I love mediating on signs from nature. Lately, along the river trail I often walk, ducks are flapping and quacking and pairing up. Ducks have to do with helping us untangle our own emotions and live with greater emotional grace and comfort.
Exploring the character emotional development at both the scene level and the overall story level allows for us as writers to explore our own emotions and the development of our emotional maturity both as writers and as people.
Let’s face it — writing brings up all kinds of emotions in us. Rather than shy away from these tricky and often dark emotions take time to find sustenance in all your emotions and learn how to infuse emotion into your stories. A character’s emotional response “shows” the reader and audience how and how well the character controls her emotional responses.
Even if you have a character who displays tightly held emotions, hints through word choices and mood at the scene level reveal the degree of energy needed for the character to stay in control and points to the potential loss and destruction looming as she struggles to keep control of her emotions.
Your character may be able to close off her emotional side — for a time. You, on the other hand, benefit from the degree of willingness you show to explore your own emotions and every other aspect of your life for the benefit of your writing.
Knowing what to write where in a story with a plot allows for a more loving relationship with your writing. Whether writing a first draft or revising, if you falter wondering what comes next in a story with a plot, follow the prompts inThe Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing
Today, I write.
To familiarize yourself with the basic plot terms used here and in the PW Book of Prompts:
1) Watch the plot playlists on the Plot Whisperer Youtube channel.
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