What does it mean to "use emotion" in your writing?
And why should you care?
Let's consider each question individually:
(1) What does it mean to "use emotion" in your writing?
Emotions are feelings, reactions, and related sensations that can greatly impact our thinking and behavior but don't usually involve logical reasoning.
Strong verbs create vivid imagery in your reader's mind, enabling them to "feel and experience" your content.
To be affected by it.
A powerful, easy-to-apply way to incorporate emotion in your writing is through strong verbs.
Examples of strong verbs:
Thrash | lacerate | cuddle | shriek | stun | nuzzle | fuel | empower | drive | crumble | undercut | strip | crush | boost | shine | celebrate | speed | hurtle | sink | block | harness | jab | jolt | energize |
Are any of these words creating a mental image of their meaning in your mind?
Affecting - even for a millisecond - the way you feel?
(2) So...why should you care?
a) Creating imagery in the mind of your reader captures their attention. They're literally "thinking along with you", seeing and feeling your point. They're paying attention to your message. Grabbing and holding your reader's attention is the foundational objective of all writing - necessary (but not sufficient) to communicate your message.
Here's an example:
His writing "shouts" and "whispers", "casting" a spell over readers.
b) Strong verbs enable brevity. Short, to-the-point content is more likely to keep reader's attention. It's easier to remember. Weak verbs - often forms of the verb "to be" (is, was, were, will be) require more supporting words (often adjectives and adverbs) to fill in meaning.
Here's an example:
He is a "talented" and "unique" writer vs. His writing shines.
Long, winding sentences raise the risk your reader's attention will drift and fade before your message is communicated.
Weak verbs inject a double dose of dreariness into writing:
They don't conjure up mental images that can impact the way readers respond to, or remember, your message
They bloat sentences by requiring insertion of add-on words (usually adjectives and adverbs) to convey meaning.
What does neuroscience say about the way our brains respond to emotionally-charged words?
First, a few words from our sponsor:
