  Short Stories
This week: Emotional Rescue Edited by: KimChi  
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"An ounce of emotion is equal to a ton of facts."
~John Junor
"The best emotions to write out of are anger and fear or dread. . . . The least energizing emotion to write out of is admiration. It is very difficult to write out of because the basic feeling that goes with admiration is a passive contemplative mood." ~Susan Sontag
"No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader." ~Robert Frost
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Emotional Rescue
Emotions are intangible. You can't bottle love or fear, or buy a big box of angry. Probably the closest we ever come to feeling a stranger's emotions is when we're reading or watching a movie. Even then, we filter the character's emotions through our own perceptions. We experience and react to the same stimuli in different ways.
One day I was watching a movie with my family, and while I was struggling unsuccessfully to contain my tears, my husband started laughing-first at the scene, then at my emotional release. My daughter defended me with the patented crossed-arms scowl only kids can make adorable. "Daddy, she's supposed to be crying-can't you hear the sad music?" 
Unlike visual media, short stories don't have soaring violins to move us to tears. First and foremost, it is up to the writer to make us care about the character. Once that emotional connection is made, we are "tuned in" and willing to be swept along on the emotional tides.
To do that, the writer must relate to the character, and then the story seems to write itself. But when the scene isn't going according to plan, don't despair. Try one of these techniques and you may find the passion was there all along.
Add more setup and/or motivation. An emotional scene at the beginning of the story won't have much impact because we don't yet know the characters. However, if you show us how Cheryl's father called her stupid right before he reached for the belt, we'll understand why she goes ballistic when her boyfriend calls her stupid in jest. We all have emotional triggers, and these must be explained or at least hinted at in the story. In general, the deeper or more conflicting the emotions, the more setup/background the reader needs.
Research. If you aren't sure how to show anger, fear, defiance, etc., watch people (or movies) and jot a few notes. And there's always the joy of cracking a book to study how your favorite authors evoke various feelings.
Show, don't tell. Have enough faith in your writing (and the reader's comprehension skills) to not broadcast your intentions or force emotions on the reader.
Her mother had died the week before and Marla was still in shock.
Besides stating the obvious, this sentence leaves nothing to the imagination. It is the equivalent of saying in a horror story, "Now I am going to scare you." There's no tension, no imagery. How does Marla, as a unique individual, experience loss?
Her mother had died the week before, and Marla floated through a colorless universe where people looked the same, but the words falling from their mouths was gibberish.
Allow the reader to translate your description into an emotional state. In this case, shock.
(There are always exceptions. If a lengthy description would destroy the tension of a passage, "she was in shock" works fine. The point is not to rely on the name of the emotion-get in the habit of describing the physical, tangible components.)
Use clichés only as placeholders. A state of shock, tears of joy, heart hammering, legs like Jello. When you're "on a roll", for goodness sake keep the pen to the page! There's time during the revision process to dig deeper for an original description. The reader understands a cliché intellectually, from a combination of events in the distant past. A fresh description makes them relive the emotion in a novel way in the present.
Access your feelings. To bring realism and depth to the written word, be willing to immerse yourself in past experiences. It's difficult--you feel vulnerable and wonder if people will think you're a basket case or a serial killer. But your readers don't need to know that Marla's embarrassment came from the time you walked into the prom with toilet paper trailing from your shoe.  They only know your hand-wringing "rings true".
Get into the groove. You can't add a soundtrack to your story, but you can listen to music to set the mood. Whatever works for you. Classical music calms me and clears my mind of distractions. Nine Inch Nails is good for a nice angry rant.
Keep if fresh. It's easiest to describe an emotion you're feeling at that time-the memory of the sensation can fade quickly, which is the reason we count to ten before speaking in anger. This doesn't mean you should pick a fight so the fight scene is realistic, but do jot down quick impressions when they pop in your head. A notebook is the best tool a writer can have. I've also found inspiration in the pure venom (and bliss) of my teenage journals.
I hope you found a tip or two here to bring out the emotion in your short stories. When the characters are real to you, those intense feelings find their way onto the page with little effort. If you've written a piece that makes you cry, chances are the reader will cry too.
Thanks to pooja_sr for the topic. Have a suggestion for an upcoming newsletter? Drop the editors a line!
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Emotional Stories
Here you'll find shock, denial, anger, confusion, and while not an emotion per se, a smidgen of insanity. Enjoy the intense emotions in these stories, and drop the authors a line or two about how the story made you feel.
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He wasn't mad. In fact, he felt quite empty as his eyes scanned the yellow notepad paper. Something inside him had detached itself when he read those words -- Daddy, I'm pregnant. Anger would be too easy, and anything else would be too much, too big.
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A soft shroud of snow covered the village of Broken Arrow. Like a silent glissando, it had fallen in the night leaving a cloak that numbed the sleeping suburb. In the Ryan back yard, white cushions puffed on the seats of the children's swing set. As morning broke, scattered lights shone from the homes that were still occupied. Other homes remained dark and cold, having been abandoned after the Sickness came and went.
