Writing isn’t intuitive. Sure, I think that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, but even the best of writers don’t know it all. We all need to learn, and one of the most foundational concepts of writing that we will be practising for the rest of our lives is writing with emotion. It sounds simple in theory, but in practice, it takes a lot of detail and intentionality.

My wonderful friend (and business partner/fellow writer) Kofi Douhadji has been awesome enough to keep up with my blog posts recently as I publish them on LinkedIn. Last week, he made a comment that instantly got my creative juices flowing:

“I’d like to hear your thoughts on how to write a sentence to convey the emotions induced by an event as opposed to being factual.” This is a wonderful point to touch on, so thank you, Kofi! I hope you don’t mind, but I want to stretch this concept even more to include how to tell emotion-driven stories overall, and how this works in fiction writing, too. 

Why Emotion Is Integral

Emotion is the foundation of storytelling. A story inherently implies emotion—otherwise, you’re just spitting out facts. That’s why emotion is the true key to keeping your readers engaged: it links everything together and will reach your readers’ hearts. Without emotion, you can’t tell a meaningful story, so it’s pretty important we all know how to do it well. This seems obvious, and yet, I’ve read books where the author has struggled to convey emotion, producing dry and soulless text. Don’t think this only falls under the non-fiction category either—it’s just as easy to fall into the trap of telling the reader the facts of your character’s story rather than letting them experience it through emotion.

So how do you fill your story with emotion? Read on to find out several tried and true ways!

Use Sensory Details

It’s one thing to say, “I pet the cat.” It’s another to say, “I ran my hand along the cat’s back and the long, soft strands of its fur tickled my palm.” You almost skip over the first sentence because it’s so blah, but you can nearly experience the second one for yourself, as if you’re the one petting the cat. (Remember, though—there is a time and place for simple sentences, which you can read more about at the end of this post!)

These added sensory details are important for both fiction and non-fiction, but they become increasingly important to think about when you’re trying to recount an event through emotion rather than facts. I find that these details come a little more naturally in fiction, but it’s harder when it’s personal non-fiction. Why? Because it’s…personal. It requires reflection and introspection. It also requires vulnerability, which isn’t always easy. Regardless, these details are what will put the readers into your story and make them feel what you’re feeling.

Show Don’t Tell

This one’s been popping up a lot in my recent posts, huh? The good news is that using sensory details automatically helps with show don’t tell! These details are a big part of showing your readers the emotion in the story rather than telling them. For example, you could say, “The cat was content.” Or, you could say, “The cat closed its eyes and began to purr, the rumbles vibrating throughout the entire couch.” (Don’t ask me why I chose cats for this post—maybe it’s because Bella is staring at me judgmentally right now.) The difference in these sentences stems from the fact that the word “content” doesn’t mean nearly as much as experiencing contentment. It’s the difference between head and heart; even if you know what the word “content” means, you’re reading the word with your brain. The sensory details allow you to read it with your heart, to put yourself in the narrator’s shoes.

Let me put it another way. Just reading the word “sad” doesn’t make you feel sad, right? But if you read about a failed relationship or a character’s broken dreams, then you experience the sadness. Just saying that a character is sad isn’t enough; you have to show the reader what they’re going through so the reader can be “sad” right alongside them.

Metaphors and Similes Are Your Friends

Maybe these are going out of style a bit, but I’ve always found them super helpful for showing complex or strong emotions in a simple and relatable way. Yes, some metaphors and similes are overused, but there are many that aren’t, or you can make up your own!

In case you need a refresher, both metaphors and similes liken one thing to another. The difference is that similes always use “like” or “as” and metaphors exaggerate to say that something actually is something else.

Simile: That light is as bright as the sun!
Metaphor: Could you turn off that light? I didn’t ask for the whole sun to light up my desk. (A simpler version would be “That light is a ray of sunshine!” or something similar but that sounds pretty awkward and doesn’t really get the meaning across. Sometimes you have to get creative with how you phrase metaphors, especially if you use them in dialogue. But if you use them right, they’re an incredible way to inject humour into your writing!)

Metaphors and similes are great tools you can use to make your writing more concise while still showing rather than telling.

Write from Your Heart

The ultimate key to writing with emotion is to let it come from your heart. Be authentic and tell your story as you experienced it or imagined it—it’s those personal emotions that will draw readers in! People can always tell when you’re faking it, and readers are no exception. Be real in whatever stories you tell.

Kofi, I hope these thoughts are helpful to you! Thanks again for bringing up this topic! Writing with emotion is one of the most basic but crucial things we can do as writers to tell our story and share it authentically with readers.

And remember, if you have a question about writing, drop it in the comments or get in touch. I’d love to write a post on it!

Happy writing!
—E.J.

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Photo by S&B Vonlanthen on Unsplash