Outline What You Want Your Reader to Feel

Most problems in writing come from a lack of empathy. Someone else wrote that, and that person is correct. Writing is not about you. Writing is about your characters and your readers. When you write, you should be thinking about them, letting their needs and wants guide you.Too often, a story does the opposite. While writing maybe I grow tired of setting the scene and want to get straight to the action. Or I want to show my intelligence so I overcomplicate my style. Both of these choices serve me, not my readers. To combat these urges, I recommend making an outline of how you want your readers to feel as they read your story. Should they be intrigued, then riveted, fearful, then sorrowful? Perhaps even bored, surprised, then awestruck?With this outline, it is very difficult to make the story about myself. I recognize that even though as a writer I'm eager to move ahead to the punch line, the reader desperately does not want me to do that. And when I write and reference the outline, I have a goal in each paragraph for my readers' experience.This outline is not 100% independent. Remember to serve your characters as well. If your characters would not steal the declaration of independence on a whim, don't write that they are doing that just to please the reader. Most readers will put down your story if the characters are inconsistent, anyway.***Below, I've reverse-outlined part of a story I read in The New Yorker, titled "The Death of a Dystopian." I give special attention to the details that will engage the reader, and try to note the emotion I think the reader feels as a result. Today, choose a favorite story and write a outline of your emotions as you read.Reader Emotion OutlineTitleDeath - engages universal fearDystopian - promises an interesting characterSubtitleAlt-right conspiracy theorists… - relevant to the modern readerThe truth is far stranger - promises an interesting plot.1. Paragraph 11. Who, where, when2. Journal - promises a rarity3. “suspect my feelings might be of value” - promises interesting character2. Paragraph 21. Backstory - begins the “why” of Crowley’s obsessive creativity3. Paragraph 31. Quote: every part of this project is me - promises obsessed, unstable character2. Evidence of obsession - inarguable facts4. Paragraph 41. People followed this man - promises that he is important5. Paragraph 51. Backstory - Crowley’s beliefs - explain why he is obsessed and make him interesting2. Speaking at Ron Paul event - promise that he is important, motivated, give chance for verbatim of beliefs, gives him a sense of legitimacy6. Paragraph 61. He associates with Alex Jones - suggests the beginning of a craziness7. Paragraph 71. Explains the worldview of Alex Jones for clarity8. Paragraph 81. Explains that Crowley is on record saying something paranoid - gives the reader a sense of his imbalance9. Paragraph 91. Confirms the imbalance of the previous paragraph - punchline “Crowley found dead”2. Police report said Crowley shot his wife and child and then killed himself - gives important subject matter, generates a need to know why3. Lists evidence of disbelief from the community to generate a sense of controversy for the reader10. Paragraph 101. Strangers who founded a group to clear Crowley’s name2. “ask why someone whose future seemed so promising would kill himself” - generate an itch in the reader to know why11. Paragraph 111. Lists evidence that the group who want to clear Crowley are using - lets the reader decide for themselves, and the evidence appears shaky12. Paragraph 121. “contradicted by Crowley’s journal, which was given to me…” - reader understands why this author knows better than those who are trying to clear Crowley’s name, why this author’s piece is worth writing2. perspective of Nelson… “solitary obsessive” “documentary about Crowley” - shows that many parties are interested in the man13. Paragraph 131. Evidence from the journal - what Crowley wrote about (his grand ambitions and anxieties - generates the sense of a tragic character) and his likable, human traits2. Direct quotes show his instability. The reader feels the potential energy of the tragedy. Crowley could fall, and fall far.14. Paragraph 141. Crowley was losing his mind, and he didn’t seem to know it - powerful and simple, terrifying, fills the reader with tragic sympathy for Crowley, gives a sense of catharsis2. Journals…rare - promises the reader that this story is unique***Getting Started: 5Character: 5Point of View and Tone: 5Plot and Narrative: 5Dialogue and Voice: 5Descriptive Language and Setting: 5Revision: 4Overall: 5*Level 4*