Ever read a story that kept lingering in your mind so that you just could not shake it off? Most great books have a lingering effect on the reader. When one reads a book, there are two possible effects. The reader either feels like a participant or just an observer. In books where the author has the incredible ability to evoke the reader’s emotions, the reader shifts from the position of being the audience or an external party in the story to being a participant. They are able to feel emotions such as sympathy, anger, dislike, fear, disgust or surprise.

Fortunately, it is easy to build readers' emotional attachment to the characters in a book. Here are a few ways that any writer can explore to create or induce feeling in a reader.

Develop your characters

It is easier for anyone to identify with another’s feelings if they know the person. The same case applies when someone is reading a book. For a reader to connect with a character in an emotional way, the reader needs to know the character well. This is the point at which character development becomes vital. As the reader gets to know a character, they gradually become affected by the character’s emotions.

Create suspense in the story

Suspense builds the reader’s anticipation which heightens their tension. The reader’s excitement then creates emotion in them. Through skillful hinting and withholding information, an author can build suspense as they write their story.

Carefully select descriptive words for each scene

The words used in describing a scene in a book dictate the reader’s feelings towards that particular scene and the characters in it. Different words have different levels of impact with regard to the reader’s emotions. Depending on what the writer wants to achieve throughout the plot of the story, they can use words to achieve their goal.

Examine your story to check whether you feel what you would want the reader to feel

Write your book as if you were the reader. If a story does not elicit any feelings from you, it is most likely that it will not have an emotional impact on the reader too. As the author, you are the first reader of your book, which can help you to objectively gauge whether someone else will love reading it.

Create different scenarios of conflict within the story

By introducing conflict within the book’s plot, you give the reader a chance to take sides and ultimately become emotionally connected to characters in the story. An example is when the reader likes a character in the story and this character is maltreated by another. The reader, in this case, may sympathize with the character they like and feel disgusted or angry at their opponent.

Include descriptions of physical senses within the book

Emotions can be fortified by physical senses in many cases when used effectively. A phrase like “As he got close to her, she turned away after smelling the stench of cheap liquor on his breath” can trigger feelings of disgust in a reader.