Writer's Guide to Emotion: Deep POV: Fiction Writing Tools

by Sherry Soule

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Fiction Writing

Research papers and legal documents tell. Fiction shows.” —author, Jon Gingerich

Narrative Distance.

But writers often create a narrative distance when they consciously or unconsciously insert filter words into the narrative.

Deeper POV is vital to good storytelling. This method immerses the reader so deeply in the character’s skin that any external narrator simply disappears. That is, the scene is not only told from that character’s perspective, but it exemplifies the character’s thoughts, emotions and reactions. In other words, it’s the ultimate way to show, not tell.

I realize that some filter words are mandatory in narrative, but not when you are describing the character’s thoughts, emotions, or attitudes. Those should all be shown by using the Deep POV technique.

However, before you self-publish, send your manuscript off to literary agents, or post any of your short stories, you should always go back through your manuscript and revise as many filter words as you can.

We feel emotions; however, we use expressions to show them. When you are furious, your face gets hot and your voice rises to a higher pitch. That is how people around you know that you are enraged.

So, try to cut out all of the telling that states emotions such as: love, hate, joy, grief, sorrow, sympathy, trepidation, fear, anger, irritation, hope, etc.

I advise to always try to include some type of an emotional response and a physical reaction to intensify the moment of any scene. This helps to show the character’s response to what is happening by using the Deep POV method.

A few common filter words include: considered, regarded, wondered, saw, heard, hoped, realized, smelled, watched, touched, felt, and decided.

I looked, I saw older, tall buildings. It conveys the info about the setting

It takes two trips to haul my luggage downstairs, which leaves me panting. Talk about a workout. I hail a cab for the airport and three hours later, I’m boarding the plane. Please carefully study this next example…