"To write a good book, you just need to take a pen, dip it in ink and put your soul on paper"
C. Berne
Very often, novice Authors pay insufficient attention to such moments in the works as the description of the character, his feelings, the nature of his emotions, the environment. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the author himself wants to quickly get down to business, direct action, to the main thing in history - the plot. But it is the quality of the descriptions, the quality of the hero's emotions that give life to one plot, and give nothing to another, and then readers note the excellent idea of the story, but write that the topic is not disclosed, the hero is incomprehensible. That is, the reader did not feel your work on an emotional level, he did not see it before his eyes, did not feel what the hero feels. In this article, I would like to raise precisely this complex topic of emotions, the feelings of a character in relation to both the world and its environment, and to himself. Let's imagine that you have already created your character, thought through him and his occupation, noticed personality traits, identified habits and little quirks. This character has healed in your head, you saw him, and now you need to show him to the reader.
Often the authors start from this very moment: literally just starting to tell their story, they immediately strive to show their character by describing his appearance, and sometimes we come across such descriptions.
Example:
I went to school, it was a golden autumn outside, and the sun was still shining. On such a beautiful day, I absolutely don’t want to sit at a desk in a stuffy classroom, but, unfortunately, the summer is over, and hard school days await me. Oh yes, I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Semyon, I'm sixteen years old, my height is 1.70, I have light green eyes, and blond, shoulder-length hair. The physique, of course, let us down, I am very thin, and no matter how much I tried to build muscle, everything was in vain. I don’t like school since Vadim appeared there, and it was in the seventh grade, almost everyone hated me, no one knows why. Vadim is a tall guy, under 1.90, he is dark-haired, with long bangs falling over his eyes, his blue eyes always laugh at me as soon as our eyes meet. No matter how much I tried to understand why his negativity towards me suddenly took over, which the whole class subsequently took over, I could not understand.
In such cases of description, the author leaves no room for imagination for readers at all, readers, in fact, do not see this character. The main mistake: everything is too simple, the criteria for measuring the hero are too obvious, only the exact weight is not enough, although some individuals describe this as well. What is written here should remain in your notebook or character stub, but should not go into descriptions. Let the reader see the hero gradually, it's okay if only on the tenth page his clear image appears, which, importantly, the reader will form himself from the grains that you gave him.
Directly regarding the description: pay attention to the little things, they show your hero, if you write in a third person, then the possibilities in this regard are not limited. Sweep the character's walk, for example, with a fold to one side. Pay attention to dirty nails if you are describing a negative and unpleasant character. Note the tilt of the imaginary person's head when he listens intently. Remember how, maybe, a friend sometimes wrings his fingers to a crunch, at what moments does he do it? Perhaps out of boredom, or when nervous. All these features show your hero from the side that is close to your readers. Readers will always be close to what is next to them: what is found in their own character or the character of people close to him, and even if the hero is an alien, he may also have those feelings and habits by which only he can be recognized. Now about the emotional component of the characters.
Your hero is alive, which means he experiences a kaleidoscope of emotions every minute: his mood changes depending on the situation, and his behavior can be different every time, as well as his reaction to various external and internal stimuli.
So, a person has six basic emotions: fear, anger, joy, sadness, surprise, disgust. It is not difficult to get acquainted with how these emotions look in any book on psychology, and there is a lot of information and pictures on the Internet about these main types of emotions, so I will not describe the mechanism of the facial muscles when experiencing different emotions. However, this information is useful for the author, so I recommend that you read it. We are not concerned about the external manifestation, but the internal, what does a person feel at the moment of fear? His heart skips a beat, cold sweat breaks through, his hair stands on end.
Example:
A lamp burned alone in the room, illuminating a patch of space around it with a yellow light. Alain, swallowing and wetting his dry mouth, took a step forward. There was a crunch under his foot, and his heart skipped a beat for a second. He immediately looked down and saw only a crushed plastic rose that Grandma Tina once kept in the kitchen in a crystal vase. Shrugging involuntarily, the young man moved on.
