Writing Information

Write With Passion: 4 Steps To Emotionally Charge A Nonfiction Article

You have just completed a draft of an article. It seems flat, even to you. It needs some spunk. Needs to be more alive. Possibly you're at a loss on how to spruce it up so that it creates an emotional connection with the readers.

A flat fiction character is easier to fix with emotional language than a nonfiction article. Especially if the nonfiction article doesn't include a character or an emotional story. Keep in mind that if you have written the article from a personal experience perspective, then there is a chance you have already included some emotionally charge language. Then all you need to do is ask, "Does the article have enough emotionally charged language to touch my readers, to pull them in, to keep them reading, to move them to action or possibly a conclusion?"

Why would you even want to add emotion to a nonfiction article? It's sure easier not too. Adding emotion to your writing, any type of writing, fuels the reader's attention, helps them connect with the action. It gives the reader an experience. Experience is why people go to the movies or watch TV. More importantly, it keeps them reading.

"What does emotionally charge mean exactly?" Emotionally charged means using language that stirs the reader in some form. Not to sound flippy, but when and how frequently emotions need to occur depends on what the subject, tone, and angle. Yes, even tone matters in a nonfiction article. Is it to be terse, confident, or are you talking as an expert? Maybe it's a learning tone? From a previous student now teacher. An informing tone, usually overused in nonfiction, turns off readers if used consistently, like in a column, or multiple articles, on your web site, or in a newsletter.

Step 1: Find the Emotion

Begin by defining what main emotion you want the reader to feel or to understand. Were you peeved about something and it set off the writing of this article? Maybe you see a wrong and want to set the record straight, or to convey a different truth, a truth from your perspective. Is it compassion oriented or spiritually based? Maybe you want to convey an inspirational or motivating tone. Is it love that you want to convey? Love for a topic. Love for a hobby or something you're passionate about. Your love, someone else's, the world's, who's, and how much love do you want to send out?

You can limit the number of emotions according to the word count. Here's a common calculation: