Writing Tip of the Day
Quick writing tip I learned the hard way while editing my own book…
Sometimes the best thing you can do for a scene is delete the line that explains the emotion.
Now I try to let the actions and dialogue carry the moment.
Funny thing is, when I started doing this, my chapters suddenly felt way more intense.
Tomorrow I’ll share another small change that made my writing way better.
Follow along for daily writing tips and my journey writing my first novel!
While editing my own writing, I realized that explicitly stating emotions in a scene often felt redundant and diminished the impact of the narrative. By removing lines that explain what a character feels and instead focusing on their actions and dialogue to convey those emotions, I found my scenes became much more engaging and vivid. This technique aligns well with the ‘show, don’t tell’ principle, which invites readers to infer feelings through context rather than being told directly. In practical terms, if a character is angry, instead of writing "She was angry," try describing clenched fists, sharp words, or stony silence to illustrate that anger. This not only creates a richer reading experience but also adds layers of complexity to your characters. It demands more thoughtful writing and careful observation of human behavior, which can make your storytelling much stronger. Additionally, letting dialogue carry emotional weight allows the reader to engage with the character’s personality and voice more intimately. Authentic dialogue that reflects underlying feelings makes the scene feel natural and immersive. When I applied this approach consistently while editing my book, I noticed that the chapters came alive with intensity and authenticity, making the story more compelling. For writers struggling to balance showing and telling emotions, a useful exercise is to draft a scene twice: once with explicit emotion lines, and once without them. Then compare which version evokes a stronger response or feels more vivid. Often, the version leaning on actions and dialogue will resonate better. Remember, rewriting is a key part of the writing process. Adjusting how emotions are conveyed is a subtle art but can greatly elevate your narrative. Follow along for more daily tips and behind-the-scenes insights as I continue to refine my novel, "Siege of the Forgotten Order."