Nowhere is it openly written that the hero is scared, no, the reader will understand this from the slightly noticed details.
Alain's eyes widened from what he saw, he did not have time to think, did not have time to comprehend. Invisible blinkers* fell over his eyes, narrowing the world down to the monster standing opposite him. It looked just like a man: wide and open. The monster stood, breathing heavily, spitting. His crooked long fingers clenched into a fist, slowly, barely holding back the tension that tore every muscle, it moved towards Alain.
In this case, in addition to fear, there is surprise and the desire of the monster to tear Alena apart. And again, these moments are not shown directly. Fear - wide eyes - outwardly, slightly open mouth. Internally cold sweat, as if for a second a frozen heart. When fear is not a surprise, but has been present for some time, a person’s heart beats much faster, adrenaline is produced, but the face does not turn red. Blood rushes from the head to the legs - this is an ancient reaction, laid down by nature. The person must be able to escape. This knowledge is important when describing the hero, if the author, taking into account the physiological characteristics of the emotion, describes it, then this will always make the reader feel the work more strongly and be fully imbued.
Anger - outwardly: the wings of the nostrils expand, the lips are pressed into a thin thread, the chin slightly rises. Internally, the heart also beats back beats faster than usual, the same adrenaline is produced. From the anger of a person, it can begin to shake, sometimes at such moments emotions cover the mind.
Anger and fear are physiologically very close.
Sadness, joy are emotions of a different nature, and both emotions are the result of a strong experience. Sadness is frustration, disappointment. In the description, pay attention to it. At this moment, something breaks inside, a person can clutch at his hair, can fall into a deep depression because of this - if the emotion is tightened. But, as a rule, in life in one day we experience almost all of the listed emotions, but they do not appear as sharply as in the description here. However, in the literature it is worth paying special attention to the change of these emotions. Once again, I remind you that everyone's emotions are the same, even if you are describing a thick-skinned person who, it would seem, has an emotional spectrum, like a bus stop. Remember that a person is not capable of not experiencing these emotions at all - he can learn to show them much more restrainedly than others, he can very quickly be able to switch from one emotion to another and thus simplify his life. His emotions can - due to temperament / experience, etc. - be less sharp, but remember: there will be emotions anyway.
Gender factor:
In fact, I would not take it into account in this case at all, for one simple reason: the manifestation of emotions depends on temperament, but not on gender. Expression of feelings depends on gender. And about them a little lower.
Age.
It is no secret that a child, unable to restrain his emotions, is always very open and frank with people. A teenager, as a rule, experiences a lot of stress associated with the formation of the inner self, the environment, and the search for a life path. It follows that it is difficult for him to cope with his emotions, plus a growing body and an unstable, due to physiological neoplasms, nervous system. Bottom line: the change of emotions occurs very often, it is incredibly difficult to control the manifestations of emotions for all types of temperament. An adult person shows emotions in accordance with his type of temperament. The old man is restrained in the manifestation of emotions due to his experience.
Temperament:
I think it’s not a secret for anyone what it is, and it is unlikely to be a discovery that temperament appears at the time of birth and is completely independent of upbringing, like the makings (talents) of a person. From this we can conclude that the character, even if both parents are calm and balanced, can have an explosive temperament, and vice versa.
Here, perhaps, it is worth noting separately the upbringing of the hero: if initially your hero is melancholy, then you need to take into account the environment in which he grew up. For example, with an authoritarian upbringing, a melancholic is able to refuse to study, any choice, etc. are often sissy.
The authoritarian style of raising a choleric, on the contrary, is useful, and brings up discipline and purposefulness in him.
Why do you need to know all this? In order to prevent this from happening: a quiet family raised a pervert maniac.
These examples apply to specific situations and actions. But what about feelings?
