Have you ever read a book that was just so boring and bland that you wanted to throw it out the window? Who hasn’t, right? Do you know one of the potential problems of that book?
It lacked emotion.
I think emotion is very important for a novel. A writer should try to find the right balance so the readers are engrossed in what they are reading. Emotion helps get the readers invested in the story and into your characters. They have to feel sadness when they fall and celebrate their successes when they accomplish something.
My book is full of emotion and sometimes it does leave me feeling emotionally drained. These characters are put through hell and it does affect me in a weird way. I feel for them and I want them to succeed. I want them to realize their own worth and get better. But, in order to tell the story, I have to make them suffer, too.
Once you begin to really feel for these characters like you’re friends with them, that’s when you know you’re on the right track with emotion. I want the readers to cry, laugh, scream, etc. I want them to really learn what it’s like to live like these characters. I want them to walk away with a sense of understanding. To do that, I need some emotion to show through.
Nobody wants to read a boring book anyways, right? 🙂
What do you think about bringing emotion in novels? How do you make it really show?
In other news, part four of “The Painter” is up now at Serial Central! Click here to go straight to the post! I’ve been having a lot of fun writing this story for everyone and I hope you all are enjoying it. Let me know what you think so far!