I wake up alone. It's quiet now but the shouts and cries are still bouncing around in my head. Familiar feelings of revulsion and fear rush through me, but I remind myself that the others aren't here; they're long, long gone. It's such a relief at first, but now I'm becoming aware of warm, sticky wetness and a smell like uncooked steak.
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With five white petals and within its center a pile of yellow gold, a small reminder of the greed that took the lands they owned, which left their children homeless, dying and nowhere left to go.
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The morning TV weather forecaster predicted rain for San Francisco and the surrounding area. It would be heavy enough for classification as a gully washer, if there were such a thing in that part of California.
Included because we don't have a "Long Stories" newsletter.
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Riya sketched relentlessly on her scrapbook, a moist dampness brimming through her eyes as occasional tears slid down her cheek. Her dad vigorously pulled his sickle through the stubborn weeds that lay buried in the cracking, parched ground of their corn-field which formed the canvas for his daughter's sketch.
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Nick looked over the heap that was once his garage; years of memories and memorabilia packed the four walls. All of his accomplishments, milestones, and heartfelt moments stored away.
Where was it? Nick started through the mess; he knew the trunk was here and he had to find it today.
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James parked his car but refused to move. The young man stared forward, steeling himself for the encounter. He then looked over to the book bag on the passenger seat. He knew that she would be equally liable to scream in delight or shed tears of appreciation.
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 Are you conscious of the emotions in your stories? Do you insert emotional details, or does the emotion insert itself?
 Feedback on Weather
spazmom
I used a natural disaster for the background of one of my stories...I had to do some research and find out about when it really happened. People think you don't need to do research on fiction...but let me tell ya...that ain't so! grin. Good newsletter!
Thanks for the feedback. Research is an absolute necessity because no one knows everything. I trust a writer who doesn't research as much as I trust a skinny cook--not at all. (I'm kidding--about the cook at least.)
sleepy
Jesus! Did all of you that write the newsletters get a down-pour of inspiration this week? Every single letter has been fantastic! I think you all should make a collective folder of the newsletters as a great reference for all of us, and well yourselves to go back to. Fantastic letter!!! Fantastic!!!
Thank you for the compliment and the pun.
You can find past newsletters at any time. On the top left of the screen, under "Site Navigation", click on "Site Tools", then "Newsletters". You'll see a page called "Newsletter Area". The bottom link is "Writing.com Newsletter Archives". Here's the direct link:
http://www.writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives
I also try to post mine in my port so I can get feedback on how to improve future newsletters.
sarahreed
I've never really thought much about writing a story where the weather was a main element or the basis for the story. I've described weather or used it as small plot devices, i.e. to get out of the rain. However, two recent Writer's Cramp prompts included the weather as one of the main causes of the conflict. And both of the stories I wrote won. . "A Cautionary Tale" and "Bound in Death" . I'm going to have to remember to write about the weather again; it might turn out to be my next winning piece.
Awesome! Thanks for the note on your successes with weather.
Zeke 
I've often wondered to myself why I seem to like to experience violent weather. One day, I decided to let one of my characters voice his opinion and I began to understand my love of drama.
Zeke
I once sat and watched a lightning storm for three hours in Texas, feeling each flash go through my body. Not dramatic to anyone but me, but inspirational just the same.
Ladyoz
What a fabulous, informative newsletter, Sis!
Thank you!
Dr Taher writes again!
Dear Kim,
What an inspiring NL on weather. Now, it just remains to be seen whether I do or don't participate in your contest ... aw, maybe, I will. Thank you and I hope you too had a good Earth day!
Appreciate your comments, Doc!
April Sunday
People may be curious re: weather as applied to setting not in their own areas.  the manner relayed in James Lee Burke novels as he always depends on weather change background guiding the time along ala day into night, week, month. Nice NL, thanks.
Good point. It is nice to read about other locales, and weather adds to the feeling of being there.
J. A. Buxton
I only attempted writing about weather in The Best and Worst of Times forensic stories. "Death by Chocolate" started out as a simple crime story about finding a hand in a vat of chocolate. Before I could stop my imagination, a storm overtook my two forensic agents returning to their San Francisco crime lab.
The driver lost control of the vehicle, and then the fun of writing about weather began. The heavy rain brought about a flash flood. With the men struggling to survive, would both of them live until the sun came back out?
Thanks for sharing your creative process. I just love it when a story takes on a life of it's own. Yours is linked above.
raynstorm
Great newsletter on weather! I admit, since I've heard the old adage, never begin with weather, I have tried extremely hard to stay away from it. Reading your newsletter though, I just might find myself inspired to write something weather related . Besides, it doesn't always have to be a storm, there are plenty of other weather-related events. I particularly liked the inclusion to think about how our current, and future, climate affects the weather. Good stuff!
What a lovely compliment coming from someone with a user name like yours!  You know what "they" say--once you know the "rules" you can break them. 
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Short Stories: May 20, 2009 Issue [#3063]
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