Writing How to Create Life-like emotions.

[CadmarLegend]

Use this technique: Show, Don't Tell.

Okay. Any specifics?

 

[Ral]

Okay. Any specifics?

Well, instead of telling us what your character is feeling, provide descriptions that the emotion your character is feeling.

Instead of saying your character is sad, provide details that shows that your character is sad. Your character might move listlessly or your character might sit in a corner alone, etc..

This is also a great way to portray their personality. Different people have different ways expressing emotions. Someone would openly cry when sad but others would put on a smile and only cry silently when alone. Others would not cry at all but just act with less vigor. Others would drown themselves with alcohol or work. Some would turn to anger trying to cope with sadness. It depends on the character.

Also, body-language also tells a lot of what your characters are feeling. Use it well and often.

One thing that isn't Showing is being wordy and purple about your Telling. Most of the writers here seems to think that using fancy words or repeating things or using many words means you are Showing. No. You are just being fancy, repetitive and wordy with your Telling. And no, being fancy or repetitive or wordy doesn't make your Telling more effective.

Also, be subtle. One thing that ruins the believably of emotions in your writing is to overdo it. You don't have to make your character wail, contort their faces and cry a river of tears to show that they are sad. Subtle clues actually express more emotion than exaggerated ones, which often appears fake. Of course, exception is something like comedy where believably isn't what you are really aiming for.

 

[CadmarLegend]

Well, instead of telling us what your character is feeling, provide descriptions that the emotion your character is feeling.

Instead of saying your character is sad, provide details that shows that your character is sad. Your character might move listlessly or your character might sit in a corner alone, etc..

This is also a great way to portray their personality. Different people have different ways expressing emotions. Someone would openly cry when sad but others would put on a smile and only cry silently when alone. Others would not cry at all but just act with less vigor. Others would drown themselves with alcohol or work. Some would turn to anger trying to cope with sadness. It depends on the character.

Also, body-language also tells a lot of what your characters are feeling. Use it well and often.

One thing that isn't Showing is being wordy and purple about your Telling. Most of the writers here seems to think that using fancy words or repeating things or using many words means you are Showing. No. You are just being fancy, repetitive and wordy with your Telling. And no, being fancy or repetitive or wordy doesn't make your Telling more effective.

Also, be subtle. One thing that ruins the believably of emotions in your writing is to overdo it. You don't have to make your character wail, contort their faces and cry a river of tears to show that they are sad. Subtle clues actually express more emotion than exaggerated ones, which often appears fake. Of course, exception is something like comedy where believably isn't what you are really aiming for.

O.K.! Thanks for the examples!

 

[MadmanRB]

Most of the advice here is solid though keep in mind the "show dont tell" rule doesnt always apply depending on what you are doing.
For dialog for example its fine to cheat at this rule as some emotions are very hard to convey sometimes in a story.
Trees like "Jake gave a wide smile" can be easy but emotions like nostalgia are near impossible to skirt by as its such a odd stance to have.
Trust can be a tough one too so in those cases it may be better to just tell.

 

[CadmarLegend]

Most of the advice here is solid though keep in mind the "show dont tell" rule doesnt always apply depending on what you are doing.
For dialog for example its fine to cheat at this rule as some emotions are very hard to convey sometimes in a story.
Trees like "Jake gave a wide smile" can bve easy but emotions like nostalgia are near impossible to skirt by as its such a odd stance to have.
Trust can be a tough one too so in those cases it may be better to just tell.

More ideas!

 

[MadmanRB]

I mean yeah the show dont tell rule is popular but it dsoesnt mean its the only answer.
I mean yes it makes the characters feel more real but sometimes a cheat now and then is okay.

 

[CadmarLegend]

I mean yeah the show dont tell rule is popular but it dsoesnt mean its the only answer.
I mean yes it makes the characters feel more real but sometimes a cheat now and then is okay.

I like how you call it a "cheat".

 

[MadmanRB]

Well yeah as the show dont tell rule really isnt a rule but people treat it thast way.
Such things are up to the writer really, yes try to keep it in mind but it doesnt always fit in with literature.
Literature isnt a visual medium so you kind of alredy break the "show dont tell" rule by even writing in the first place.
Writing is nothing but telling TBH, yes do keep it in mind in some areas but its not a univeral rule that must be followed at all times.

 

[CadmarLegend]

Well yeah as the show dont tell rule really isnt a rule but people treat it thast way.
Such things are up to the writer really, yes try to keep it in mind but it doesnt always fit in with literature.
Literature isnt a visual medium so you kind of alredy break the "show dont tell" rule by even writing in the first place.
Writing is nothing but telling TBH, yes do keep it in mind in some areas but its not a univeral rule that must be followed at all times.

