You have just completed a draft of an article. It seems flat, even to you. It needs some spunk. Needs to be more alive. Possibly you're at a loss on how to spruce it up so that it creates an emotional connection with
readers.A flat fiction character is easier to fix with emotional language than a nonfiction article. Especially if nonfiction article doesn't include a character or an emotional story. Keep in mind that if you have written article from a personal experience perspective, then there is a chance you have already included some emotionally charge language. Then all you need to do is ask, "Does article have enough emotionally charged language to touch my readers, to pull them in, to keep them reading, to move them to action or possibly a conclusion?"
Why would you even want to add emotion to a nonfiction article? It’s sure easier not too. Adding emotion to your writing, any type of writing, fuels reader’s attention, helps them connect with action. It gives reader an experience. Experience is why people go to movies or watch TV. More importantly, it keeps them reading.
"What does emotionally charge mean exactly?" Emotionally charged means using language that stirs reader in some form. Not to sound flippy, but when and how frequently emotions need to occur depends on what subject, tone, and angle. Yes, even tone matters in a nonfiction article. Is it to be terse, confident, or are you talking as an expert? Maybe it’s a learning tone? From a previous student now teacher. An informing tone, usually overused in nonfiction, turns off readers if used consistently, like in a column, or multiple articles, on your web site, or in a newsletter.
Step 1: Find Emotion
Begin by defining what main emotion you want reader to feel or to understand. Were you peeved about something and it set off writing of this article? Maybe you see a wrong and want to set record straight, or to convey a different truth, a truth from your perspective. Is it compassion oriented or spiritually based? Maybe you want to convey an inspirational or motivating tone. Is it love that you want to convey? Love for a topic. Love for a hobby or something you're passionate about. Your love, someone else’s, world’s, who’s, and how much love do you want to send out?
You can limit number of emotions according to word count. Here’s a common calculation: <600 one emotion. <1200 two. >1800 three or four.
You can choose emotion you want before first draft. Yet, many writers, including this writer, prefer to add emotion during second draft or first edit.
Close your eyes and feel your own inner self on your topic. Find emotion, tone, give it one or two words, and then write it in article’s margin for easy access. If it’s a personal experience, think back to that time, reconnect with that emotion. Did you feel numb, affection, anguish, excitement, shame, guilt, remorse, violent? How about confused?
One of many reasons I love writing marketing articles is because I see so much misinformation on topic and it riles my feathers. When this occurs, I write from this emotion and that language naturally flows into article. Since this isn't emotion I want to convey to my readers, I rewrite a second draft in emotion that I truly want to convey. Usually, from a more loving and patient perspective.
What did you hear, smell, touch, see or even taste during experience? If you personally didn't experience what you are writing about, do you know someone who did? Ask them to share their emotions with you. Put words to those feelings. The taste language doesn't necessarily have to be food related either. Your lips could be dry. You're tongue can taste like you just liked a stamp. Relate taste to something that readers can understand because they have experienced it as well. We've all licked a stamp sometime in our life and remember icky dull bad breath feeling it left on our tongue. My face is curling up just thinking about that taste.
