How to Write Emotionally-Driven Stories: Tips for Making Readers Feel

Ever read a story that left you staring at the page, shocked—in the best way? That’s the power of emotionally driven storytelling. Stories can range from being plot-driven, character-driven, and emotion-driven. Emotionally driven plots are about forging a deep emotional connection between your characters and your reader. Whether it's quiet heartbreak, overwhelming joy, or gut-wrenching conflict, emotions anchor readers to the book. But how do you write stories that don’t just entertain people but resonate with them on a deep level? Dive in and explore how to write stories that make people feel something real!

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Consider Personal Experiences

Before writing your story, it's a good idea to consider your life and tap into your experiences. You may be surprised by the emotions that take you over or by the inspiration you feel. Considering your own life can be one of the most authentic ways to write emotion and to draw inspiration. Simply think of times you’ve felt grief, joy, anxiety, heartbreak, or hope. Even if your story is fictional, infusing scenes with real emotional memory can give them a sense of realism that readers will definitely feel!

Include Character Growth

It's no surprise that at the heart of emotionally driven stories is emotion! But what should act as the catalyst for eliciting emotion? Your characters. Their struggles, transformations, and moments of growth are ultimately what will make your readers cry, cheer, or quietly ache. Character growth is the driver for emotional connection. This is because when your readers see a character break, change, or become someone new, they'll be more likely to feel the emotions attached to that growth. So, it's crucial that you include character growth in your story. Ultimately, readers want to see your characters shift throughout the story--and that's bound to come with varying emotions.

Show, Don’t Tell Feelings

When writing an emotionally-driven story, it's so important that you show, rather than tell. "Showing" is about making your readers feel actively involved in the story, instead of making them feel like they're watching it from the sidelines. Simply put, "showing" involves sensory details to transport readers into your novel, while "telling" separates readers from the story. For an emotionally driven story, you need to use body language, dialogue, and sensory details to convey emotion. This won't just engage readers, but make them feel what the characters are going through. Continue below for a clear example of showing vs telling.

Telling

Jaydah felt lonely.

Showing

Have Characters be Vulnerable

Vulnerability is a crucial element of emotionally-driven stories. It's difficult to elicit compassion and emotion if all your characters are stone-cold all the time. Readers connect most deeply when they see a character’s guard come down and when a character's strength gives way to fear, sadness, shame, or love. This doesn’t mean your characters need to break down on every page. In fact, your characters' vulnerability will be most powerful when conveyed through small actions. A quiet confession, a trembling hand, or a moment of sobbing make them feel more 3D and engaging.

Tap into Universal Themes

There are some themes that are just so universal that they'll resonate with practically every reader. These themes include love, loss, identity, belonging, regret, and growing up. So, while your plot should be unique, grounding your story in universal themes and emotional truths helps readers (from all backgrounds) connect to your characters. That being said, you shouldn't write your story to try to conform to universal clichés or to check off emotional boxes. It's important that your story is yours and your ideas come through.

Stories driven by emotion are not only great for drawing readers in, but also for illustrating vulnerability and change. That's why, when done right, emotionally-driven stories leave a mark! By following the tips above, your story is sure to stay with readers long after they've flipped the final page.