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: