Successful novel authors include simple statements on how the character feels and also throughout dialogues or thoughts of the character. It can be:
She was beginning to feel exhausted
“So she’s good at writing?” asked Tina doubtful.
Simple statements of emotion are surely not to be ignored but why should we also focus on writing emotions? They create a deep and meaningful connection between readers and novels.
What if we could incorporate complex emotions in our story books to make them richer and emotionally impactful for readers?
This article is for writers who want to build a rollercoaster of emotion in their novels!
Readers, learn the subtle points authors use to understand the richness of a story!
1. Emotions as a physical sensation
Play with the five senses (sound, taste, smell, sight, touch) to create vivid imagery in the reader’s mind.
Example
“I was stressed out”
“I couldn’t feel my heartbeat and I ran out struggling to breathe.”
Tip: use metaphors to enhance the beauty of imagery.
“I’m enjoying the rain”
“Storms of flowers caress my ear, I’m dancing with goosebumps under the rain”
Describing the characters’ emotions like anger or sadness isn’t enough for the reader to feel what the character is going through. When you incorporate more details, especially what the feeling looks like, readers are more able to understand the real emotion.
2. Character voice
Don’t forget that readers want to experience from the point of view of the character. Let your character express themselves instead of bringing your author’s voice to describe the character’s feelings.
Letting your character express isn’t to have their character explicitly state what they feel through dialogues.
Emotion can be verbalized through tone of voice and flow of sentence. Someone nervous would speak fragmented and someone over the moon would ramble on and on.
You can also use their body language. For some skeptical you can say “he raised his eyebrow” and for someone
3. Specific emotions
Emotive adjectives help to explain a specific feeling or emotion. Here are some beautiful ones:
Feverish – Marked by an intense agitation or emotion
Appalling – Shocking and very bad
Serene – Peaceful and calm
Melancholic – Feeling of a pensive sadness
Blissful – Extremely or completely happy
Heartfelt – Sincere and strongly felt
Zestful – Full of energy and enthusiasm
Giving strong details about how the characters are feeling makes it more relatable for readers.
4. Action
Characters’ actions are as important as dialogues in fiction, but we have to make sure to use the correct verbs.
An adverb colors the verbs and adds detail to the action. Usually, these verbs are called “weak verbs”.
Example
He said to me loudly.
He yields to me.
Here, we have replaced “shouted loudly” with the strong verb “yield”. The second option has much more of an emotional impact on readers than the first one and adds power to the action.
Other examples
To cry loudly -> To waile / To sob
To talk quietly -> To whisper
To walk slowly -> To mope
To smile widely -> To grin
To laugh quietly (with closed lips) -> to chuckle
Strong verbs are useful to experience the action more directly, creating a better emotional response from the readers.
The goal is to show how the character manifests the emotion rather than telling it which refers to the well-known advice “Show, don’t tell”.
5. Different reactions
A reaction is a character expressing an emotion when faced with a situation.
Imagine if a character cries whatever a bad thing happens. In the end, the reader would be used to this reaction and would know in advance that anyway, the character is going to cry and feel bored which is boring.
In the same way, when all your characters have the same reaction to a situation, it’s even more boring. Your book should be à shades of emotions. That’s where your book becomes rich in emotions.
6. Start and finish your book with different emotions
When you start a book with an initial emotion and finish with a different emotion, it shows your story has evolved and has brought meaning to the plot.
This technique is not necessary to succeed in your emotional writing but if you can add it to your book it will be the icing on the cake.
For example, you can start your book with a desperate situation and finish with a happy and triumphant moment. This shows your book has answered the initial plot.
So to write complex emotions use your characters’ voices and play with their five senses. Add specificity to the emotions and show them through action. Color your book with different emotions and you have your rollercoaster of emotions!
