USE EMOTION TO BUILD CHARACTER(S)

Writers - even the best ones - struggle with how to convey characters' emotions without breaking the golden rule of ‘Show Don’t Tell.’

Most times, who the characters are is best revealed by the emotions they forecast. Those same emotions may seem cloudy and unclear at first until we slowly unravel them, exposing their truth through actions, dialogue, and more. 

The reader wants to know: Who are these characters? What do they want? How do they differ from the other characters in the story? What makes the characters tick and why should we care? 

Whoever they are, in whatever role, we don’t want them to tell us any more than what we might learn on a first date or at a first meeting. We want to discover their dreams, quirks, and passions naturally, over time. 

We want those characters to show us who they are. We want to understand them more and feel their disappointment, jealousy, gratitude, or reluctance. We want to laugh, cry, cheer, and even swear alongside them!

Developing fully fleshed-out characters is so much easier with one particular book on my shelf — The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression. 

It’s not a book to curl up and read in one sitting, though you’ll be tempted. It’s more like having a writing coach nearby.

For example, the authors offer several ways to deliver emotion using dialogue, vocal cues, body language, thoughts, and/or visceral reactions.

Do you use these when developing characters?

When my ideas fall short, I use their list of emotions to boost my creativity. For instance, my character James is insecure but I don’t want to say he’s insecure. I want to show my reader his insecurity.

James may “bite his nails,” “sit on his hands,” or “wear a jacket in summer months.” He may “hold onto a blankie for comfort,” “begin lying,” or “choose a seat away from others.”

The format is simple — each emotion is at your fingertips displayed across a two-page spread — making for quick and easy research.

Something we can all appreciate.