Leveraging The Emotional Spectrum in Your Writing

By Bonnie Randall

Part of the How They Do It Series (Monthly Contributor) 

Every base emotion—love, sadness, anger, envy, happiness—resides upon a spectrum. Such spectrums range from pallid to intense, and an emotional response will be variant depending on the precipitating event, the personality of the individual experiencing it, and that person’s history. Consider the following chart:

Low Spectrum → Base Emotion → High Spectrum → Off-Chart/Dysfunction

Content → HAPPY → Euphoria → Mania

Melancholy → SAD → Despair → Suicide/Homicide

Indignant → ANGER → Rage → Wrath/Destruction

Snarky → JEALOUS → Obsessive → Sabotage

Restless → NERVOUS → Paranoia → Psychotic Break

Satisfaction → PROUD → Arrogance → Tyranny

Uneasy → FEAR → Panic→  Hysteria
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com