Tool for naming precise emotions: instead of 'sad,' pick 'lonely,' 'disappointed,' 'nostalgic,' or 'hopeless.'
Use Plutchik's emotion wheel or create your own. Basic emotions: joy, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, disgust. Derive subtler variants from each.
The more precise the emotion, the more authentic the text. 'Sad' is cliché — 'disappointed' or 'resigned' is specific and true.