Feelings are different from emotions: the feeling is long-lasting, the emotion is instantaneous. Feelings come gradually, they are deep and live in every person: sadness, envy, love, etc. Each of them has a reason. The type of emotions is somewhat different in this regard: the emotions of all people are the same and go the same way as everyone else, the feelings of all manifest themselves in different ways and directly depend on the nature of the character and the society in which he is located. For example, if we take the world of the future, in which love is forbidden, then the manifestation of this feeling will be completely different. And the emotion experienced by the character - for example, the same fear - cannot be otherwise, that is, a person will always feel his heart thump in his heels, no matter what world you put him in.
The feeling has a color of character, although there is a concept of how love is manifested in healthy individuals, but it is the character of a person that determines the manifestation of this feeling. In an authoritarian person, the manifestation of love will be different from the manifestation of the same feeling in a democratic person. With different temperaments, we also have a different manifestation: in a choleric person this feeling in behavior is always pronounced in relation to his soul mate, in a phlegmatic person it is carefully hidden, both from the object of sighing and from himself. I think these simple truths were already known and clear to you, but I decided to recall them for the reason that it is in the works that the authors forget about the manifestations of these features of the character when describing their feelings.
A writer is always an actor and director rolled into one. Having created the world, writing down the idea and plot, inventing characters, live by them, take on their guise, and, believe me, you will begin to feel what your hero feels; you can see the world through his eyes. Even if the character is completely opposite to you, “enter” him and let him in, and it is then that the reader will see this, and perhaps even be able to feel feelings for the negative character, understand his nature of emotions, especially if he can recognize himself in these emotions.
So, you are writing a story, but you notice that something is missing from it. For example, you wrote a sad story, but readers do not shed tears, do not laugh at the comedy you wrote, or simply cannot understand what the story is about. If so, then this article is for you.
Steps
Ways to enhance the emotional background of the story
- If you find it difficult to imagine the reaction of your character, describe how you would act in such a case, what you would think, what you would say and do. Then look at each of your gestures and actions and ask yourself if this is what your character will do. Even if your own intended reactions are not typical of your character, this exercise will help you better imagine the possible nature of his behavior. If you're still at a loss, try imagining the same situation involving another character.
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Describe the experiences of the characters in more detail. If you just write "Alexander was happy", it will not tell the readers anything. Even if they know about the reasons for his happiness, this will not help them feel the feelings of the character. Imagine what signs you could understand that he is happy if you were next to him. What would be the expression on his face? How would he behave? What would he say and how would his voice sound? Accurate details will help readers better imagine the image of your character and make them empathize with his happiness.
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Describe the environment. Description of the environment in which events take place, objects of the environment and other characters will help to more accurately convey the emotional coloring of the scene. Remember that your readers are seeing through the eyes of your main character, and their emotional state will influence their perceptions and thoughts. It is not necessary to associate the sadness of the hero with rainy weather, but depict joyful scenes in a beautiful comfortable environment. A sincerely happy character may not notice the dull gray walls around him, while in sadness a character may not be happy about good weather either.
- As an exercise, try describing the same emotional state of a character in a different setting and under different circumstances, or different moods of a character—joy, anger, sadness—in the same scene. Note what details of the environment help to more accurately and vividly convey his experiences.
- Observe the measure. Of course, sometimes your characters will be very expressive. But in most cases, people express their feelings in a more subtle way. Again, a detailed description of the subtle details of a scene can convey more meaning than direct indications of your character's mood.
- Be careful when drawing inspiration from other books, movies, TV shows, or other sources outside of real life. They can provide good ideas, but your piece should have its own unique perspective. Use other work to a minimum and try to change the borrowed concept so as not to plagiarize.
- Describe each individual scene in the context of the entire plot. If your character reacts violently to minor successes or failures, like getting a good grade on an exam or a dirty shirt, how would you describe larger events, like going to college or the death of a loved one of your character?
Warnings
- Avoid stereotypes. You can't convincingly convey a character's experience by describing something that readers have seen hundreds of times.
- Too frequent repetition of monotonous emotional scenes can quickly bore the reader. It is not worth describing how, along with sad events, rain begins or the sun breaks through the clouds when your hero experiences joy. Offer readers a realistic plot, not a contrived story designed to arouse their sentimentality.
