10 Ways To Show Your Character’s Emotions
Unfortunately, our inability to express emotion in a fresh
way was dragging down the quality of our writing. So, in 2012 we
published The Emotion Thesaurus, hoping it would help writers get
out of this boring rut when it came to expression.
Then we decided to
make this thesaurus even bigger—and create 12 more description thesauruses
while we were at it. That’s when One Stop For Writers was
born. The online Emotion Thesaurus located there has 98 entries and
nearly 20 “emotion amplifiers” that are often mistaken for emotions. So, lots
of help there in the emotions department!
That was a pretty
ambitious project, but was it enough? Apparently not, because in 2019, we
decided to expand the original Emotion Thesaurus into a second edition, adding 55 new entries and way more
instructional front matter.
Book or site, our mission is the same:offer
brainstorming tools that will trigger an avalanche of fresh description. We
provide the ideas and you weave your magic to turn them into story gold.
But here’s the thing about a tool…it works better when we
know how to use it.
Conveying character emotion is a struggle for many. Today
let’s look at 10 different ways to SHOW what a character is feeling.
1) Body Language
Clearly, no surprise–a huge part of showing emotion is describing
how the body reacts to feelings roiling around inside a
character. Grief looks different than gratitude, excitement displays
differently than dread. Often we focus a bit too much on facial
features (eyes narrowing, lips pinching) when we should use the body more as
there’s so much more to work with.
A hand splayed across the chest,
shoulders bowing momentarily before stiffening, shaky fingers reaching up to
rub the lip…showing this as a character receives a hard-won accolade as his
peers look on will clearly show gratitude. Put yourself in the
character’s shoes and imagine the scene. Let yourself feel what they do, then
set out to describe it.
2) Thoughts
Thoughts are an excellent way to show emotion, as long as
they adhere to the rules of POV. When swept up by emotion, our thoughts follow
certain patterns. Worry has us jumping to conclusions and
imagining the worst case scenario. Skepticism has us poking
holes, looking for proof that our intuition is right and something’s rotten in
the litter box. Scorn goes further, revealing those ugly,
judgey-judge thoughts we have about someone else. Flavor your character’s
thoughts with emotions and not only will a character’s voice shine, readers
will also be drawn right in.
3) Internal Sensations
Internal sensations are those immediate and uncontrollable
reactions we have to emotion and the fight, flight, and freeze instincts.
That tight heat of arousal at just the right touch (desire), the spike
in heart rate when a streetlight suddenly goes out (fear), a rock that
manifests in the gut after noticing a ambulance in the driveway (dread)…these
sensations are immediate and forceful. Use them with care when you’re in the
character’s POV but do use them. Readers recognize these sensations and have
felt them all before. Remember less is more because while powerful, too much
sends description into melodrama land.
4) Posture
Individual expression can shown
through posture as well. Not only does it paint a better image of the character
for readers, it can show what they are feeling. Are they a wall of tenseness,
or more fluid, relaxed, easy? Is the chest thrust out (confident) caved
(struggling or upset) shielded by crossed arms (closed off, impatient,
irritated) or openly (welcoming, caring)? Does the character
lean in, or away? Do their feet point toward someone (engaged) or away
(escape)? The body is a road map that we can use to show readers exactly
what they are feeling.
5) Personal Space
Introvert, extrovert, or in between, all characters have a
bubble of personal space that allows them to feel safe. This area may widen or
narrow, depending on how the character feels. Does he let people into his space
or keep them at a distance? Does he enter the space of others? We can see
indicators of how he feels by his willingness to engage and be vulnerable (or
not).
6) Dialogue
Dialogue is a great way to show emotion as long as it mimics
the real world. People rarely state their feelings directly—they beat around
the bush. They don’t say “I’m angry,” instead they rant or vent about the thing
pissing them off. What a character says (and what they avoid talking about!)
show their inner emotional landscape to readers and other characters.
7) Vocal Cues
Along with what a character says is how they say it.
Are they speaking fast (nerves, rushing, impatience) or slow (careful,
thoughtful, tentative)? Does their voice rise in pitch, showing they can’t
quite keep a lid on what they are feeling, or go lower, revealing they are in
control, or trying to rein themselves in? Do they hesitate, emphasize certain
words, fumble around and go on tangents to show their discomfort about a topic,
or interrupt themselves to change the direction because they are revealing too
much?
