The question is not can they reason? Nor can they talk? But can they suffer? -Jeremy Bentham, jurist and philosopher (15 Feb 1748-1832)
If your characters can suffer, they can feel joy. If they can feel joy, they can feel anger. If they can feel anger, they can feel sadness, jealousy, bitterness, delight, boredom. If they can feel, your readers can feel them. Emotions are the skeleton of being. Here is an exercise to help you vitalize your characters – whether you are poet, fiction or non-fiction writer. Remember that your best writing is about showing, not telling. Here is a lack-luster paragraph and one in which the reader might be able to empathize with the characters.
The three travelers sat on the bank of a river. They had no idea where they were. The sun beat down on them. The oldest man, Jason, was furious. The woman at his side, not his partner, but a close friend was scared. The third traveler was detached.
The three travelers sat on the bank of a river. They had no idea where they were. The sun beat down on them. The oldest man, Jason, slammed his fists into the sand. “For chrissakes, Laurie, how the hell could you leave the map behind.” Laurie, not his partner, but a close friend shuddered. “It’s the heat,” she said. “The heat has got me more than on edge. I can’t think.” Their friend Lia stared off into space. “Lia!” Jeff snarled. “What are you smoking? Come back to earth. It’s going to take all three of us to get us out of this mess.”
Play with this paragraph: The cafe was crowded. A distressed couple stood up from a table. The man was clearly furious, the woman hovering between sad and frightened. They left.
Please send me what emerges for you – or write your own paragraph filled with the details that convey emotion.
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