Broken down, I guess writing IS just telling, whether by a narrator or 1st person POV....

 

[Ral]

Well, if you want to make life-like emotions, then you have to show it.

Nostalgia and Trust aren't emotions, and yes they can be shown. Maybe the problem here is that you trying to show these things, especially trust, in a sentence or two. It is not just difficult, it is practically impossible.

And you might have noticed (or might have not) that I said technique not rule.

Use this technique: Show, Don't Tell.

And you are missing the point of this technique if you say writing is just telling. You are not just writing, you are telling a story. Storytelling is what is in the table here and how you use writing to tell the story, not the writing itself.

Also, Writing is a medium for communication. And, while writing is just text, you can create visuals, emotions, feeling and sensations, etc. with your words, courtesy of your reader's brains. People are involved in it filled with rich experience which you can tap into. They are not passive receivers who could only see letters and words, but active participants that interact with what you wrote to make it more than just ink on paper.

 

[witch_sorrowful]

Your answer makes me feel small.

Was not the intention.

You have to learn from the masters. Literary theory actually teaches jackshit about writing, but if we take a look at examples there, there is much to learn about how reality and themes of reality are represented in fiction. My point was to show that not even the "Great Realists" ever portrayed characters with "life-like" emotions.

The most important thing to keep in mind, don't take your lead form movies.

I agree with this. Movie and Manga dialogues don't translate well to writing. HOWEVER, let that not be a hindrance to write shorter dialogues. Much can be done in that. As an example, please read Haruki Murakami books. They have the power to stun you with a series of exchange that is not only composed of film like dialogue, it leaves you thinking about a lot. You'd never read phone conversations like that again.

 

[MadmanRB]

Well, if you want to make life-like emotions, then you have to show it.

Nostalgia and Trust aren't emotions

Actually they are according to many modern psychologists, some even say friendship is an emotion.
Yes in a classical sense they are not emotions, but they do have an effect on our behavior thus why psychologists call them emotions.
Yes your classic emotions can have a role in each one, but psychology is really starting to expand beyond the base six emotion theory.
I should know, I studied psychology to better understand my own mental illness (Bipolar)
I could have been a psychologist, but I am not really fit for it as I have people issues at times.

 

[Ral]

Actually they are according to many modern psychologists, some even say friendship is an emotion.
Yes in a classical sense they are not emotions, but they do have an effect on our behavior thus why psychologists call them emotions.
Yes your classic emotions can have a role in each one, but psychology is really starting to expand beyond the base six emotion theory.
I should know, I studied psychology to better understand my own mental illness (Bipolar)
I could have been a psychologist, but I am not really fit for it as I have people issues at times.

If it is, then it is. That is not what the main subject anyway and there is of little bearing to what I said whether they are emotions or not. You can show them; and, no, you can't show them with just a sentence or two.

Though, if you go to that subject and into psychology: did you know that many scientist and some psychologist themselves think that psychology is not science? I mean, if you studied it then you should know that a lot of it is just people throwing in their opinions. I mean, with just emotion itself there are a handful of theories about it, some competing against each other. If it is a science, it is not a particularly hard or stable one… or incredibly young.

 

[MadmanRB]

If it is, then it is. That is not what the main subject anyway and there is of little consequence if they are emotions or not.

Though, if you go to that subject and into psychology: did you know that many scientist and some psychologist themselves think that psychology is not science? I mean, if you studied it then you should know that a lot of it is just people throwing in their opinions. I mean, with just emotion itself there are a handful of theories about it, some competing against each other. If it is a science, it is not a particularly hard or stable one… or incredibly young.

Actually psychology in its more modern incarnation is rather young and most of it only came about in the last 30 years or so.
And like science its ever evolving.
There are at least 3 major era's of psychology, the Mental life era 1870-1920
the Behaviorism era 1920-1960
and the Cognitive Revolution that we are still in today.
But the cognitive revolution did sort of have a soft reboot about 30 years ago as new approaches are still ongoing with new theories and ideas cropping up all the time, and likely we will see another incarnation of the field here soon.
It's a fascinating thing to study :D

 

[Ral]

Actually psychology in its more modern incarnation is rather young and most of it only came about in the last 30 years or so.
And like science its ever evolving.
There are at least 3 major era's of psychology, the Mental life era 1870-1920
the Behaviorism era 1920-1960
and the Cognitive Revolution that we are still in today.
But the cognitive revolution did sort of have a soft reboot about 30 years ago as new approaches are still ongoing with new theories and ideas cropping up all the time, and likely we will see another incarnation of the field here soon.
It's a fascinating thing to study :D

I study some psychology too and have reads books of psychology at school. I have a quite strong interest in it. It is really interesting and exciting.

