This post is part of Art & Craft, my series that reviews books about writing books.
The Emotional Craft of Fiction considers the phenomena of stories that stir our sentiments. Inciting emotion is a subjective achievement that can't be accomplished with any fiction formula, but this magic can be studied. An accomplished author and veteran literary agent, Donald Maas rose to the task.
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Why I chose this book
My two most respected writer friends both separately gave me the same critique: that my narrative had too much psychic distance. Maybe that's just MFA-speak for “The reader doesn't care what will happen next.”
Unsure how to internalize this feedback, I chose this book to better understand what makes a character or narrative worth emotional investment. When I write the prose comes easily, the pacing comes naturally, and I instinctively find a voice for each book. But my stories lack resonance in their execution. Occasionally, I have more energy about my story idea than I do the manuscript itself.
I chose this title to focus on achieving the addictive catharsis only bibliophiles know.
The highlights
This book is structured around an “Emotional Mastery Checklist,” a series of questions and suggestions to push and test your story concept. The questions are complex. To give a sampling:
Think about your protagonist. What is one good thing your protagonist finds exceptionally hard to do?” [Page 49]
“At the midpoint, write down your protagonist’s view of herself prior to this time. What about that view is no longer true? Who must your protagonist now become? What is she lacking--and utterly unable to achieve?” [Page 99]
“Pick any piece of action. Convey the action not through the action itself but through its effects: wreckage, reactions, instant changes, long-term complications. String them together in a montage about everything around it. [Page 159]
To support these questions, each section is framed with copious examples and passages from successful works which give them context. The curation is excellent. It may be worth exploring The Emotional Craft of Fiction simply to expand your reading list.
The book is fairly brief, but covers both literary and genre fiction, plot- and character-driven novels, treating emotion as a unifying experience across every successful work. The idea is ambitious, but I think it works. To incite the full range of human emotion, Maas pushes authors to develop and deeply examine both our characters and ourselves. How do you build enough trust to execute a devastating betrayal? How do you establish strong beliefs to construct the perfect moral dilemma? How do you breed hatred and sow forgiveness?
The cringe
Thankfully, this book is devoid of fluff and nearly free from unbearable moments. One exception is near the very beginning, where Maas adds to the discourse of showing vs. telling, which is such a cliché dichotomy that I nearly put the book down. But he doesn't digress, and he expands on a third option, which he calls the “other mode.” This other mode focuses not on whether the prose shows or tells of an emotional experience, but instead focuses on the experience of the reader.
This concept, which Maas develops throughout the book, became the most insightful takeaway for me. This may even be the book's thesis, that authors should focus not merely on descriptions or demonstrations of a character's emotions, but on inciting emotion in the reader. How? As he writes, “Other mode is not a single technique or principle. It is a vast array of elements tuned like the instruments in an orchestra to create a soaring emotional effect. When all the instruments work together, they lift our hearts. They transport us to a realm of wonder. We are open.” [Page 26]
My only other critique is somewhat exemplified in this passage. A few sections devolve into flowery prose and you have to peer through the evocative imagery to extract the lesson. But perhaps Maas means to evoke more often than teach.
Star-ratings
See my introductory post on this series for my rating system. The Emotional Craft of Fiction earns:
How useful is this craft book?
2 out of 3 stars - ★★☆
How humble is this craft book?
3 out of 3 stars - ★★★
How concise is this craft book?
3 out of 3 stars - ★★★
Overall, I would recommend using this book to reflect on your own work. If my story is not resonating, perhaps I have not pushed my characters, or myself, far enough.
I appreciate your reviews. I haven't read this one, but I wholeheartedly agree with the intent. My aim is for my reader to experience the story, not just read it. I may miss the mark at times, but that's the goal. Thanks for doing these!