The Emotional Craft of Fiction

1. Fiction's Emotional Core: It's About the Reader's Journey, Not Just the Character's

The better question is how can I get readers to go on emotional journeys of their own?

Beyond Showing and Telling. The most effective fiction doesn't just describe what characters feel, but provokes a unique emotional experience for each reader. It's about inducing a personal journey, not dictating a shared feeling.

Reader's Unique Experience. No two readers experience a novel the same way, influenced by their own temperaments, histories, and biases. The novelist's role is to provoke feelings, not to author them.

Emotional Impact as Fundamental. Emotional impact is not an optional extra but a core element of a novel's purpose and structure, underlying character arcs, plot turns, and voice. It's what readers remember long after the plot fades.

2. Inner, Outer, Other: Three Modes to Evoke Reader Emotion

The first is to report what characters are feeling so effectively that readers feel something too...The second is to provoke in readers what characters may be feeling by implying their inner state through external action...The third method is to cause readers to feel something that a story’s characters do not themselves feel.

Inner Mode (Telling). This involves directly stating a character's emotions, aiming to create empathy and shared feeling with the reader. It's most effective when emotions are fresh, unexpected, and layered.

Outer Mode (Showing). This relies on external actions and dialogue to imply a character's inner state, allowing readers to infer emotions and experience them viscerally. Subtext is key to effective showing, revealing unspoken emotional truths.

Other Mode (Reader's Journey). This focuses on provoking readers to feel something independent of the characters' emotions, creating an emotional dialogue between author and reader. It involves challenging readers' beliefs, stimulating cognitive evaluation, and prompting self-reflection.

3. Crafting an Emotional World: Me-Centered Narration and Moral Stakes

Opening the emotional world of a story is just as important, but doing so involves delving not only into characters’ experience of their world but also of themselves.

Me-Centered Narration. Characters must openly share their inner thoughts and feelings, creating intimacy with the reader. This involves exploring characters' experiences of themselves and their world, raising questions and concerns that resonate with readers.

Emotional Scale. Effective storytelling involves using small details to evoke big emotions and amplifying small emotions to have a significant impact. This requires a nuanced understanding of emotional triggers and the power of suggestion.

Moral Stakes. Characters' moral struggles and choices are powerful emotional tools. Readers are drawn to characters who strive for virtue, even when faced with difficult circumstances. Moral elevation inspires readers to be better themselves.

4. Emotions, Meaning, and Arc: Connecting Inner and Outer Journeys

Plot happens outside but story happens inside.

Meaning Beyond Events. The true story lies not in the events themselves, but in their significance to the characters. Illuminating the meaning of events, both big and small, adds depth and resonance to the narrative.

Unifying Long Spans. Novels spanning long periods of time can be unified by focusing on the constant of change and the characters' evolving understanding of themselves and their world. Recurring questions about identity and purpose create a cohesive narrative thread.

Connecting Inner and Outer. The inner and outer journeys of a character are interconnected. Outer events should trigger inner reflection, and inner struggles should manifest in outward actions. This creates a dynamic and emotionally engaging story.

5. The Emotional Plot: Milestones That Resonate

The emotional wallop of a story is created by its totality.

Emotional Openings. Effective openings combine intrigue with emotional engagement, giving readers a reason to care about the characters from the very first page. This involves establishing heart values and creating immediate, positive moral judgments.

Falling in Love with Protagonists. Readers fall in love with protagonists who are not only appealing but also relatable. This involves creating characters with heart, yearning, and a capacity for change.

The Emotional Midpoint. The midpoint is a pivotal moment of crisis and transformation, where characters confront their deepest fears and make crucial decisions that shape their destiny. It's a mirror moment, a point of no return.

6. The Reader's Emotional Journey: High Moments and Lasting Impact

Higher emotions make us ponder. They make us change. They make us better people.

High Moments. Certain story events, such as forgiveness, sacrifice, betrayal, moral dilemmas, and death, have a powerful emotional impact on readers. These moments should be carefully crafted to maximize their emotional resonance.

Symbols. Symbols can be used to deepen the emotional meaning of a story. Recurring objects, gestures, or words can take on symbolic significance, adding layers of meaning and emotional resonance.

Story Worlds We Don't Want to Leave. Creating a compelling story world involves more than just sensory details. It requires creating a place where readers feel emotionally connected, a place where goodness, hope, and love prevail.

7. The Writer's Emotional Journey: Positive Spirit and the Emotional Mirror

The spirit that you bring to your writing desk either infects your pages or enlivens them.

Positive Spirit. The writer's own emotional state and outlook can have a profound impact on the story. A positive spirit, characterized by compassion, generosity, and faith in humanity, can uplift readers and create a more meaningful experience.

The Emotional Mirror. Characters can serve as emotional mirrors, reflecting the writer's own inner struggles and growth. By being honest with their characters, writers can gain deeper self-understanding and create more authentic and powerful stories.

Decency and Goodness. Infusing the story world with decency and goodness can create a sense of hope and connection for readers. This involves portraying characters who are kind, compassionate, and committed to making the world a better place.

Last updated: April 11, 2025