Reader Empathy: Catch It & Keep It with Guest Angela Ackerman

Gluing readers to the page. This is a writer’s goal each step of the way, from gaining the attention of an agent, to compelling an editor to make an offer, and finally, to enthralling an audience.  We strive to make people experience something powerful when they read our words. To genuinely FEEL. To care.  



Sounds...um, not easy? I know! Building empathy requires skill, knowledge and practice. Writers must become deeply in tune with a reader’s emotions and learn how to use these feelings to bind them to the story.

Make Outsiders Become Insiders

When a reader opens a book, they have certain expectations. They know the book’s genre and the jacket copy offers a peek into what the storyline is about. However at this point they are still Outsiders to the main character and his world. They have not yet invested in the hero or his journey. The author has a narrow window of time to draw readers in and convert them into close confidants. Insiders. 

Encouraging empathy is the way to make this happen. When readers are brought into the hero’s POV, they not only begin to understand the character’s world, they actually can share his experience. Empathy forms a powerful bond between character and reader, carrying them deep into the story and plight of the hero. They become emotionally invested and worry for him, with losses causing pain and frustration while wins are celebrated because readers care and want to see him succeed.

     

5 Ways To Encourage Reader Empathy

 Humanize your character. Real people have strengths, flaws and weaknesses. Characters must also have a blend of these. They should be imperfect and make mistakes, but also be likable. Give your hero at least one commendable trait that makes him worthy to cheer for. 


Get inside their bones. Make your protagonist believable by giving him common desires, emotions, worries and thoughts that an audience can relate to. These commonalities will resonate with the reader’s own beliefs and feelings, reinforcing that bond. Allow the character’s self doubt to bleed through to some degree, showing the reader his vulnerable side.


Clearly define the needs, goals, and stakes. Scene to scene, readers must always know what the character is fighting for. Leave no doubt as to what he is trying to achieve, why, and the cost of failure. 


Hobble characters through challenges that readers sympathize with.  Readers bring their own life experience to the book, so use it. Story conflict and personal stakes will remind readers of their own past where they faced similar roadblocks. Pile on challenges, make the hero work and sometimes fail, but also allow for successes on the journey.


Never betray the reader’s trust. Writers must know their characters inside and out, and make sure  actions, thoughts and beliefs align with who they are. If a character acts in a way that does not fit his nature, the reader will feel betrayed. Manipulating a character’s choices or actions just to bring about a plot twist or complication will always ring false. 

TIP: Showing believable emotion in your characters is really key to forging empathy. If you struggle in this area, a brainstorming tool like The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Expression  might help. Amazon’s ‘Search Inside’ feature offers a sample of this tool which pairs the thoughts, body language and internal sensations that go with a particular emotion, helping you to convey your character’s unique feelings clearly to readers. Also, thinking about your own emotional responses as you enjoy a book will help you as a writer looking to build that empathy link!

 

  Your Turn!

As a reader, what makes you empathize with characters? Why do you care enough to root for them? Let me know in the comments!



In honor of Angela's visit today and Seekerville's birthday, we're giving away one digital copy and one traditional copy of The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.

 Angela Ackerman is one half of The Bookshelf Muse blogging duo, and co-author of The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression. Listing the body language, visceral reactions and thoughts associated with seventy-five different emotions, this brainstorming guide is a valuable tool for showing, not telling, emotion. Angela also writes on the darker side of Middle Grade and Young Adult, and is represented by Jill Corcoran of The Herman Agency.

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