 Drama: October 09, 2024 Issue [#12771] |
This week: That Emotion Thing! Edited by: Joy  
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“We are all alone, trapped in these bodies and our own minds, and whatever company we have in this life is only fleeting and superficial.”
Jennifer Niven, All the Bright Places
"Of emotions, of love, of breakup, of love and hate and death and dying, mama, apple pie, and the whole thing. It covers a lot of territory, country music does. "
Johnny Cash
"All emotions are pure which gather you and lift you up; that emotion is impure which seizes only one side of your being and so distorts you."
Rainer Maria Rilke
"I write because I know that one day I will die, and thus I should experience as many deliberate observations, careful thoughts, wild ideas, and deep emotions as I can before that day occurs."
Amy Tan
Hello, I am Joy , this week's drama editor. This issue is about adding or enhancing the emotion in a scene in just the right amount.
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Welcome to the Drama newsletter
Suppose you think you wrote a good scene that fulfills what it is set out to do in the story. Yet, you feel something is missing, or rather, the scene needs a booster shot. Now, what is that booster shot? Well, it may just be emotion.
This is because, in order to connect the readers, events, and characters more powerfully, adding emotions to a scene, especially to critical scenes, can make a story shine. Most experienced authors use emotions effectively to elevate the quality of the scenes in stories.
In the film industry, in addition to the plot line that already may be emotional, the acting itself as well as cinematography and lighting can suggest or create an emotion. In the movie, All the Bright Places, which is about two teens, the boy learns of the girl's survivor’s guilt in the aftermath of a car crash that killed her sister, while the girl discovers the terrible truth behind the boy’s loner persona and occasional strange behavior. In this movie, cinematography uses colors and especially saturated colors, low angles, lens flares that create a sun-drenched, almost magical tone, and sweeping shots. The result adds to the romanticism and the characterization in the movie.
Since we as writers can only use our words, our craft depends on the ways we can add emotion to a critical turning-point scene or any other important scene to enhance our readers' responses. I tend to believe we can get the readers' attention through the details of an exciting setup and a strong plot in addition to the strong characterization, but we may still be able to add much more emotion to a scene without making it sound excessively sappy or dry.
So, I tried to think of a few ways for adding the right amount of emotion to a scene. Those are:
 Show, Don’t Tell: Don't just state how a character feels, as in "he was upset and anxious", but show emotion through his actions, dialogue, and body language.
Instead, write something like this: Her fingers trembled as she fumbled with the keys, the lock seeming to shrink as her breath quickened.
Use the five senses in detail so your readers can experience them together with the characters, and the emotions they suggest.
The air around her was thick with the scent of rain-soaked earth, and the cold breeze clawed at her skin, but the pressure in her chest tightened with every step she took toward the looming shadow.
Use Internal monologue but in the right amount. This is because inner thoughts give readers direct access to a character’s deeper feelings.
Dave laughed with them, but inside, his heart was screaming. How could they not see? Was he that good at pretending, or were they just that blind?
Use dialogue as to what is said and unsaid. Tone, choice of words, plus hesitation reveal underlying emotions. Also, short, sharp responses and avoidance suggest discomfort or irritation.
"I’m fine," she muttered, as she fixed her gaze on the floor. Her voice a little too quick.
"You sure about that?" he asked, leaning closer, frowning.
"Of course," she snapped, stepping away.
Use pacing and sentence structure to echo the emotions; such as fast pacing for tension and slower pacing for reflection or sadness.
*He ran. Faster. His breath burned, but he couldn’t stop, not now. Footsteps thudded behind him. Closer. Closer.
*She sat on the edge of the sofa, staring out the window. The rain snaked slowly down the glass, each drop a reminder of how far she’d fallen.
Use emotional contrasts, such as humor versus what is serious.
They laughed, but then the laughter died as quickly as it came. His smile faded, and the silence that followed was heavy with the weight of unsaid words.
Create Emotional Stakes so readers understand what’s at stake. Creating high emotional stakes makes every choice or action in the scene to sink in deeper. Whether it's a relationship, a goal, a problem, or survival, the more interested the reader is in the outcome, the more they’ll feel the emotions tied to it.
As she stood at the door, suitcase in hand, she realized that walking away wasn’t just leaving him—it was leaving the life they’d built together, the dreams they’d once shared.
In addition to what I could think of for the emotion in scenes, a writer must remember that a good scene has a specific story-telling purpose. If, by any chance, you put in too much emotion in a scene, it may cloud its intent; I suggest, then, you go back and erase or tone down the excess emotions. Thus, the question to ask ourselves at the end of the writing of a scene should be, "Has this scene accomplished its purpose in relation to the entire story, with just enough but not excess emotion?"
May all your scenes impress your readers and draw them in!
Until next time! 
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 Enjoy!
| | | Stay the Road (18+)
An emotional story of trying to hold on inspired by the lyrics of the song by Glen Hansard
#2298833 by Dark Lady  |
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Thank you for reading our newsletters and for supplying the editors with feedback and encouragement.
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 This Issue's Tip: The environment in which the scene takes place can mirror or contrast the emotional state of the character. Use the setting to enhance or juxtapose the character’s feelings, so they add emotional depth.
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