Mary Davis's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"

"Body cues should create a strong mental picture. If the movement is too drawn out or complicated, the emotional meaning behind the gesture may be lost."

From The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi

"To add another layer to an emotional experience, look for symbolism within the character's current setting. What unique object within the location can the character make note of that perfectly embodies the emotion they are feeling inside?"

From The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi

"To create empathy for a character (including the antagonist), take the time to humanize them through their actions. Even the most unlikable person has a redeeming quality, so show it to the reader in a small, subtle way."

From The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi

“Pay special attention to the events leading up to an emotional response. If plotting feels contrived, the character’s reaction will seem contrived as well.”

From The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi

“Readers have high expectations. They don’t want to be told how a character feels; they want to experience the emotion for themselves.”

From The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi

"When do our characters begin to tell us, their creator, if a certain decision or action is within character for them?
...It is (their) intelligence that adds shape to (their) character, as well as (their) ability to learn from (their) mistakes that make (them) seem sentient." - Christina Delay
https://writershelpingwriters.net/202...

"...self-awareness is achieved when 'You are conscious of your existence and your actions. You are aware of yourself and your own ego.'

Are our characters capable of becoming self-aware?

I argue, yes, they are.

When our characters do something surprising or different than we had planned, our characters become self-aware.

When our characters speak in a way that is totally foreign to how we, the author, process the world, they are self-aware." - Christina Delay
https://writershelpingwriters.net/202...

"Do our fictional characters experience true consciousness?

Consciousness is defined as 'the quality or state of being aware especially of something within oneself.'

It’s an interesting concept to ponder. What is sentient consciousness? What is life?

And do your characters have it?

Our best characters don’t simply occupy the page but come to life—for us and for our readers. They possess intelligence, feel self-aware, and seem to be, or perhaps are, conscious.

Consider these traits as you write characters your readers will connect with, and use these traits to help your readers feel that your characters are almost as real as their own selves." - Christina Delay
https://writershelpingwriters.net/202...

"Symbolism can turn an ordinary object (or place, color, person, etc.) into something that goes beyond the literal. Babies represent innocence and unlimited potential, spring is synonymous with rebirth, shackles symbolize slavery, the color white brings to mind purity.

Symbols like these are considered ‘universal’ because the associated meaning is so well known within a culture or society. As such, using universal symbols in fiction means writers can deliver a deeper message without having to state it outright. Not only that, symbols tighten description, too. By its very nature, if something is understood to be symbolic, it’s conveying something more.

A symbol can also be personal in nature. This is where it means something specifically to a character or specific group.
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So whether the symbol is universally obvious or one that’s specific to the protagonist, it can add a layer that draws readers deeper into the story." - Angela Ackerman
https://writershelpingwriters.net/202...

"Plot and characters tend to get all the glory, but each scene has a secret superpower to make it successful. Yep, we’re talking about the setting! The location for each scene should be so much more than a “backdrop” for the action. Used properly, it can become an active participant that deepens the story moment."
- Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, https://writershelpingwriters.net/wor...
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"Sometimes in our enthusiasm to draw readers into the scene, we go a little crazy when it comes to describing. Trying to convey every feature, every angle, every facet of the setting will not only smash the pace flat, it will likely cause the reader to skim. And, if they skim, they are missing all that great description you’ve worked so hard to include. So, to avoid over-describing or focusing on the wrong details, try to make each bit of description earn the right to be included."
- Angela Ackerman, https://writershelpingwriters.net/202...