How I Write - Emotions

Hello...

Yes...I've been away again...sorry about that...

Anyway, so I have been exploring a few ideas, and as I was thinking I remembered one of the most common questions I get asked...how do you write EMOTION?

So today, I decided to post a little bit about that. 

Emotion can be a really hard aspect of writing. If done right, it will make the reader happy and joyful, or it will make the cry along with the characters. At times, I get frustrated trying to get it right...(it's worse when I'm frustrated and my character is supposed to be frustrated...not funny at all...) You may have noticed that my scenes for breakups usually have a certain setting, rain, cold, snow...etc...it's just easier for me to write them that way. I like to have a setting for the reader to imagine and then put in what the characters are feeling. Settings also convey the tone, which can be really helpful for a reader. 

When writing feelings, it can be very tricky, more so if you haven't actually experienced it...my solution? Don't laugh...but really sad books, or shows, movies, music...do the trick. For me, all I need is to get in the mind frame...and music or TV helps. Try and relate to it, you may not have had a break up, but there are guaranteed to be things that you may find equally upsetting and draw on the emotion you feel thinking about that.

I think writing emotion is easier depending on how involved the author is with their characters. If you can think like them, and be in their head, and know what they will say or how they will feel...of course it will help. I like to imagine and visualize how it will play out, so when I sit down to write, I will re-read and tweak until it's giving me the same emotion I felt while playing the scenario in my head. 

For me, I think I was very involved with Mia and Matthew so at times writing their emotions were easy, but there were times when I found it hard. I think it was harder to write the scenes where they were together in comparison to the break up...since those emotions I'm not entirely familiar with. Sadness, I can relate to...in love...not so much. So to get those written down without me feeling like it was tooo cheesy or wanting to claw my eyes out, I turned off music and did the opposite of what I do for writing sad emotions. (I still think that was really hard...I hate having to write together scenes...love/hate banter is much more fun!) 

The hardest chapter in IOT was actually 62...when Matt and Mia are together and going out. I really wanted it to be good and not gag-worthy, so I isolated myself and wrote until I could read it without cringing. The breakup wasn't hard, since I had already planned it from the beginning and I was honestly looking...forward...to it...lol! (Only because it would get us to the prologue!) I think it came out the way I wanted it too, and it was exactly how I thought it would be in my mind. Imagination really does help! So does reading other books! =P

I'm not sure how helpful this is, considering that to me it feels like I ramble with no point. I do hope...that somewhere in this jibberish you find something useful. I'd probably be more helpful depending on how specific of an answer you are looking for. This is just a general idea...

Anyway, hope it helps!

Much Love,
Andene xx