Writing that hits you in the gut.
The most powerful writing doesn't just inform—it makes you feel. Emotional resonance comes from specificity, vulnerability, and universal truth. Writers who achieve it don't manipulate; they reveal. They show their own humanity in a way that reflects ours back to us.
Decisions are emotional before they're rational. Neuroscience shows that people with damaged emotional centers can't make even simple decisions—logic alone isn't enough. When writing creates emotion, it creates action. It also creates memory: we remember how things made us feel long after we forget the details.
Be specific about emotions: don't say 'I was sad'—show what sadness looked like
Use sensory details: what did you see, hear, smell, feel?
Reveal vulnerability: readers connect with struggle, not perfection
Find the universal in the specific: your particular story should illuminate a general truth
Earn big emotions with small details—don't tell readers how to feel
Telling emotions instead of showing them
Sentimentality without substance
Manipulating with cheap tricks (sick children, cute animals) that feel false
Being so vague that readers can't connect
Good Example
"You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read."
Weak Example
"Reading helps us realize we're not alone in our suffering."
Why the difference matters:
Baldwin's version speaks directly to 'you,' acknowledges specific emotions (pain, heartbreak), and has a turn ('but then you read'). The rewrite is generic and loses all intimacy.
Chapter 4: Emotional Resonance
Writing that hits you in the gut.
Storytelling
Draw readers into a narrative that teaches, sells, or transforms.
Specificity
Use details to build trust, credibility, and vivid imagery.
Reading about techniques isn't enough. Practice typing passages that demonstrate emotional resonance to build muscle memory for great writing.
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