Plot and Emotion

Plot and emotion converge in the character in 2 major ways.

At the Overall Plot Level

A character’s show of emotion demonstrates how she develops or evolves emotionally from who she shows herself to be in the beginning of the story to who she changes or transforms into at the end. The character emotional development plot line carries the heart of the story. The character development plot line is cumulative — spanning from the beginning to the end and lasts beyond the character’s fleeting moments of feeling good or bad.

At the Scene Level

The character exhibits a range of emotional responses to what happens to her in the the story. This sort of character emotion conveys the character’s emotional make-up in action and connects emotionally with the reader and audience.

Emotions of the second kind are generally experienced in the moment as a result of the transient emotions that come and go based on the character’s circumstances and internal feelings. This includes her mood, as well as the fleeting sensations and feelings she feels due to what is happening around her and to her in the plot.

Fluctuating Emotions

Just as you cannot always be in a good mood and react to situations positively, the protagonist, too, struggles with fluctuating emotions. These emotions are both positive and negative as she actively pursues her personal goals through problem-solving and meaningful activities. Without this display of a range of emotions and emotional growth/transformation, the characters and the story fall flat.