How to Describe Emotions in Literary Fiction

A noun is the label for any person, place or thing. An abstract noun is the label for an abstractconcept, that of which is not solid and cannot be seen. This is often the spoiler of the Show and Don'tTell prophesy. Examples of abstract nouns are "love," "guilt" "happiness," "fear" and "anger." Theoveruse of emotion words, like passive writing, overusing adjectives and too many adverbs, are thebeginner's mistakes in writing fiction.

Improper use of Emotion Words in Fiction Writing

The trouble with emotion words is that they are difficult to get a fix onto and can cause writer'sblock. Feelings are a subjective experience, and have different meanings for different people. Lovefor instance could mean the affection felt for a pet, the caring feelings from a parent, or theenjoyment of a hobby. The physical sensations of love, too, could be any hosts of things.

How to Improve Writing Style

Any experience author is familiar with the concept of the show and don't tell prophesy in writingfiction. This tenet means describing what is being felt by a character without actually telling thereader what the feeling is. Telltale signs of making this mistake are the use of the words "felt" and"was." Here is an example of the use of emotion words:

"She waited by the door. She felt so frightened, she thought she would begin to panic."

In this example, the usage of the emotion words "frightened" and "panic" is telling the reader whatthe character is feeling, but not how the emotion felt. This can leave the reader feeling detachedfrom the story.

Creative Writing Technique

A better approach is to take away these emotion words and to sit and think about the physicalsensations of fear. Describing the emotion and giving evidence of it is better than the telling thereader what the emotion is, and will make the reader feel more engaged with the character. Thefollowing is an improvement.

"She waited by the door. Her heartbeat thrummed against her ribcage, her mouth tasted like ironand her breaths hitched in her throat."

The description is specific. The reader knows without being told that the character is feelingfrightened by the sensations described. This takes away the vagueness of abstract nouns.

Avoiding Clichés within Descriptions

Many clichés exists for emotions, particularly for "love." A cliché is an overused expression thatbecomes universally used until is loses its meaning. Examples are: "Her heart went out to him," "Hisheart broke when she said she was leaving" and "He hated him with a passion." Clichés can sneaktheir way into prose without the author realising. It is a good idea to edit the work a few times andweed out as many clichés and emotion words as possible and replace them with more original andspecific descriptions.

Creative Writing Exercises for Good Writing Practice

Emotion words are abstract concepts that mean different things to different people. Every personhas a different experience and the meaning becomes too broad. The overuse of the words "was" and"felt" is an indicator of too many of emotion words in creative writing. Show and Don't Tell is a goodpractice. A more compelling read will result from specific descriptions of physical sensations andbody language. This is what defines Show and Don't Tell.

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