Bringing Emotions to Your Story

A story connects with readers most powerfully when there are emotions intertwined with the telling. The day in the life of a horse-loving girl is sweet, but it can become dry if it's simply a recital of how she brushed the mane, cleaned the saddle, and mucked out the stall. Let us know how the characters are feeling. Let us feel what it would have been like to be in that situation.

Use descriptive words to show those emotions. Rather than state "I was upset when we separated," let us feel that turmoil.

"Breaking up is an act of violence that rips the soul and shreds the heart. Smash, sever, and shatter are the only adequate words to describe the horrific reality and the fierce nature of what happened to my marriage."
The Pieces of a Life

Mused's content runs the complex gamut of what our fellow travelers in our world go through. Here are just a few of the stories we have published over the years -

An Unnoticed Death - a neighbor dies alone
Cold Whispers - watching a loved one die
The Pieces of a Life - grieving after a divorce
Dog Day Afternoon - burying a beloved dog while avoiding an abusive husband
Asylum - being admitted to a psych unit

We wish to help educate our readers about all aspects of life - the challenges and the hurdles. The issues which span generations and cultures. Handling these roadblocks are often the most emotionally charged times we go through. Our readers want to understand what you endured and gain insight into how you survived and moved on.

Certainly the ending message does not need to be inspired and uplifting. A mother writing about the loss of her infant daughter is sharing the desolation and darkness she endured. However, for Mused we do ask that the flow of the story resolve into a sense of acceptance that life will go on and that a new normal can be found. We would not run a story which ended with the author being depressed, miserable, and feeling utterly alone, for example. In our stories, that would be a stage the author passed through on their journey towards a more sturdily founded vantage point. While the person does not need to be happy by the ending, there should be a sense that "tomorrow is another day."

Non-Fiction Submission Guidelines
Adding Details to Your Story
Bringing Emotions to Your Story  ← You Are Here
Story Ideas and Brainstorming
Writing About an Interesting Person
Calculating a Word Count
Proofreading Your Submission
Non-Fiction Submission Form