As writers, I believe we feel and experience emotions differently than the normal, everyday person. Now, that’s not to say that non-writers don’t have deep, complicated emotions. I think all humans do. It’s part of our humanity. What I do think is that writers allow themselves to experience the emotions (sometimes whether we want to or not) in a different way.
This whole self-isolation thing can be a breeding ground for emotions. Frankly, it can be draining and overwhelming. For tonight’s prompt, I want to keep it simple. I want you to write a list of every emotion you are currently feeling or have felt since our country dipped into this unknown world. The good, bad, the ugly.
Just a list. Write those emotions down however they come to you. Get them out. Angry, sad, tired, unsure, thankful, hopeful, curious. Whatever it is, write it down.
This second part is optional. Once you have a list of emotions, I want you to pick one. The one that stands out to you the most.
Next, I want you to pick a character you are currently writing. It can be a main character or a secondary character. Once you’ve selected your character, write a new scene where your character experiences that emotion. Are they mad? Afraid? Curious? Whatever emotion you pick, make your character feel it.
What aspect of the scene made them feel that emotion? How do they react? Do their hands shake when they’re angry? Are they sweating? Does their breathing change? Do they pace around the room? Do they belly laugh or smile?
Dig deep. Write it out. Our characters need to be real and believable. Part of feeling real is experiencing emotions just as a real-life person. Emotions give your characters depth and can create empathy in your reader. When our characters feel deeply, the reader feels deeply with them.
Hope all is well and happy writing!
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