17/06/2025
๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐
As a writer, your words should make your readers feel.
One of the most powerful tools that separates ordinary writing from unforgettable writing is the emotional arc.
Itโs about taking your reader on a journey that moves their heart, just like how Davidโs Psalms carry us from sorrow to hope, from despair to praise.
So, how do you know your writing has an emotional arc?
Here are 5 signs to watch for:
1๏ธโฃ Your READERS donโt remain the same way after reading your work.
They start questioning, or feel the pain, or struggle, and by the end, theyโre comforted, challenged, healed, or hopeful.
That transformation is a clear sign youโve built an emotional journey into your writing.
Itโs like a sermon: if everyone claps but no one repents, something's missing.
2๏ธโฃ Your CHARACTERS or MESSAGE experience a shift, whether you're writing fiction, non-fiction, a blog, or even a devotional, something (or someone) changes.
They may start broken, fearful, or uncertain, but they donโt remain the same. Think of Paulโs letters, always pointing us from where we are to where grace can take us.
3๏ธโฃ Thereโs a build-up of TENSION or CONFLICT. Every good emotional arc has a moment where things seem shaky or even hopeless. That tension captures your readers. It mirrors life.
Even Jesus wept before raising Lazarus, and that moment of emotion made the miracle more powerful.
4๏ธโฃ Have you ever had someone pause after reading your work and say, โWow, that really got me thinkingโ? Thatโs a moment of reflection.
Emotional arcs donโt just entertain, they pierce the heart, challenge mindsets, and trigger reflection.
Jesus' parables were emotionally intelligent, they made people think deeply, not just feel good.
5๏ธโฃ Your words feel like a conversation, not a lecture. When people say, โI felt like you were talking to me,โ thatโs it.
Emotion flows best through honesty, vulnerability, and being real. Your writing shouldnโt sound like a pulpit message all the time. Sometimes, it should sound like a friend sitting beside them.
You donโt need dramatic scenes or tears on every page to have an emotional arc. What you need is truth wrapped in grace, pain wrapped in purpose, and words carried by the Spirit. Thatโs what stirs hearts and transforms lives.
Let your writing feel, not just teach.
ยฉ Vickie Lawrence โ your partner in writing, editing, ghostwriting, and assisting you through your publishing journey from start to finish.
