Writing With Emotion

One of the hardest things to do when writing a story is
putting the emotions that the characters are feeling into words that will
convey that. We can’t just go around writing that they were happy or angry all
the time. We have to put those feelings into words that describe the emotions
so that the readers don’t just know what is going on, but feel it deep inside
too.




“A
buzzing grew in my ears as the oxygen was denied to my lungs. My heart slammed
against my chest and I tried to push him away from me, but I didn’t have the
strength to compete with his alcohol-induced anger. “




The passage above comes from a chapter in
my book. When you read it – what does it make you feel? Can you feel the fear?
Do you have a sense of how intense this moment might just be? What about this
one?




“I
paced the living room, tried to watch T.V., but nothing I put on could hold my
attention. I walked from room to room looking out all the windows, not looking
for anything, but having nothing else to do as the time dragged slowly by."






Can you feel her anxiety here? You know
nothing else about the story, but does this make you wonder what she is waiting
for? What could cause her to be so concerned that she can’t sit still?




One of the most important things about
writing emotions is trying to put ourselves into those situations and visualize
them ourselves so we can put them on paper. There is a saying that many authors
adhere to, “Write what you know”. So when an author writes about a subject that
they know well, they are able to reach deep down inside themselves and pull the
visual emotions to the surface to be able to put them on paper.




When I wrote Whether I’ll Live or Die, I called up a lot of old emotions.
Emotions that were long buried and at times very, very painful to deal with.
There were times when I would write a single line or a small paragraph and have
to walk away from it for a while.  As I
wrote the painful lines, I lived them in my mind.




My goal for this was for
those outside who knew nothing about domestic violence to see inside a dark
cruel world that is all too familiar to so many people.  I wanted people to not only read a story that
would entertain them, but that would educate them too.




Writing good healthy fun emotions can be
tricky too. Have you ever read a book that was so passionate that you felt like
you were the one being touched? That’s good writing! Ever read something that
had you chuckling out loud with the characters? That’s the author putting
description into their words to help you understand the characters and relate
to them.




No matter what emotions authors are
writing, they come from deep inside. They strive to bring out descriptions that
will enhance the experience and be more than just mere words on a page.  They want you to live in the moment you are
part of – want you to feel what the characters are feeling.  That’s what makes a book good!



























Extras for Whether
I’ll Live or Die

Included here are:
Links, Back of book blurb, excerpt, author bio




Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Whether-Ill-Live-Die-ebook/dp/B008GWT8LG/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1341307308&sr=1-3

Website: www.stacyeaton.com

Twitter: @StacySEaton

Blog: http://stacyeatonauthor.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stacy-Eaton/191880767522183

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4826711.Stacy_Eaton

Video Trailer Link to You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg6hnujjhmk&feature=youtu.be




Book Blurb:

“It sounded so simple in theory; ready... aim... fire... but
what actually transpired was so much more.”



Officer Nicole Nolan holds the gun steady in her hands, knowing that life will
be forever altered once she pulls the trigger. Her position as a small town
police officer is to protect those who cannot protect themselves. It is her
job, her career and her life.



Amanda stands where protection does not exist. With several failed
relationships behind her, Amanda turns a blind eye to the possessiveness Josh
displays in order to sooth her desperate need to be loved. As the mental abuse
turns violent, Amanda must deal with the denial and embarrassment of being a
victim once again. With her emotional and physical health siting on the edge,
she must fight to regain control of her life.



A gripping story with one final destination, but will it be life or death?










Excerpt:

Excerpt
of Chapter 24 – Whether I’ll Live or Die by Stacy Eaton




It wasn’t until we
were on our way home that we broached the subject of my marriage again. Angie
brought up a question that had been hovering around in the back of my mind most
of the day.

“What are you going
to say to Josh?” she asked me quietly as we drove along the highway. I gazed
out the window beside me, watching the scenery flash past quickly, reminding me
of the memories that had crossed my mind the night before, a rapid succession
of images that began to blur together if I didn’t blink.

“I’m not sure,” I
answered the window as I continued to view the passing world outside. “I’ll
figure it out when the time comes.”

Turning up the
volume on the radio, Angie let it go at that. We sang to the music for the rest
of the ride home. As we turned onto the street, my heart stopped when I saw his
car in the driveway next to mine. “Damn,” I muttered under my breath.

“You want me to go
in with you?” Angie said as she pulled over in front of the house. “I can if
you want me to.”

I smiled, “No,
that’s alright.” I thanked her for a great afternoon and for being there for
me. I promised not to push her away again and stepped out of the car. I picked
up the bag with the single item I had purchased in it and made my way to the
front door.

I didn’t take my
keys out as I stepped up, figuring Josh would have left the door open when he
got home. I glanced back at Angie, waved, then reached for the doorknob as she
pulled away.

The door swung
quickly open, and I lost my balance, stumbling into the foyer. I hadn’t even
recovered my balance when I felt hands push me against the wall. The door
slammed shut. I cringed as the door vibrated the wall next to me.

“Where the hell
have you been?” Josh yelled.

I turned so my back
was to the wall. I could smell alcohol coming off of him and his eyes looked
aggressive and glassy.

“I was out shopping
with Angie,” I responded meekly to his question.

“Bullshit! Who were
you with?” He got in my face and my knees started shaking.

