Emotional Connections ©
By Mary Beth Lee

The Tony Awards changed my writing. Hopefully for the better. I guess we’ll see.

It started with a song. Appropriate for a show that showcases Broadway musicals and plays, I suppose. Caroline, a black single mom at the beginning of the civil rights movement sang a song that left my daughter and I both in tears within seconds. I was stunned. I mean, hel-lo, I’ve never faced discrimination. I’ve never been a black woman who was afraid to dream because dreaming only led to pain. In those few seconds I realized something important about what we write. It’s nothing awe inspiring, and it’s not even a secret. I’m sure you’ve all heard it a million times over. But here’s my epiphany: As a writer, YOU MUST MAKE A CONNECTION WITH THE READER.

Fear, Hurt, Pain, Trust, Loneliness, Love, Want, Need, Passion...the list goes on and on. That emotional connection is what makes or breaks books. It’s why I didn’t care for Cold Mountain but loved The Notebook. It’s why I read Nobody’s Baby But Mine and whole heartedly believe an incredibly smart woman would do some of the ridiculous things the heroine does. It’s what grabs an editor and makes them sit up and take notice of your story. I challenge you to wring the emotion from your characters, regardless of the story you’re writing. Don’t try to do this book by book. Instead, tackle it scene by scene. Don’t be afraid of immersing the reader in emotion. Sure, I’ve never been held at knife point by a maniac, but I’ve been afraid. I can take that emotion and make sure it sings in my work. You can too! Happy Writing

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