Writers Tricks of the Trade Volume 5, Issue 5 | Page 27

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8 REASONS AND WAYS TO WORK WITH EMOTION (CONT’D)
you with a describable impression. Reach for the little spiral notebook—we all
should have one of those—and flip to the section you’ve set aside for just such
visions. Using the same example as above, assume you imagined hair badly in
need of care. Maybe you would jot down: her blonde hair reminded me of a
field of hay long past the time it should have been harvested.

5. KEEP A NOTEBOOK HANDY

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You might not have immediate need for any of these impressions, adjectives or
adverbs when they catch your attention, but when you need something special
you have references from your own experience or imagination. A favorite that I
jotted down, just because I liked the sound of it, was “like an old dowager
attempting to keep her dignity.” It was from some old 1940’s movie on late
night TV, but the image stuck with me. Later I used it in Devil’s Dance to create a
visual image of a shabby sofa with arm caps covering the worn spots. A
description of a dowager wasn’t related to a sofa, but the image of hanging onto
the last bit of dignity was clear.

6. DRAW UPON YOUR OWN EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES

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When placing a character in a situation that is emotional, whether the scene is
one of love at first sight, terror, or delight at seeing a new baby, the deep
emotional reaction must be felt. Your character must feel it so the reader can as
well. That reaction isn’t one sided. It’s both physical and mental. You can soar to
the heights or drop to the depths. You might swell with pride or be reduced to
tears. That is the mental side. What are the physical reactions? Does the
stomach twist in spasms? Is the person so happy they actually feel a bit
lightheaded? That’s where the writer becomes the method actor.

7. WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW WHEN IT COMES TO EMOTION
You’ve probably heard that saying so many times you’re sick of it. Still, the
majority of us have had experiences that produce these emotions and physical
reactions. Your own experience may have no direct relationship whatsoever to
the actual mechanics of the scene you’re in the process of creating, but the
feelings are the same.

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Think back to those times and immerse yourself in the memory. For example,
the odds are you have never been threatened at gunpoint as your scene now
dictates, but have you been in an accident? Have you taken tests at a doctor’s
office and awaited the results? Have you walked through a dark, isolated area,
then heard a noise? What did you feel? Terror. What does your victim feel?
Terror. Again, it’s not the same situation, but terror creates a set of physical and
mental reactions, regardless of the situation.

WRITERS’ TRICKS OF THE TRADE

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SEPT - OCTOBER 2015