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  • The Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface by Donald Maass book cover
  • The Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface by Donald Maass book cover
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The Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface

by Donald Maass

Building fiction’s emotional dimension

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AlbakiReads Editorial

Building fiction’s emotional dimension

Donald Maass’s guide examines how fiction writers can shape a reader’s emotional experience through choices that extend beyond the familiar distinction between showing and telling. Its topics connect craft decisions to the story’s emotional world: moral stakes, the relationship between inner and outer journeys, plot opportunities, symbols, and change. The book also addresses positive spirit and magnanimous writing, presenting emotional impact as something that can be developed across multiple elements of a story. This makes the guide a focused exploration of how structure, meaning, and language can work together to give a narrative emotional force.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Fiction writers seeking craft guidance on creating emotional impact
  • Writers interested in linking plot, character journeys, and moral stakes
  • Readers of books on fiction composition and storytelling techniques

Themes

Emotional craft in fictionMoral stakes and character journeysPlot, symbols, and changeEmotional language and story meaning

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

The essential guide to evoking emotional experiences in your readers

Writers might disagree over showing versus telling or plotting versus pantsing, but none would argue this: If you want to write strong fiction, you must make your readers feel.

Veteran literary agent and expert fiction instructor Donald Maass shows you how to use story to provoke a visceral and emotional experience in readers. You'll learn:

- emotional modes of writing
- beyond showing versus telling
- your story's emotional world
- moral stakes
- connecting the inner and outer journeys
- plot as emotional opportunities
- invoking higher emotions, symbols, and emotional language
- cascading change
- story as emotional mirror
- positive spirit and magnanimous writing
- the hidden current that makes stories move

Readers can simply read a novel...or they can experience it. The Emotional Craft of Fiction shows you how to make that happen.
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Malaika Taylor

I highly recommend to for anyone looking for inner clarity

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Great shopping experience! The book arrived quickly, was well packaged, and matched the description perfectly. I would definitely shop with you again

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