A technique for adding emotional depth to your stories...

When I write, I do not simply want my reader to know how my characters are feeling; I want them to feel that way, too. I want them to share in the joys and pains, the triumphs and defeats.

The way I do this is through a specific application of the old advice, “Show, don’t tell.” Instead of using emotional keywords such as happy, sad, ecstatic, angry, or grumpy, I show facial expressions, attitudes, and actions.

Human emotion is complex. Even if I say, “Bill is angry,” you may not understand the depths of his anger. Each experience of anger is qualitatively different from the next and not just because the situation that evoked the anger is different – each person reacts slightly differently.

Example one:

“Yeah, I slept with your wife.” Sam said with a mocking half-smile on his pale face.

Bill had never felt angrier in his life.

Example two:

“Yeah, I slept with your wife,” Sam said with a mocking half-smile on his pale face.

Bill’s fists clenched into tight balls. He wanted to pound that smirk off Sam’s ugly face.

Example three:

“Yeah, I slept with your wife,” Sam said with a mocking half-smile on his pale face.

Bill drew back a fist and landed it hard on the side of Sam’s nose, which gave way with a satisfying crunch.

Saying “Bill had never felt angrier in his life,” is not a lot of information, especially if the reader has just met Bill. Is he the type of person who gets angry a lot?

The second two examples give us ways in which Bill might react, depending upon what kind of person he is and exactly how angry he is. Notice, however, that I did not use the word “angry” in either of the last two examples but I bet you understood that Bill felt angry.

If you want your reader to experience your story rather than simply read it, letting them feel what the character feels is a great technique. It may take a lot of practice and false tries, so don’t forget the value of critique in determining if you have been successful.