Okay, my psychology geekiness is
showing, but one of the BEST PARTS of emotion is that it constantly messes up a
character. Emotions (and their amplifiers) are great at destabilizing
decision-making skills. When people act out of fear, or anxiety, defensiveness,
or even out of love or desire, they do things
differently than they would if they were feeling centered and rational.
Every action has a consequence, and emotion-driven actions
can create conflict fallout, which is great for storytelling…and shows what
emotions are pushing a character’s buttons.
9) Voids
Every character has empty spaces they carefully maneuver
around if we look hard enough. These are danger zones where they might come
face to face with an emotion they are uncomfortable experiencing, usually
because it is tied to an emotional wound that leaves them jaded and questioning
their on self-worth.
Voids can be used to indicate these painful emotions simply by
showing things that are out of character, like them ignoring something right in
front of them because it makes them feel uncomfortable, or how they steer
conversations away from something that nudges painful feelings. This void
can be resistance, like showing them do something the hard way because he’s
avoiding the logical choice as it’s chained in negative emotions.
Imagine
wanting to ask a older brother for help because he’s the expert, but refusing
to because he slept with the character’s ex the day after the two separated.
Because voids hint at deep emotions and complicated situations they should be
treated like the proverbial “smoking gun.” In other words, if you show friction
between brothers to the extent that one will go to great lengths to not seek
out the other’s help, that emotional sore spot eventually must come to light so
the void makes sense.
10) Contradictions
We’ve all said to a relative, “Of course you can stay with
us this weekend!” when they ask. But sometimes, inside, we are a hodge-podge of
emotion: we’re swamped at work, the house is a mess, and we have no time to
host big dinners and provide the entertainment which goes with family visits.
Yet we smile and nod as we speak….except our shoulders sag a little, or we
swallow and hesitate before forcefully flooding our voice with enthusiasm.
Basically, with contradictions, a character may try to fake it but body
language doesn’t lie.
Tip of the iceberg!
There are more ways to show emotion–so many more. I mean,
don’t get me started on all the things you can do with emotion and the setting. Good
grief, you could write a book on just that. Er, two books, technically. 
Anyway, the big takeaway?
With emotional expression, go beyond what is obvious. Use a
variety of techniques, drawing from different description wells.
If you only show emotion through body
language, or dialogue, or rely too heavily on the internal thoughts of your POV
character, your writing will seem one-dimensional and readers won’t have as
memorable of an experience.
Stretch yourself! In each scene, think how some
of these might work. Experiment. You might just see your writing jump from
good…to great!
Need more help with body language and emotion?
We’ve got you covered:
A giant selection of Checklists and Tip Sheets HERE.
Tutorials on showing emotion & utilizing elements
of fiction better HERE (to view, register for
free).
To access the expanded Emotion Thesaurus at
One Stop For Writers, poke around the site and see if we can help elevate your
storytelling!
It’s like giving up a coffee or two and investing in your
writing instead.
But before you spend a dime, stop by and see if One Stop for
Writers has the Features and Tools you are looking for.
Happy writing!
Angela Ackerman,
About ANGELA ACKERMAN
Angela is an international speaker and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also enjoys dreaming up new tools and resources for One Stop For Writers, a library built to help writers elevate their storytelling
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HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS GUEST POST BY ANGELA ACKERMAN. I know you'll want to checkout her site and her new revised Emotion Thesaurus! Please share by clicking on the small icons below--and leave a comment if this article has helped you!
Hugs,
Elva Martin
Elva Cobb Martin is vice-president of the South Carolina Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a former school teacher and a graduate of Anderson University and Erskine College. She has two inspirational novels published with Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas. Summer of Deception, a contemporary romantic suspense, and an historical romance, In a Pirate’s Debt. Both have spent time on Amazon’s 100 Best Sellers List for Women’s Religious Fiction. She has indie published a Bible study on Amazon, Power Over Satan, on the believer's authority in Christ. Decision, Charisma, and Home Life have carried Elva's articles. She and her husband Dwayne are semi-retired ministers. A mother and grandmother, Elva lives in South Carolina. Connect with her on her web site http://www.elvamartin.com,on Twitter www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin; Facebook http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin; and Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin
Link to her romance novels and non-fiction works on Amazon:http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI
