Kimahri

I was just wondering if anyone here when writing emotional scenes actually puts themselves in the position of their character and tries to feel what they are going through. In my opinion, doing this prevails in touching the reader and actually making the story seem real in a way that makes it more than just words on a page. Maybe I am the only one who thinks about this but I know that in my own writing I want the reader to feel like they are right there with the main characters in the story. Just wanted to see if others felt the same way.

kimahri

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Nickie

I think that you should only write about emotions when you have experienced them yourself. How can you describe passionate sex, when you have never been with a man? Or how to describe pain or sorrow, when you have never been there???


Nickie

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Kimahri

Oh I completely agree with you Nickie. Sorry I should have made that note. But I don't think it's hard to imagine losing a close loved one even if you haven't in your own life. For example actors do this at times in your careers. They have to portray an emotion during a circumstance that maybe they haven't personally been through but somehow they can convey that to their audience. My main character in my current story suffers the loss of both of his parents in one day. Now I have not experienced such a horrible thing but when writing that moment I thought about my own reaction if I saw my parents dead. Now I know whenever I read that part in the story it will make me think about losing my own parents and the impact it would have in my own life if such a thing were to happen. Does that make sense?

kimahri

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cecilia

Hey, I think with any writing your going to come across somehing you havent experienced before, and that is the power of imagination and creativity, I think you can bring something personal of you to your character and you can try and put the human into your character, In reality how you reactmay be very different, but we never know how we will act and we cant experience everything. Ithink you need to think seriously about something, you may be wrong, but if you can describe itt o how you thik then others out htere who either do know or dont will see it as you opinion. idont care if my grammers bad sorry iam tired, its twenty past midnite, night!! luv cecila xxxx

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Mike C

You don't think it's hard to imagine... until it happens. Then you realise how unimaginable that loss is. Trust me on that one.

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cecilia

hey kimahri,
I do apologise I did not mean to be so insensitive. Sorry i was very rushed and tired the other night but that was no excuse. Thinking about it, no your completely right (what exactly was I thinking?) maybe its easy to think you can imagiene it, maybe you can only imagiene going through the motions of it but not the emotional loss, yes that would be very difficult. I sincerly apologise because I think that was a terrible thing for me to say. I hope I havent offended anyone else.
Luv cecilia xx

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river-wind

I have always gone with the idea that you CAN imagine it, but what ever you imagine will be much less than the actual loss.

So when talking to someone going through such a loss, I imagine what it must feel like, then triple that imagination; at that point it appears that I begin to approach a connection with the person I'm talking with.

I have not yet lost a child (or had a child to lose), and my feeling is that would be the worst, the most utter 'the world no longer works in a logical way' type of grief. I've tried to write about that, in order to better understand it, but have decided that I can only really know it if it happens. I hope I never do.

semtecks

I've had trouble with this too. I agree, it's easier to convey the emotion if you've lived through this. But a lot of great authors portray an emotion they've never been through don't they? Show the characters emotion through their action. Study psychology a little. Make the characters act out in denial, anger, and finally acceptance.

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Soccah

I went through a phase like this some time ago. I tried, quite literally, to experience everything. This is not to say that I ascribed to my goal, for it's naturally unattainable, yet, it made for a wild summer and left me with some great stories. I wouldn't suggest it to everyone, though.

Don't count the imagination out, it is often (or at least in my opinion) a serviceable substitute for "the experience."

Kimahri

Hey cecilia, um don't worry about it. I didn't get any hostile vibes from your words. No worries here. I agree that though you may be able to portray an emotion of extreme loss or joy, the real thing is much more different. I have never killed anyone and I have no idea how I would react if I ever did. Something in me tells me if I had to do it to save myself or someone I loved then it would not affect me in such a dramatic way but the reality is I will never know unless it happens. When my main character experiences this, I wrote his reaction based on his character and his own emotional state at the time.

kimahri

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suschar

Yes, Kimarhi, all the time. In one of my stories my face was streaming with my own tears while I was writing. Apologies if I mispelled your name.

HollyHopeful

My violin teacher once told me, "I don't care if you feel the emotion in your playing...just make sure your audience does." This is a good first step, I believe. I happen to like my characters, or at least, understand them, in my stories, so my heart goes out to them, when something tragic happens (which, of course, I created!). It takes some time to delve into your soul to get the right emotion on paper...just keep on trying. Have someone read the passage - how did they react? How did you react, when they read it back to you?
Holly

cecilia

thanks kimhahri, glad ididnt greatly offended you. I think river wind and semtec have described what I think I am trying to say abit better than Ihave been trying to say. Oh yes soccah?? You do have me intrigued you know about your wild summer lol!!!!! But you make avery valid point bout writers who have written about something theyve never experienced. Ans thinking about it. Just because youve expereinced something doesnt mean you can find the right words to describe it. ican think of things that leave me stuck. Though for other things my imagination is more tantilizing, interesting and alive. Purely through that unlimited exploration.Hhmmmm its a tricky one.

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blankslatejoe

well.... research.

I for one, have never been with a man.

this could be because I'm a heterosexual male, but still, writer's are oftencalled to write things they have not experienced. Bringing up the whole anatomy issue ; I will never birth a child.... does that mean I should never write about a pregnant woman? It's all about the research.

Rebel

Kimahri, you are absolutely right. It is tough to present an emotional condition of another person under a crisis. Only after deep contemplation of 'that' person's feelings in the crisis, you will be able to write as if that person is writing. Therefore, imagination and creatively wording the emotions is the key. And for that one needs to feel what others would have felt especially in an emotional scene. Let me tell you, 90% of your imagination on trying to understand the other person's feelings will be accurate. It indeed becomes a roller-coaster ride for your emotions to get into somebody's heart and use your brain to cautiously select words to present the emotions. However, its worth the efforts. All the best.

Rebel

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