Quick Fiction Fixes – Evoking emotions with the words you use
We’re all busy, whether working full-time or chasing/chauffeuring kids around all day. Yet we’re also writers, striving to get our words on paper and then polish it to a sparkle.
This column gives quick fixes for fiction manuscripts specifically for busy writers. Pick and choose what works best for you!
The words you use:
Certain words tend to evoke very specific and universal emotional reactions from people.
For example, “jumped” is a rather neutral emotional word. However, “bounded” tends to denote more excited spirits in the person doing the bounding. “Stomping” tends toward anger. “Marching” is more structured. “Sashayed” brings to mind seductive women.
Other examples:
“Protector” triggers a warmer emotional reaction when you read it than “Guardian.”
“She swept the room with a piercing eye.”
Versus
“She swept the room with a piercing glare.”
Versus
“She swept the room with an observant eye.”
Dwight Swain wrote: “Pay attention not just to words as words, but also to the feelings they mirror when people use them.”
Take time to bust out a thesaurus and notice the feelings attached to certain words. You might be surprised at the subtle emotional nuances between two words that might otherwise seem the same.
Some emotional nuances are cultural, as well. Our American culture is a melting pot of different ethnicities. You can take advantage of this and choose words that your reader will react to, or resonate with.
When getting into a character’s point of view, utilize specific words to draw out your reader’s emotions. That way, they’ll feel your character’s emotions with more intensity.
Go through your manuscript, line by line, word by word. (This will probably take time, so do a little each day, like a page a day.) If you have any neutral words, try to think of a stronger, more emotional word.
Strive to evoke your reader’s feelings with your word choice. Be deliberate. If you do, your words will literally jump off the page and grab your reader by the throat.
