All of Dan Brown’s novels are basically the same in structure. There’s the enigmatic male protagonist paired with a beautiful leading lady, and they both set off to solve a mystery. Some would think that Brown’s style is hilariously overdone and boring. But he still gets readers. The reason? Brown has a knack of instilling a mounting sense of anticipation. He leads his audience on a breathless chase that seems never-ending. In short, he appeals to his readers’ emotions.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a budding novelist or someone who does content writing jobs from home. If you’re a writer, one of the best tricks in gaining readers is making them feel authentic emotions. Several may think that it’s hard since there’s no visual evidence to help relay the sensations. But it’s completely possible.
Step By Step
Say you want to make the reader feel the character’s fear. You don’t do it by telling them the character’s afraid. You must show the buildup to the intended emotion by describing the character’s actions. Always keep in mind that mere reports don’t arouse emotional responses. Readers do get emotional if they’re thrust into the character’s predicament, experiencing the buildup.
Here’s a written example. Don’t go, “She’s afraid to open the door to the room. She stood there, wondering what to do next.” Instead, write something like this: “She stood in front of the door; her heart pounding. A chill came down her spine; the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. Her hand was trembling as she gripped the doorknob.” Notice how the events described seem to detail what the character is feeling at that very moment.
Make The Reader Sympathize with the Character
Ever heard the age-old writing advice, “know your audience?” Those very words play out here. Readers can barely feel any emotion for a character if they can’t sympathize with them. This is common in some singing/talent shows, for instance, where the contestants don’t necessarily win because they’re good. Those videos of background stories, which introduce the contestants, are what make the viewers vote for them. It’s their stories that help the viewers sympathize.
Search Deep Within You
You’ve experienced the same things that resulted in various emotional responses. Detail those in your writing. This is perhaps the easiest way to connect with your readers. Just write as a human being would; it never fails.