“I was with Angie,”
I repeated quietly.

His forearm
immediately came to my throat, forcing my head back to the wall. I tried to
turn my head to release the pressure, but he held me too tightly against the
drywall.

“You better not be
cheating on me! Who were you with?” Spit landed on my face as he shouted. A
buzzing grew in my ears as the oxygen was denied to my lungs. My heart slammed
against my chest and I tried to push him away from me, but didn’t have the
strength to compete with his alcohol-induced anger.

“Who were you with,
Amanda?” He pressed harder on my neck and I felt things moving around inside.
Breathing became even more difficult.

“Angie,” I squeaked
out.

Suddenly, he
released my throat, punching a hole in the wall beside me. I cringed away from
him as far as I could get, sucking air into my hot lungs, the sound of bees
still in my ears. I didn’t move any further until he turned and walked away. My
shoulders slumped, and I bit my lip to keep the tears back.

“Where have you
been?” He flopped down on the sofa and put his feet out on the coffee table.
Dirt fell off his boot on to the wood. My head felt foggy, I couldn’t remember
what he’d just asked me.

“What?” I licked my
bottom lip, tasting my own blood from biting down so hard.

His boots came back
to the floor, and he stood up in a swift movement. I froze for just a second as
he turned to look at me, I felt like a deer in the headlights of an approaching
Mack truck. He started to move, and I decided I didn’t need to be against the
wall anymore. I tried to walk towards the kitchen to get away from him.

He was too fast. He
grabbed me by my long blond hair, yanking me to a stop. I reached up to try and
release the tension he had on me. He yanked me back to him, and I smashed into
his chest, almost knocking us both over.

“Where the hell
have you been?” he screamed at me as he twisted my hair down. I fell to my
knees to ease the pressure.

“We were at the
mall. Josh, let go, you’re hurting me!” The pain in my head was like someone
had sliced me with a knife. He twisted the long hair around his hand and
yanked. I screamed and he flung me away from him. I fell to the floor and lay
there, one hand touching the soft carpet under me and the other touching my
head where the hair had been pulled. If I hadn’t been touching it, I would have
sworn the hair had been pulled out, but the soft locks were still at my
fingertips.

I not only heard
the sound of his boots on the floor, but I felt the vibration of them as he got
closer. My body trembled. He put one knee into my back and pushed my neck down
with his hand, forcing my face into the carpet.

“You ever, and I
mean ever, cheat on me, Amanda, and I will kill you. You got that? I swear to
God if I ever see you with another man, I will kill him and then I will kill
you,” his cold voice slithered over me. I had never heard such venom come from
him. The carpet fibers dug into my cheek, my cheekbone sharing the pain with my
nose. Moisture ran down my cheek as my nose began to bleed again.

“You got that?” he
shouted one last time and pushed down on me with his knee and hand before
standing back up.

I didn’t speak, only nodded my head
slightly into the carpet.




Author Bio:



Stacy is a full-time Police Officer who enjoys crime scene investigation
above all else. She also owns a business that deals with helping people get the
awareness out for the causes they care most about. She is a mother of two and
her husband is also in law enforcement. She is very much into photography and
carries her Nikon Digital SLR with her almost everywhere, just in case. She
also has two Shiloh Shepherd dogs and loves to play catch with them.



Stacy uses her experience at work to make the stories more believable,
weaving bits of crime solving knowledge into her stories of fiction to make
them more lifelike. She writes using a unique style that keeps you in the minds
of all the important characters. Switching back and forth from mind to mind to
keep the readers aware of what each character is feeling and why they do the
things they do.



Her first book, My Blood Runs Blue was the start of her writing
career.  It brings the world of law enforcement into the paranormal world
of vampires. It is a suspenseful adult series that will keep you guessing from
chapter to chapter. Book one, My Blood Runs Blue, was published April
2011 and is currently available in paperback, hardcover and e-book editions.
Book two of the series, entitled Blue Blood for Life was released September
2011 and like book 1 made International Best Selling lists on Amazon very
quickly.  The third book of this series is in the plot and characters
development stage. She is hoping to have it completed and published in the
winter of 2012.



Stacy is also currently working on several different novels. The first one
is called Liveon. Using a similar writing style as her series, this
book brings to life Detective Jacquelyn Liveon as she tries to protect a movie
star who is being threatened. While this book is well on it’s way, it has been
put to the side to make way for another book that she is working on.



Whether I’ll Live or Die was released on July 13th! This book is a
fictional story about a young woman named Amanda who deals with the pain and
emotional issues of Domestic Violence. You will read about how Amanda deals
with the things life hands her while you follow Nicole Nolan as she grows at
her new job as a police officer. This book is very emotional and intense as it
deals with the all too real problems that face people in violent relationships.



Reviews:

“This book is absolutely riveting, taking you on a kaleidoscope of emotions…”

"WOW - That was Powerful! So well written I felt like I was right
there."

“The story is phenomenal and beautiful in an emotion way.”

“Thank you Ms. Eaton for this excellent story of a very heartbreaking fact
of life.”

“Life changing, compelling and heartbreaking are just a few of the words I
would use to describe author Stacy Eaton's novel…”

“This book is raw and real.”

“…a brilliantly crafted journey that engages the reader both emotionally and
psychologically.”