Ben Reeves

Emotion in fiction

Monday 30th March 2026

If I only had a few minutes to help someone create emotion in their fiction...

Work backwards from the emotional moment. If I say "the man died", it's not emotional. But if I've spent 100 pages leading up to that man dying, allowing the reader to get to know him inside and out, with all his hurts and regrets, it can pack a punch.

Use contrast. Whatever emotion you're trying to create, contrast it with the opposite. That way, instead of comparing ten to zero, you're comparing ten to minus ten.

A lot of emotion is about change. Let a character learn something. Let them behave in a way they usually wouldn't, when it matters.

Be specific. Choose your words carefully, so that instead of a general feeling, we have something very sharp and real.

Remember that emotion is about people rather than just events. A war isn't emotional unless we see the people it affects.

Use subtext. Say it without saying it. Don't let the characters say exactly how they're feeling - show it. Let them fight against it, try to hide it. That way, we're filling the gaps with our imagination. The emotion comes from within us, from empathy.

Get your beats in the right order. When you're leading up to the emotional moment, don't jump right in. Set it up. Treat it like a song. Go slow. Let it sneak up on us. Make us think we're not going to get the emotional moment. Show us the journey towards the moment. Show us the aftermath, but don't overdo it.

Sometimes the element of surprise can help, as it catches us off guard. But it shouldn't feel like it came from nowhere. It should feel earnt.

Go small. Often it's not the loud dramatic tears that move us, it's the small telling detail.

Emotion isn't cheap. It can't be faked. You have to feel it yourself, as the writer, because you're truly passionate about crafting this experience.

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