Still, we are really going far out of topic and that is kinda against the rules.

 

[MadmanRB]

Right, anyhow back to the topic!

I am more than willing to give the OP some examples of how to show and or tell emotions and where each one can be useful:

Showing: Jake gave a wide grin
Telling (But in a dialog tree):
"I don't know I'm afraid that something bad will happen" said Janet.

If a character is relaying an emotional message to another character its fine to just tell, in the former example its clear Jake is happy or excited.
The latter may just be a character expressing a concern to someone they know, and they may not actually be afraid in a literal sense.
Again this is where the "show don't tell" rule can be bent and or broken.
Heck there is a way to both show and tell at the same time:

"I never felt so sad before my father died" said Steve, a tear running down his cheek.
The character here is both telling us and the person who he is talking to he felt sad when his father died and the tear shows us he still feels sadness about it now.
And such dialog does feel natural, we often tell others how we feel about things especially to loved ones or people we trust.

 

[Ral]

Right, anyhow back to the topic!

I am more than willing to give the OP some examples of how to show and or tell emotions and where each one can be useful:

Showing: Jake gave a wide grin
Telling (But in a dialog tree):
"I don't know I'm afraid that something bad will happen" said Janet.

If a character is relaying an emotional message to another character its fine to just tell, in the former example its clear Jake is happy or excited.
The latter may just be a character expressing a concern to someone they know, and they may not actually be afraid in a literal sense.
Again this is where the "show don't tell" rule can be bent and or broken.
Heck there is a way to both show and tell at the same time:

"I never felt so sad before my father died" said Steve, a tear running down his cheek.
The character here is both telling us and the person who he is talking to he felt sad when his father died and the tear shows us he still feels sadness about it now.
And such dialog does feel natural, we often tell others how we feel about things especially to loved ones or people we trust.

Seriously, why do many think Show, Don't Tell is a rule instead of a technique… though, there are articles going around saying it as a rule (and I once thought it was a rule).

Also, the topic is more of how to create life-like emotions. You can't create life-like anything without showing. Sure, in your example, you know what they are feeling, but you don't feel it. They aren't life-like. To make these emotions come to life, you have to show (and not just in a single sentence. A single sentence is not enough.). If you do not, then your characters would feel robotic and the emotions just tacked on, the very opposite of life-like.

And yes, there are areas where you don't need to use or should not use this technique, but creating life-like emotions is not one of them.

 

[MadmanRB]

Well the examples are merely that, examples.
One can expand on them and make them work for what they need them to do.
Also, not all the time you need to give every last nuance on how a character is feeling as sometimes simplicity can be a good thing depending on what you are doing.

I mean I have seen some authors overdo it on emotional detail thus also falling into the "telling" category.
Sometimes emotional cues are all you need to convey an emotion:

Ryan's face turned beet red "WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE ARE OUT OF COFFEE!!!!"

Yes it's simple, but it gives us readers what we need.
There is no need to write a five sentence essay every time a character feels an emotion, especially in a dialog tree.

 

[Ral]

Well the examples are merely that, examples.
One can expand on them and make them work for what they need them to do.
Also, not all the time you need to give every last nuance on how a character is feeling as sometimes simplicity can be a good thing depending on what you are doing.

I mean I have seen some authors overdo it on emotional detail thus also falling into the "telling" category.
Sometimes emotional cues are all you need to convey an emotion:

Ryan's face turned beet red "WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE ARE OUT OF COFFEE!!!!"

Yes it's simple, but it gives us readers what we need.
There is no need to write a five sentence essay every time a character feels an emotion, especially in a dialog tree.

Again, the topic was to make life-like emotions. Sure there are cases where the emotions aren't the focus or important (so no need for it to be detailed, life-like), but that is not what was asked.

And you are also changing my statements into extremes. I didn't say you need to Show every time a character feels emotion, I said if you want the emotions to be life-like you need to Show them.

 

[Soraalt44]

I think the best way to do this would be to use the suitable & strong vocabulary. And describe/explain the character's emotions more. And as someone above me said, "show don't tell". I don't think telling is an issue, but you should combine it will "showing". I assume this means through the characters actions, as in have the characters action be a reflection of their state of mind. But it's also important to ""tell" so as to make it clear to readers & so they don't misunderstand the characters.

I'm only a beginner though, I haven't looked too much into this yet. Just adding my two cents here LOL