I remember the first time I performed a monologue in drama class and got some of my fellow students to cry. It was a heady thing. Such power. Such exhilaration making someone else feel the way I wanted them to feel.
Getting to those feelings are the goal of every writer. We want our readers to feel the thrill of the chase, the fear of a killer, and the joy of falling in love.
Emotion is the key to story. It’s the quickest way to draw a reader in and hold them. Without emotion, readers are as likely to put the book down as finish it. But how do you get your readers to feel?
You start by not telling what a character is feeling, but instead showing the effects of those feelings. Don’t say your character is grieving, show her disorientation, numbness, uncontrollable tears, and the way grief pulls her posture downward. Show how the emotions change her. Let that be the entry point to understanding her emotional state. The reader needs to see how the character’s emotions are affecting her actions if they are going to feel it too.
Think about it. Do you feel more and identify more with a character if you read:
He was angry…
Or when…
He clenched his teeth so tightly his cheek muscles pulsed in time with his heart. His eyes bored through me, distracting me so much I didn’t notice the hammer until it was flying toward my head.
Readers don’t want to be told a character is angry, they want to see objects hurled across the room and hear the shouting. Don’t disappoint them.
If you want your readers to be touched by your character’s emotions, you have to set up the scene in a way that allows readers to feel the same way. Move them with story. Stir their imagination by immersing them in the character’s world.
Hogwarts wouldn’t the same without the descriptions of the paintings that move or the ghosts that float through the hallways. The wizarding world exists because of the details on the page. They are how the reader connects with the world and, in turn, with the characters who live within it.
You can’t get your readers to feel without details.
You also can’t expect to make them feel if you don’t offer strong story and context. How did your character get where she is? Why does she do what she does? What’s her motivation? The more you can show your character’s internal logic and humanity, the better your reader will connect with her.
It’s not necessary that every character be likable or even sympathetic, but every character should make sense within the context of their story. They should have a reason for what they are doing, even if they’re a villain. Perhaps especially if they are a villain.
Think of Loki in the Marvel films. He is wonderful because he has such depth and nuance. There is a reason for each of his lines and actions. Sure, he’s a trickster. But we love him because he makes sense. Your challenge is to give your characters a similar depth so your readers can connect, which is necessary if you want them to feel.
Invite your reader to be a part of the story by writing in deep point of view. Allow them to go along with the character as she walks along a dark path, scared of what lies ahead. Let your reader’s heart race and their hands tremble as they join your character as she faces her dread, but takes the next step anyway. Show what makes her keep moving. Show how fear affects her body. Don’t say it was creepy. Make it creepy with description and setting.
As Anton Chekhov said, “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; Show me the glint of light on broken glass.”
Also let yourself feel. If you don’t feel it, your readers won’t either. You have to let go and leave it all on the page. If you have a love story, don’t be afraid to fall in love with your character. If you’re writing drama, go to the dark places. If a character dies, be ready to grieve as you would for any loved one.
Writing is about being vulnerable. You have to be willing to feel the emotions so you can describe them realistically. Actors call it method acting. It works for the page too.
Other tricks that work are to play with anticipation. You know all that backstory you have that you don’t know where to put in the story? Use it as anticipation. But use it sparingly. Tease your reader to keep them hooked. Anticipation can help raise tension and suspense. It’s a lot like seeing someone break from the main party in a horror film. You know something bad is about to happen. Create tension in your reader by dropping hints here and there, but don’t be afraid to go in a different direction entirely for humorous effect. Play around to see what works best for your story.
Don’t forget to keep the stakes high. You don’t want your readers getting complacent. Now I’m not suggesting you go all George R.R. Martin on your story and kill scads of characters, but I’m not opposed to it either. The important thing is keeping your characters pushing against something.
Keep up the pace, never letting the story flag. Make your reader feel throughout the story, not just at moments of crisis or at the end. The emotions may build throughout the story, but they need to be present throughout.