Last week I celebrated six months since the launch of my book. And by celebrate, I mean I had fun making social media posts in categories of sixes—words I love, words to nuke from orbit, writing books I love, etc. (You can take a look at the LinkedIn series here.)
Hilariously, the words to nuke from orbit post got a lot more attention and comments than the words I love post. As of this writing, words to nuke has received more than five times the “impressions” on LinkedIn. In fact, this post outperformed all of the other six-month celebratory posts by a large margin.
What I deduce from this: We writers can be a judgy lot. And we really enjoy ranting about our pet peeves (words included).
As any good courtroom lawyer will tell you: jurors don’t want facts, they want a story. And a good story consists of good words. #writingtip #writerslife #storytelling Share on XThese posts and the conversations around them also got me thinking about the role of emotion in writing.
As any good courtroom lawyer will tell you: jurors don’t want facts, they want a story.
And a good story consists of good words. What are good words? I’m so glad you asked.
Good Words Hook Into a Reader Emotional Response
As anyone who spends time around words can tell you, good words are entirely subjective. Talk to a small sampling of writers, and you’ll get a wide variety of favorites. I started with a list of six for my post, but stopping there was truly difficult. There are so many delicious words!
Words are most effective when they hook into a reader emotional response. Good speechwriters recognize this and dial into emotions all the time. I love this quote from a Forbes article on how to write a great speech: “Logic has nothing to do with it. Figure it out.”
How can you figure out what words hook into a reader emotional response? Start with yourself first. What words do you especially love or loathe? If you want to, make a list.
How can you figure out what words hook into a reader emotional response? Start with yourself: What words do you love or loathe? Make a list. #writingtip #writingcommunity Share on XTake a closer look at your list. I’m betting your words fall into roughly “positive” and “negative” categories (love or loathe). Split them up and see whether you skew more toward one or the other. My (admittedly unscientific) results reinforce a truism we’ve heard many times from many sources: the human brain is wired to focus on the negative.
Which way does your list skew? Given how human brains need a ratio of positive to negative news in order to say positive, see whether you can tip the scales in favor of positive words.
Appealing Words
What makes some words so appealing? Here’s a starter list of attributes:
- the way they sound
- they way they feel in the mouth when you say them out loud
- the way they look (writing is a visual medium, usually)
- how long they are
- how short they are
- their associations—with memories, cultural touchstones, history, and more
- unexpected juxtaposition (contrast)
- their sound captures their meaning (onomatopoeia)
- alliteration (repeated sounds)
- rhyme
Jot down words or phrases that you come across in your reading adventures. Do you have any new ones for the list?
I especially enjoyed this article and this other one too, from Merriam-Webster. If you need inspiration for your appealing word list, check them out!
Using Emotional Words in Your Book
If you think that emotional terms are only for fiction or memoir, think again. A fascinating study has shown that emotions are at the heart of all of our decisions, no matter how logical we think we are being, or how much we might view emotions as getting in the way of good decisions.
If you think that emotional terms are only for fiction or memoir, think again. Emotions help us make all our choices. So no matter your #genre, lean into it. #writingtip #writingcommunity Share on XResearchers found that people who had lost the ability to have emotions were unable to make even the most minute of choices. Should I get a drink of water? Should I answer the phone?
Emotions help us make all our choices. That’s how fundamental emotions are. So no matter your genre, lean into it.
If you’re writing fiction or memoir, consider emotional words that reveal/conceal your characters, their state of mind, and the connection you want to make with your reader.
If you’re writing nonfiction, consider emotional words that appeal to a reader’s knowledge or desire for greater understanding, their state of mind, and the connection you want to make with them.
As Captain Jack Sparrow might say: “Savvy?”
Bottom Line
Are you having fun with words? Are you inviting your reader to connect with your book emotionally?
The two are linked, so let’s enjoy ourselves while captivating others.
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