How to Evoke Emotions in Your Readers

You know you need to evoke emotions in your readers. Emotion is what keeps them invested in your characters. But how do you achieve that?

• Develop relatable and empathetic characters

• Show their emotions

• Use evocative language

• Utilize subtext and internal monologue

• Employ effective dialogue

• Show character growth and transformation

• Create conflict and obstacles

• Balance positive and negative emotions

• Use pacing and structure strategically

• Aim for emotional authenticity

That's quite a list, but if you incorporate all of these techniques you will create an emotional bond between your characters and your readers.

Develop relatable and empathetic characters.

Readers want to connect with characters on an emotional level. Emotional engagement begins with well-developed characters.

To create a well-rounded, relatable characters give them desires, fears, flaws, and vulnerabilities that mirror real-life. We all have strengths and weaknesses, and readers bond with characters they can understand and see themselves in.

Show their emotions.

I know, it’s advice you’ve heard before, but it’s important.

Rather than telling readers how a character feels—He was nervous—strive to show their emotions through their actions, dialogue, and body language. Allow readers to experience the emotions vicariously by presenting vivid and sensory details that paint a picture of the character's internal state.

Showing will help readers engage more deeply and feel the emotions alongside the characters.

Use strong, evocative language.

Employ descriptive and evocative language to create a sensory experience for readers.

Appeal to their senses by describing sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures in a way that enhances the emotional atmosphere of the scene.

Choose words that convey the intensity and nuances of the character's emotions to make them resonate with your readers.

Utilize subtext and internal monologue.

Explore the inner thoughts and feelings of your characters through internal dialogue. This technique provides insight into their emotional struggles, conflicting emotions, and desires.

By weaving subtext into their interactions, you create a deeper emotional layer that adds complexity and richness to your story.

What’s not said is just as important as what is.

Employ effective dialogue.

Dialogue is a powerful tool for evoking emotion.

Craft conversations that reflect the characters' emotional states, allowing them to express their feelings through their words. And keep in mind the subtext!

Show character growth and transformation:

Emotional impact is heightened by showing character growth and transformation throughout the story.

Allow your characters to evolve and change, overcoming challenges, and learning from their experiences. This journey can evoke a range of emotions in both the characters and readers, as they are invested in the characters.

Create conflict and obstacles.

Emotional engagement often stems from conflict and obstacles your characters face.

Introduce challenges that resonate with readers, whether they are internal struggles or external conflicts. The higher the stakes and the more difficult the obstacles, the greater the emotional impact when characters overcome or fail to overcome them.

Balance positive and negative emotions.

Emotions range from joy and love to anger, sadness, and fear. Ensure a balance of both positive and negative emotions throughout your story, which allows readers to experience a full spectrum of emotions and makes the emotional journey more dynamic and realistic.

Use pacing and structure strategically.

Many people don't think about pacing relating to emotions, but it can be used to maximize emotional impact.

Build tension and suspense during crucial moments, slow the pace to intensify emotional scenes, or provide moments of respite for emotional recovery.

Structure your story in a way that allows emotions to ebb and flow with the compelling emotional arc.

Aim for emotional authenticity.

It can be draining but tap into your experiences and emotions to infuse your characters' journeys with honesty and sincerity.

Explore the complexities of human emotions and the universal truths that resonate with readers to fashion an emotional bond that lingers long after the story ends.

Remember that evoking emotion is a gradual process that requires layering and meticulous crafting.

Through well-developed characters, evocative language, and thoughtful storytelling techniques, you can create a powerful emotional experience for both your characters and readers.

I hope you liked this post.

Happy writing and revising!

Kristin Noland - Speculative and Crime Fiction Editor and Ghostwriter