Pacing moves the plot forward, and highlights conflict, motivation, stakes, resonance, and intensity of emotion. PACING: Pacing plays a huge role in the emotional arc and in the heart of your manuscript. Create space for mixed emotions in your manuscript by showing your character’s physical reactions, highlighting your character’s internal experience, and leaving lots of white space for the illustrator. They are often a mixed up and muddled mess. The use of active language adds more resonance to the moment, and pulls the reader into the emotional arc.ĬREATE SPACE FOR MIXED EMOTIONS: Feelings aren’t straightforward. For example: “His hands shook as he waited for Maggie’s reaction.” In Home for a While, I used active language to draw my readers into Calvin’s experience.

Instead of saying Calvin felt uncertain, I highlighted his uncertainty by zooming in.ĪCTIVE LANGUAGE: Use active language to draw your readers into the emotional arc. For example, in my latest book: Home for a While (Illustrated by Natalia Moore/Magination Press), I wanted readers to FEEL Calvin’s uncertainty. We want them to live, breathe, and feel the moment.

ZOOM IN: Zoom in on emotional moments so that you can create scenes that your readers feel part of. It’s what you remember.” What do you want your readers to remember long after they’ve read your book? What is the heart of your story? What is your character’s goal? What is your goal in writing this particular story? What do you want your readers to walk away with? I love this quote from Jodi Picoult’s latest novel: The Book of Two Ways: “Art isn’t what you see. Here are a few tips to help your readers FEEL all the feels: When I critique, I often find myself helping authors hone in on the heart and create an emotional arc that is both resonant and relatable.

Home for A While by Lauren Kerstein