How do you use emotions and senses to make your stories more memorable?

We are all the same when it comes to the impact of emotions. Evolution shows we are hard-wired to survive by cooperating with others and forming social groups that are mutually beneficial. We need emotional empathy to understand and cooperate with others. Think about an experience that evoked a strong emotion. It may have been a moment of joy, deep sadness or anger. Because of the power of that emotion, we are unlikely to forget it. Shared emotional experiences help us connect with other people. If we tell an emotive story, it is likely to stick in our minds. Stickiness is what we want for our stories to become memorable.

Emotions guide our decision-making, and our days are filled with countless decisions. Evolution designed emotions to help organisms discern what to approach and what to avoid. By infusing our stories with positive emotions, we can foster a connection with others and effectively convey our message.

Emotions are the heart and soul of storytelling, infusing narratives with depth, relatability, and lasting impact. They empower stories to transcend mere words and visuals, transforming them into powerful vehicles for human connection, understanding, and transformation.

Writers often follow the rule: "show, don't tell." Instead of telling your audience how something feels, describe it in a way that sparks their imagination. Compare the sentence "The day was sunny" to "The sun warmed our faces." Which one do you prefer?

A simple, yet challenging, way to intertwine emotions and senses is by using active verbs. Consider this: "He ran fast towards the door, but it was locked." Does that evoke any feelings? Now, contrast it with: "He dashed across the room. He jiggled the doorknob, but soon gave up. It was locked." Which one do you prefer?

Whenever I present strategic narratives for narrative brand planning, I tend to have slides that both provide text and images. During presentation, I read the story to the audience as if I was a narrator in a movie. To me, this is crucial as I can control the emotion and vibe I want the audience to feel. If you have a powerful story in written word, that's good. If you can back it up with corresponding visuals, even better. If you can make the audience experience it interactively, best.

To capture emotions and senses in your language, you must first practice being present in the world you want to describe. You can practice the 5-4-3-2-1 technique by listing 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste. This will help you sharpen your senses and notice what emotions they evoke.

I agree that the use of emotions adds to the experience. It is essential to have a balance, as audiences don't like to feel manipulated. There are some reports and presentations that would be more factual that adding emotion would feel out of place. However, a pitch where someone presents what could add sentiment may emphasise the underlying ideas, evoking feelings to compliment a vision or add a sense of urgency. Testimonials that produce joy or relief in finding a product or service that works.

In the narrative landscape explored in "The Power of Moments" by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, a captivating concept emerges: "The Significance of Breaking the Script." This narrative twist holds the enchanting power to turn ordinary storytelling moments into extraordinary ones. By daring to defy the predictability of routine narratives and infusing unexpected elements, storytellers, whether individuals or organizations, can masterfully craft tales that leave an indelible mark. Breaking the script involves challenging the status quo, pushing the boundaries of what's expected, and ultimately conjuring moments that etch themselves into our collective memory, creating a lasting impact and igniting the magic of transformation through storytelling.

A relatable, emotionally resonant story illustrates the core message of your content. Sharing personal anecdotes or real-life examples can create an immediate emotional connection and set the tone for what's to come. In addition, sensory language can paint vivid mental images. Describe scenes, situations, or experiences using sensory details like sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures. This makes your content more immersive, engaging the audience's imagination and memory. Also, you can select words that elicit emotions and sensations. Use strong adjectives, verbs, and metaphors to evoke specific feelings. For instance, instead of saying "good," you could say "exhilarating" or "breathtaking".

Many people take from their own experiences and of those they know. When expressing one’s own emotions, it will always have the most impact. We can think of music where the lyrics produce relations seemingly from nowhere. Consuming media will be a good guide on what and when to use emotions. To be the best a lot of time, we should start by following closely in the footsteps of the best.

It should be a no-brainer, but, let your audience feel it. Describe emotions and senses in a way that readers or listeners can relate to on a personal level. Make them experience what the characters are going through, almost like they're right there in the story. Some examples of sensory words you can use are velvety, crunchy, deafening, scorching and pungent. Infuse emotions into your writing like ecstasy, joy, anxiety, heartbreak and confidence. This makes your stories more memorable and impactful.

Don't overdo it. If your audience feels that you are trying too hard, they will start paying attention to you and the actual words rather than to your story.