When writers try to manipulate their readers by making them feel emotions that the writers haven’t honestly earned, we call the work sentimental. Certain situations will make readers teary-eyed—the death of a child, the reunion of long-lost loved ones, the call to action of a group of unjustly oppressed people, the cruel disappointment of an old person, the self-sacrifice of a courageous animal. Using such scenes is like pushing a button that causes an emotional reflex.

Readers value fiction that moves them emotionally but may resent being set up and manipulated. Some stories, like those involving loss and grief, love and death, are intrinsically deeply touching. In those cases, it’s more effective to use restraint in your telling and to avoid overemphasizing what readers are already feeling.