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If you're a writer, I don't have to tell you why editing gets an extra special four word mention, but I do have trouble with feeling. I'm not your usual girl, as I'm sure many others aren't. I'm not emotional by nature. I don't cry in lovey dovey movies, I don't react on emotion, if I feel any at all. I analyze, and when something does bother me, I bottle it up until I have a chance to pick up the guitar and sing my lungs out, pouring every last bit of emotion into those words, until I'm absolutely exhausted and have nothing left.
Unfortunately, I can't do that with writing. I need to draw the reader in, make them feel just as shitty as my character feels, just as happy, just as sad, just as... well just as my character feels.
After researching this topic extensively on the internet, I found some extremely helpful advice. It's simple really. Use your senses.
For example: What would happen if someone handed you a disgusting hot liquid cold remedy?
Would you say:
a) She smelt the noxious fluid and struggled not to throw up. It would help her cold but it tasted like feet.
or
b) She inhaled the steam as it wafted up from her mug, the noxious fumes burning her nostrils, making the tiny hairs shrink and recoil in horror. Why would anyone voluntarily drink this crap? She'd rather have a cold than drink her mother's herbal concoction again. The vile liquid smelt like a year's worth of gym socks, the toxic potion caused her stomach heave, her face to burn bright red as she fought the acidic bile rising in her throat.
It sounds better than; It stank, I wanted to throw up.
Then you have say, kissing. When you kiss someone, you don't just feel their lips. So would you say something like:
a) She had liked him for the longest time, then finally, finally they kissed. He had minty breathe.
or
b) He slowly lowered his head, his surprisingly soft lips meeting hers in the dim morning light, the minty heat of his breathe tickling her nose as she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck. Finally, finally he kissed her, his tongue gently probing her mouth, causing her heart to skip a beat, his roughly shaven stubble grazing the side of her face as he deepened the kiss, pulling her further into his embrace. Heat burned through her veins, goose bumps formed on her arms where the cool morning air touched her feverish skin, her chest heaving as her heart tried to beat its' way out of chest. So long... so long she dreamt of this moment... the moment when he held her, kissed her, wanted her as she wanted him. Finally, they were together.
Now which draws you in more? The fact that he had nice breathe or something with a little more heat behind it?
The reason for that is, you can relate. That's where the emotion comes into it. Everyone's different, everyone's going to react differently to situations when emotions come into play, but the physical reaction is generally the same. If you've ever kissed a guy or girl after they've had a stick of gum, you're going to relate. If you've ever kissed a guy with stubble, or have stubble for you guys out there, you're going to relate. Even if you've never kissed someone passionately before, you're going to be able to relate to the fact that morning air is bloody cold if you have hot feverish skin.
And that, to the best of my knowledge, is how to inject a bit of emotion into your writing. Use the senses... smell, taste, sight, touch, sound... Hell, use a sixth sense if you have to, but whatever you use, it will work.
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