What feeling do I want readers to get from what I write?

What feeling do I want readers to get from what I write?

Determining the feeling you want readers to get from your writing is crucial to making an impact. This involves understanding the purpose of your work, the genre you are writing in, and your personal style. By focusing on these aspects, you can guide readers through the emotional journey you envision.

Identify Your Purpose

The first step is to identify the purpose of your writing. Are you aiming to inform, persuade, or entertain? If your goal is to educate, you might want readers to feel enlightened or more knowledgeable after reading your piece. For persuasive writing, you should aim for feelings of conviction or inspiration, urging readers to take action or adopt a new perspective. On the other hand, if you are writing to entertain, especially in fiction or humor, your goal might be to evoke amusement, thrill, or deep emotional engagement.

Consider the Genre

The genre of your writing plays a significant role in determining the emotional response of your readers. In non-fiction, clarity and credibility are key, often evoking feelings of trust and respect. Fiction allows for a broader range of emotions. Depending on your story, you might want readers to feel suspense, empathy, joy, or sadness. Poetry, with its expressive nature, can evoke a wide array of emotions, from deep introspection to a profound sense of beauty.

Reflect on Your Message

Understanding the core message or theme of your writing is essential. Consider how you feel about this message and how you want others to feel. If your message is one of hope and resilience, your writing should inspire and uplift. Conversely, a message about loss and recovery might aim to evoke empathy and reflection.

Know Your Audience

Knowing your audience is crucial in determining the emotional impact of your writing. Think about who you are writing for and what emotions they are likely to respond to. Writing for a young adult audience might involve creating feelings of excitement and curiosity, while writing for a more mature audience might focus on deeper, more complex emotions like nostalgia or contemplation.

Personal Style

Your unique voice as a writer will naturally influence the feelings you evoke. Consider your tone, word choice, and sentence structure. A playful, lighthearted tone will evoke different feelings than a serious, contemplative one. Use your personal style to enhance the emotional impact of your writing.

Emotional Impact by Genre

Different genres typically aim to evoke specific emotions. In romance, you might want to create feelings of warmth, hope, and love. Horror should evoke fear, tension, and unease. Adventure stories should be filled with excitement, curiosity, and anticipation. Mystery should lead readers through feelings of intrigue, suspense, and ultimately, satisfaction. Tragedy aims for sadness, empathy, and reflection, while comedy should bring amusement, joy, and light-heartedness.

Practical Steps

To achieve the desired emotional response, write with intent. Keep the feeling you want to evoke in mind as you craft each sentence. During revisions, focus on enhancing the emotional impact by cutting or changing parts that don’t contribute to the feeling you want to create. Seeking feedback from others can also be invaluable; ask them what feelings they experienced while reading your work.

By carefully considering these elements, you can create writing that evokes the desired emotional response from your readers, making your work more impactful and memorable.

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