The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide To Character Expression PDF
Preview The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide To Character Expression
The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Expression Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi Copyright 2012 © by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi Kindle Edition All rights reserved http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/ No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in print or electronic form without prior permission of the authors. Please respect the hard work of the authors and do not participate in or encourage the piracy of copyrighted materials. Edited in part by: Sharon Knauer Book cover design by: Scarlett Rugers Design 2012 http://www.scarlettrugers.com ebook formatting by: CyberWitch Press cyberwitchpress.com ABOUT THE AUTHORS Angela Ackerman is a member of the SCBWI and writes on the darker side of Middle Grade and Young Adult. She believes in the monster under the bed, eats French fries and ice cream together and is dedicated to paying it forward however she can. Angela lives in Calgary, Alberta in the shadow of the Canadian Rockies with her husband, two children, dog and zombie-like fish. Becca Puglisi is a YA fantasy and historical fiction writer, magazine author, and member of the SCBWI. She resides in sunny south Florida, where she likes to watch movies, drink caffeinated beverages, and eat foods that aren’t good for her. She lives with her husband and two children. Together, Angela and Becca host The Bookshelf Muse, an award-winning online resource for writers that offers a number of different thesauri to aid authors in their descriptive writing efforts. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, we want to thank the readers of The Bookshelf Muse—for your support, encouragement, and kind words that made us see the need for a book version of The Emotion Thesaurus. Without all of you, this honestly never would have happened. We also want to acknowledge the very important members of our first critique group: Helen (Bookish), Roy (Grampy), Madeline (Maddog), Joan (Unohoo), and Laura (Goofus). These Critique Circle writers helped us kick start this list and our respective writing careers. Our deepest appreciation also goes to our friend and editor Sharon, who encouraged us when we needed it most. We also owe a huge debt to the writing community at large. The writers we have met online, at conferences, at face-to-face groups, and in our own communities have been so generous with their knowledge and optimism, enabling us each to grow as writers. We love being part of this group. And finally, the biggest shout out goes to our families, who supported us though they couldn’t see the vision, encouraged us when we struggled, and provided the business savvy we were lacking. We owe it all to you. To AAD and SDJ, with all our love TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Techniques for Writing Nonverbal Emotion Using The Emotion Thesaurus Emotion Entries (75) Adoration Agitation Amazement Amusement Anger Anguish Annoyance Anticipation Anxiety Confidence Conflicted Confusion Contempt Curiosity Defeat Defensiveness Denial Depression Desire Desperation Determination Disappointment Disbelief Disgust Doubt Dread Eagerness Elation Embarrassment Envy Excitement Fear Frustration Gratitude Guilt Happiness Hatred Hopefulness Humiliation Hurt Impatience Indifference Insecurity Irritation Jealousy Loneliness Love Nervousness Nostalgia Overwhelmed Paranoia Peacefulness Pride Rage Regret Relief Reluctance Remorse Resentment Resignation Sadness Satisfaction Scorn Shame Skepticism Smugness Somberness Surprise/Shock Suspicion Sympathy Terror Uncertainty Unease Wariness Worry INTRODUCTION THE POWER OF EMOTION All successful novels, no matter what genre, have one thing in common: emotion. It lies at the core of every character’s decision, action, and word, all of which drive the story. Without emotion, a character’s personal journey is pointless. Stakes cease to exist. The plot line becomes a dry riverbed of meaningless events that no reader will take time to read. Why? Because above all else, readers pick up a book to have an emotional experience. They read to connect with characters who provide entertainment and whose trials may add meaning to their own life journeys. As emotional beings, feelings propel us. They drive our choices, determine who we spend time with, and dictate our values. Emotion also fuels our communication, allowing us to share meaningful information and beliefs with others. And while it may seem that most exchanges happen through conversation, in truth up to 95% of all communication is nonverbal. Even in instances where we try not to show our feelings, we are still sending messages through body language. Because of this, each of us becomes adept at reading others without a word being said. As writers, we must take our innate skills of observation and transfer them to the page. Readers have high expectations. They don’t want to be told how a character feels; they want to experience the emotion for themselves. To make this happen, we must ensure that our characters express their emotions in ways that are both recognizable and compelling to read.
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