E IS FOR EMOTIONS AND EXPERIENCE( CONT’ D)
Why keep the notebook?
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.
Drawing upon your own emotional experiences
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.
Write what you know
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. Your notebook becomes your personal databank
To grasp those feelings, forget about how to relate your memory to the scene in your manuscript. Instead, as you picture it, enter what happened to you or what you experienced in an“ Experiences” section of your notebook. While you are writing down your own feelings, let your mind roam free. Capture the emotions that surge back as the memories take hold. Now you have a record of what that emotion feels like. Surprisingly, it can be applied to a multitude of manuscripts, because the basics are the same. Let’ s say the reaction was surging thoughts. The only difference, is they become the thoughts that apply to that particular situation and will vary with the storyline. But, the thoughts still surge.
GETTING IN TOUCH WITH EMOTIONS
Pride
Anger
Frustration
Doubt
WRITERS’ TRICKS OF THE TRADE
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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2016