- If you write formulaically or rewrite what you once read, your narrative will be insipid. It's hard to evoke emotions in other people if you don't experience them yourself. Recall a happy or sad incident in your own life. The deeper you empathize with your character, the more interesting your story will be for the reader.
- If you are writing a story just to touch the feelings of the readers, but you yourself do not experience them, it is better to rewrite it. Write about what makes you laugh and cry, and your mood will be conveyed to the reader. Do not try to guess what will cause the audience to experience certain experiences.
Determine the main mood of your story. What emotions do you want to convey to readers at a particular stage in the development of the plot? What feelings should your essay evoke? How do the characters in the story feel about the events of the story?
Recall a time when you experienced the same feelings that your character is experiencing. Although you have probably not been in exactly the same situation as your hero, you definitely experienced different emotions - happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, etc.. Recall a situation in which you experienced a feeling which you want to describe. What did you do and what did you think?
Determine the psychological type of your hero. Your own emotions are a good starting point, but most of the time your character will not be like you. Imagine the psychological type of your character and try to imagine how such a person would behave in the situation that you describe.
Intuition, telepathy, clairvoyance, and other abilities, all these are various subtle sensory states, strongly developed only in some people. Rougher sensually-emotional states are familiar to all people. Because in some sensual - emotional states, almost everyone experienced love and happiness. In others, the majority resides permanently, performing their duties at work and at home. And, finally, in some emotional states, someone turns into cruel, ruthless and merciless animals.
Consequently, all actions in the material world are always performed by people in accordance with the resulting vector of their emotional and mental state. Which is influenced by many factors. Including hormonal fillings that change body chemistry.
At a young age, the sphere of consciousness of most young people is filled predominantly with enthusiastic, romantic feelings of love. The energies of these feelings also attract the corresponding mental flow, colored with pink tones. Therefore, they are sure that they know that in order to solve all the problems on earth. Incl. and to eliminate large and small conflicts, everyone just needs to love each other.
Over the years, romanticism and enthusiasm leave their sphere of consciousness. And love gives way to other emotions, coloring the mentality of this sphere of consciousness with a different color.
Hence the conflict between fathers and children. Their consciousnesses are in different emotional-mental spheres. Each of which has its own truth, different from the other. And thoughts from one sphere of consciousness have no place in another sphere of consciousness, filled to the brim with its own. Therefore, fathers look at the sphere of children's consciousness as if they were their own yesterday. Who have yet to go through the school of their life experience.
And love in the sphere of consciousness of fathers is no longer considered a panacea for all problems. Since it is seen as a light, sweet insanity that does not allow an adequate assessment of the obvious. Undeservedly idealizing objects of love, leveling their shortcomings. Or like a magnet that attracts people with different spheres of consciousness, resulting in a creak and rattle from their mutual contact and penetration.
How many people, so many personal emotional-mental worlds. Even those who live nearby, in the same family. They look through the prism of their little worlds at the same thing, but perceive everything differently. And a look at love from these little worlds, with the exception of the first, can only be from the outside. Painted by individual thoughts about her in a color not characteristic of her. Because love cannot be expressed in words. It can only be felt while in its state.
Within the limits of one little world, the emotional-mental state can take on various states for a short time. But an act is performed in the material world, mainly in accordance with its resulting vector.
As an example, such an influence of the emotional-mental state on the act of a not young single person is well shown in the play by N.V. Gogol "Marriage"
The protagonist of this play lived in his personal world, in a comfort zone, not thinking about any changes in his established life.
But then a "friend-benefactor" appears, stubbornly influencing his consciousness with a mental stream, substantiating the charms and the need for his marriage.
The long and persistent processing of the consciousness of the protagonist by this stream, in the end, has borne fruit. And quantity turned into quality.
