by Megan Hart

Created on: November 04, 2009

"Write what you know" is an oft-touted bit of advice writers cling to like socks on the back of a sweater fresh out of the dryer. What many writers both new and experienced don't realize is that writing what you know isn't enough. You also have to write what you feel.

Writing fiction means telling a story. You can tell it straightforward and matter-of-fact, dry as dust, sort of like your old English professor reading aloud from some book everyone considers a "classic" but nobody really likes or even understands. Or, you can tell your story like you're sitting around the campfire in a cave, retelling the day's hunt, making your listeners laugh or gasp aloud in fear, or weep. Telling a story is more than putting the words on the page in the right order - you need to hit something inside your readers. You need to make them feel, too.

So, how do you make your fiction resonate with readers? It's not enough to get the facts right. A good writer will also dig deep and find the emotions that go along with the situation. These don't necessarily have to be the writer's emotions; in fact, they'll sometimes be just the opposite. A good writer has to capture what the character feels and translate that into words the reader can understand and empathize with. That's how you get those readers laughing, screaming or weeping.

How do you tap into those emotions, especially if your character is living through situations you've never experienced? (After all, if we all really only wrote what we know, the selection of reading material would be rather limited.) The key is one word, one most of us learned in kindergarten or even earlier. One we knew how to utilize even before we knew it.

Imagination.

That sounds so simple. Of course writers use their imaginations. We create entire worlds, characters, plots. Emotions shouldn't be so difficult a stretch.

Imagine yourself as the characters in your novel or short story. Have you ever experienced what they're going through? How did it feel? Make a list of all the emotions you felt. Then take a moment and review them - are they what your character would feel? Some might be the same, some different, but make sure to choose the emotional response your character would have to whatever it is you're writing about.

Then, put that imagination to work. Writing "John was angry about the way Susan had treated him" might be the most straightforward, but not the most effective way to impart John's fury at Susan's betrayal. Try something like:

John's chest rose and fell with the force of his breathing, and his jaw ached with the effort of holding back the sharp retort. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction of knowing how badly he wanted to punch the wall.

Utilize your own emotions as well as your imagination to paint a picture with words that will show your reader how your characters are feeling. Giving your readers the tools to understand the depth of your characters' emotions will make it easier for them to relate to the characters and the story, and your fiction will leave a lasting mark.

You'll not only have resonated with those readers, you'll have made them feel something, and that's a good guarantee you'll have them coming back for more of your work.

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