THE WRITE EMOTION - A writer has
done a good job when the reader feels a certain type of way after finishing a
piece of fiction. It’s easy to say, but not so easy to do, because the
potential pitfalls are many. Here’s some examples. Tell the reader how your
character feels. Nope, because a writer should show, not tell. Use short cuts
to commonly used emotions. Bad idea, because clichés are to be avoided. Go big
with over the top emotions. Yeah, no. Because melodrama should be saved for
soap operas, not your writing. What to do instead, you might ask? A lot of this
depends on your character’s point of view. If you’re writing first person or
third person limited, you’re only allowed to pluck thoughts directly out of
your main character’s head. Here are some examples of show, don’t
tell. A character in trouble creates tension, because without tension, there is
no plot. Reveal character’s physical movements; such as beats, facial expressions
and physical actions. Use pacing, foreshadowing, action and suspense
effectively. Narrative summary skips parts that drag but are necessary. This
places greater emphasis on character’s emotional state when compared to plot
driven story elements. Writing characters that transform emotionally allows readers
to identify with them, which in turn creates compelling fiction.
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I love this! Especially the vocabulary list. I always run out of words and I don't want to repeat the same words over and over again. Seeing the spectrum was very eye-opening too. And remembering what audience you're targeting is very important too. Thank you for the tips! I saved this post in my favorites tab hehe :)
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to this. As a blogger and a grad students who finds himself starring at a blank word doc way too often.
ReplyDeleteSCORE! This is brilliant. Sometimes, it can be difficult to get an emotion from your head and to your reader. This is extremely helpful!
ReplyDeleteReading this was like a fun exercise in creative writing. I remember my creative writing teacher giving us a list of emotion words. Great memories...and it's something I could use in my writing today.
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