Writing Exercise 03: What Is This Feeling?

Don't Tell Me!

As storytellers, we are often told to "show, don't tell." It's great advice, but sometimes it's easier said than done. Knowing what to show and how to show it is its own skill.

Today I want to talk about showing emotions. Because it's easy to write that your character is sad, but showing audience what that sadness looks and feels can be harder. It becomes much easier with practice, however.

So let's practice!

Step 1: Pick an Emotion

I want you to start by picking the emotion you want to explore. Some examples might be joy, sadness, anger, confusion, or fear. But feel free to come up with others if you.

Write the emotion you choose at the top of the page. This will be the only place you can use the emotion's name in this exercise. More on that later, though.

Now, take a few minutes to sit with that emotion, thinking either about how you or one of your characters experiences it. What might provoke this emotion in you/them? How do you/they express this emotion?

After meditating on this for a few minutes, you can move on to Step 2.

Step 2: Show that Emotion

Now I want you to write about yourself or a character experiencing that chosen emotion. This could be a paragraph or two or a whole scene. It could be in first or third person. What matters here is that you show the emotion and never name it.

So, if your chosen emotion is "sadness," you can never use the word "sad" in this exercise. In fact, I'd encourage you to avoid synonyms as well, like "sorrow" or "heartache." These are great words that are more specific than just "sad," but for the sake of this exercise, I want you to show your reader the feeling without ever naming it.

For an added challenge, try to avoid using the word "feel" in this scene as well.

The goal here is to practice conveying emotions to your reader in more potent, visceral ways. To show and not tell.

Example

Below I've done an example of the exercise. This is just a paragraph, but feel free to write an entire scene if you feel like it. Just try to keep the rules from above in mind.

Emotion: Eagerness

Rhiannon's eyes go wide, alight with a sparkle that hadn't been there before. "Oh, yes!" she says, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Can we get started today? I don't have any plans for the rest of the afternoon." Her hand is already reaching for her satchel, blinding searching for her notebook and a pen.

Was this Helpful?

This is a great exercise for working on your ability to show a character's emotions. it's a great skill for writers, of course, but it's also useful for any storyteller. If you're a game master for a tabletop roleplaying game, for example, this an be a great exercise for helping you to express. your NPCs' emotions to the players at our table.

Regardless of the medium in which you use this skill, practicing your ability to show - rather than tell - your audience how someone is feeling is a good idea. And this is a quick, fun way to do so! If it ever feels too easy, pick a more complex emotions, perhaps across an entire scene rather than just a paragraph or two.

I'd love to see what your produce from this exercise! Feel free to sahre int he comments.

I'll be back on Saturday with a new post and again on Wednesday with another writing exercise. Until then, tell some amazing stories!