And now, while waiting in the room for his bride to go to church for the wedding, the sensual-emotional state that owns the consciousness of the protagonist itself begins to attract the corresponding thoughts:
“Really, what have I been up to now? Did you understand the meaning of life? I didn't understand, I didn't understand anything. Well, what was my single age? What did I mean, what did I do? He lived, lived, served, went to the department, dined, slept - in a word, he was the most empty and ordinary person in the world. Only now you see how stupid everyone is who does not marry; but if you consider - how many people are in such blindness. If I were a sovereign somewhere, I would give the order to marry everyone, absolutely everyone, so that there would not be a single single person in my state! .. Really, as you think: in a few minutes - and you will already be married. Suddenly you will taste bliss, which, for sure, only happens in fairy tales, which you simply cannot even express, and you will not find words to express.
(After some silence.) Euphoria and love delight, this short-term sensual outburst is very quickly replaced in the mind of the protagonist by "sanity". And now a completely different emotional state is taking over his consciousness, attracting other thoughts:
“However, whatever you say, it somehow even becomes scary, how well you think about it. For the rest of your life, for the rest of your life, whatever it may be, to tie yourself up, and after that no excuse, no remorse, nothing, nothing - it's all over, it's all done. Even now, there is no way to move back: in a minute and down the aisle; you can’t even leave - there’s already a carriage, and everything is in readiness. What if you really can't leave? How, naturally, it is impossible: there are people standing at the door and everywhere; well, they ask: why? Can't, no. But the window is open; what if the window? No; how, and indecent, and high. (Goes to the window.) Well, not so high yet: only one foundation, and that one is low. Well, no, of course, I don’t even have a cap with me. How about no hat? awkward. And really, however, it is impossible without a hat? What if you try, huh? Try it, right? (Stands at the window and, having said: “Lord, bless,” jumps down into the street; groans and groans behind the stage.) Oh! however high! Hey cabbie!
The voice of the driver. Submit, right?"
Everything that is written in this miniature can only be present in the pseudo-reality created by the ego of our consciousness.
Outside it, the solemnity of the Laws of the Cosmos and the movement of the Luminaries dominates. Solemnity there does not allow consciousnesses to plunge into unworthy, petty thoughts, feelings and actions. Suppressing the bustle of the astral clown. Solemnity there keeps the innermost, providing a connection with the Highest.
Appendix 3
TASK 2.
The emotional state of the hero (mood).
1. Carefully reread the following scenes from the comedy "Woe from Wit":
D 2. yavl.7,8,9 (remarks of Chatsky);
D.3. yavl.1,2,22;
D.4.yavl. 3.10, 14
1. What events affect the emotional state of the hero: what upsets him, pleases, causes bewilderment, annoyance in every action.
2. How does the intonation of the character's verses change? What visual means does the author use to convey the mood of the hero.
3. Make a conclusion: did the mood of the hero change, how and why?
starting with the first action and ending with the last action.
TASK 2.
Group 2
^
Experiencing the feeling of love
Read and analyze the following comedy scenes carefully:
D.2, yavl.8
D.3. yavl.1
D.4 yavl10, 13, 14.
1. How does the love affair develop in the play? What is the role of Chatsky in its development?
2. How does the hero appear in his feelings for Sophia? How does the intonation of Chatsky's verses-replicas dedicated to this feeling change from action to action?
How does the hero's vision happen? What upsets him: the knowledge that he will be rejected or the one because of whom he is rejected?
4. Analyze the feeling of the hero: how it changes from action to action.
III. Show on a graph how it develops love affair Chatsky to Sophia.
TASK 2.
Group 3.
^
Hero's mindset.
1. Analyze the following comedy scenes:
D.2 yavl 2 “And it was as if the world began to grow stupid ..”, yavl 4 “And who are the judges?...”
D.3 yavl 3,5,6,8, 22
D.4 yavl 4
1. What in the personality and views of the hero predetermined his clash with Famusov and his guests?
2. To whom are Chatsky's monologues addressed? To Famusov, to his guests, to readers?
3. How does the intonation of the hero's monologues change, the strength of his denunciations from action to action of the play? What explains this evolution?
4. Is Chatsky disappointed in his beliefs, or does his faith in them grow stronger?
Try to display using a graph loyalty to one's views the main character, his worldview. See how it changes from action to action.
