons in our brain simulate what the main character is going through. If they’re in pain, so are we; if they’re elated, we’re atop the clouds with them; if they’re confused, we become just as lost. The reason why stories are so powerful is that they evoke emotion in us. We care about the characters because we know what they’re feeling—better yet, we feel what they’re feeling. Characters set the stakes of a story. A girl’s journey to find her younger brother after he doesn’t come home from school one day feels a lot more personal—and impactful—than her journey to save the entire world.

Weaving Emotions is Not Easy!

            Weaving emotion into a story is a lot harder than it sounds. Luckily, there are four simple ways to create a character-centered, emotionally resonant story. First, focus on the details. Readers care about the small more than the big. Take the girl mentioned earlier. The fact that she sings to her plants as she waters them tells us a lot more about her than the fact that she wants to be a doctor when she grows up. We know she’s caring, that other things thrive in her presence, that she’s not afraid to share her joy. Use details to outline a relationship, a character, a place—mention that the girl is the only one her brother lets her call “Teddy,” his childhood nickname, while insisting everyone else calls him “Ted.” Clearly, they’re close—he can be vulnerable around her.

            Second, show, don’t tell. Rather than writing, “Sarah felt anxious,” tell us that Sarah tapped her pencil against the desk, gave curt answers to all of her parents’ questions, constantly glanced towards the window. Trust the readers to notice the cues they’re given.

            Third, don’t be afraid to feel things. Writing a story with strong, raw emotions can feel uncomfortably intimate, sappy, even corny. But vulnerability is how we build connections. As the writer, you must be a lightning rod for emotion—let yourself feel, then channel it into your story. If you don’t feel anything while writing your story, your readers won’t feel anything while reading it.

In the End…

            Once a story has emotion, where does it go? The ending. This is where everything comes together—or falls apart. It’s where every moment and emotion you’ve layered throughout your story falls into place to create one final, striking image.

            When leading into the finale, keep in mind that what makes emotion satisfying is resolution. Resolution can look like Sarah finding her younger brother at the bus station after two days of searching, his face streaked with tears and grime. They embrace, and she realizes how much he truly means to her. Or it can be more tense. Her brother is angry because he missed the school bus and was left to wander the streets, unable to find his way home. He feels forgotten and unwanted, like nobody would notice if he was gone. To convince him that she cares about him, Sarah has to chase him through a crowd and reveal how she disobeyed her parents and went out to look for him herself, finally earning back his trust. Notice how in both cases, the ending changes. In an emotionally resonant ending, the physical mirrors the emotional. When the siblings forgive each other immediately, they hug. When the brother feels he has been left behind, his sister must chase after him to prove he hasn’t been forgotten. In both cases, the actions they take reflect their emotions—as they come to new realizations, they react physically, whether it be by hugging it out or her chasing him down a crowded street.

Add Tension

            Finally, to make the ending satisfying, add tension. It’s no fun to read a story where the protagonist needs something and immediately receives it. Instead, throw obstacles in her way—frustrate the protagonist, make her prove how badly she wants something. For instance: have the sister’s parents warn her to stay inside, lest she be kidnapped or get lost as well; have the police warn her that she needs to stay out of their way. Readers naturally relate to adversity. It gives us a reason to root for the character, to stand up for injustice and for what we think of as right. Once you’ve established your protagonist has faced adversity and remained true to herself, she’ll have truly earned her happy ending.

            Ultimately, every writer has their own style. These techniques can help you start including emotion in your stories, but—like anything worth learning—it takes experience and experimentation to add emotional depth to your story. So write, write, write—and this time, do it with feeling.

Elliott holding a few of his 20 pages of notes from the workshop.

Elliott Kurta is a writer, student, and book reviewer. Currently a junior in high school, he enjoys reading and cross-country running in his spare time. He lives in Charlotte, NC with his family and dog. He has won multiple awards for his writing, including a silver key in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.

The post How to Include Emotion in Writing first appeared on Carol Baldwin - Author, Teacher, Speaker .