We're adding to our Thesaurus family! It's been a while since our last book as we needed to recalibrate our release schedule from fall to spring (resulting in a year gap), but now we're back in the thesaurus-making saddle. May 13th is coming fast, so it's time to dish some details about our … [Read more...] about The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus (May 2024 Release)
Search Results for: how to show emotion
Want to Show Your Character’s Pain? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
For the better part of two months, Becca and I have been exploring pain, and how to write about it in fiction. It's been enlightening for us, and we hope for you as well. So many ways to torture characters, who knew? (Well, we did. And you did. Pain is sort of our bread and butter, isn't … [Read more...] about Want to Show Your Character’s Pain? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
Writing About Emotional Trauma Without Triggering Readers
Trigger warnings are often debated in the writing world. Some opine that readers should be warned if something potentially harmful is included in a book, and others feel the audience shouldn’t be bubble-wrapped and need to chin up if they want to read fiction. Like most things, the answer probably … [Read more...] about Writing About Emotional Trauma Without Triggering Readers
Emotion Amplifiers Master List of Entries
Releases May 13th, 2024! What began as a small ebooklet companion to the popular Emotion Thesaurus is now an expanded second edition. Inside you’ll find fifty-two states and conditions with the power to amplify a character’s feelings. You’ll learn how to deploy them to create friction and … [Read more...] about Emotion Amplifiers Master List of Entries
The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus: Pain
This second edition releases May 13th, 2024. DESCRIPTION: While there are different kinds of discomfort a character could suffer, this entry focuses on physical pain, which is most often associated with an injury or illness. For discomfort that continues for a prolonged period, see CHRONIC … [Read more...] about The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus: Pain
Identify Your Character’s Emotional Triggers
Every one has emotional triggers – are you using this to increase the emotional tension in your story? What Does Your Character Think is Their Strength? What does your character pride themselves on having, being, doing, possessing, needing, controlling, etc? Do they rest their identity in any … [Read more...] about Identify Your Character’s Emotional Triggers
Using Physical Pain to Show a Character’s Past Trauma
There doesn’t seem to be much info out there to tell writers how to realistically capture emotions and trauma while still leaving room for plot, characterization, and genre tropes. The most common problem I see is that the character THINKS about their past trauma—they have flashbacks and … [Read more...] about Using Physical Pain to Show a Character’s Past Trauma
How to Showcase Your Character’s Unique Voice
Almost every character should have their own voice—their distinctive way of communicating their worldview. To illustrate, here are three lines from Harry Potter that reveal Hermione’s, Ron’s, and Harry’s individual voices, respectively. "Don't go picking a row with Malfoy, don't forget, he's a … [Read more...] about How to Showcase Your Character’s Unique Voice
A Show-Don’t-Tell Database for Writers
One thing we're known for around here is description. For a dozen years, Becca and I have explored topic after topic, and whether it's settings, emotions, backstory wounds, conflict, weather, or something else, we dive in and find all the ways this storytelling element can be leveraged via … [Read more...] about A Show-Don’t-Tell Database for Writers
Workshop: Using Character Emotion to Wow Readers
Thanks so much for attending this webinar on character emotions and how to write them effectively. I hope you gleaned some practical tips on showing instead of telling so you'll be able to use those techniques to better engage readers. Additional resources you might find helpful: Further … [Read more...] about Workshop: Using Character Emotion to Wow Readers
Use Trauma Strategically To Create An Emotional Arc
Many authors give their characters past trauma that makes life more difficult and at the very least adds internal conflict. But are you strategic with the kind of trauma you choose—the severity, the onset, the symptoms and coping mechanisms? What’s the character’s emotional arc and how does the … [Read more...] about Use Trauma Strategically To Create An Emotional Arc
Describing a Character’s Emotions: Problems and Solutions
Characters are the heart of a story, but what really draws readers in is their emotions. Only...showing them isn't always easy, is it? Like us in the real world, characters will struggle. Life is never all cherries and diamonds; in fact, it's our writerly job to make sure reality fish-slaps … [Read more...] about Describing a Character’s Emotions: Problems and Solutions