Writing about emotions can be tricky business, mostly because writers can easily lapse into being overly-sentimental. Although less-experienced writers often think that peppering your work with feelings is the way to draw the reader emotionally, it cannot be more wrong. In fact, it’s the easiest way to distance the reader from the piece.
In written work, showing creates a more powerful effect than telling. Saying “the monster is scary” has considerably less of an effect than narrating details about the creature and letting your readers come to their own conclusion. It’s like the difference in a movie between showing some skin and taking off all the actors’ clothes – the first one is typically more exciting, engaging the viewers’ imagination in a compelling manner.
Creating Impact
The way to affect readers emotionally is to set the scene then allow the details to sink themselves in. Once you create the proper mood and environment in the reader’s mind, each little detail you reveal will create the emotional impact.
Never force your readers to mirror a feeling. Writing “the tension is mounting” and expecting the reader to follow suit is just poor writing. Let the telling details, speech and action create the drama, all while allowing the readers to supply the necessary feelings.
It goes without saying that poor, error-filled writing is the easiest way to take the emotional component out of any piece. As such, please use an English grammar software to make sure all weak points are properly addressed. Can you imagine reading through a Stephen King novel and having to stop after every few sentences trying to understand a confusing section? Instead of getting into the narrative, you end up nitpicking its grammar flaws.
