Have you ever been reading a story and you're just like...this could never happen, no high school-er gets angry enough to stab someone in the middle of class unless they were a psychopath and/or really cocky?
Yeah, it's annoying. When you read a book you want to feel a connection with the characters. One of my close friends actually CRIED when Rue died in the Hunger Games. Why? Because Suzanne Collins knew how to make someone feel like Katniss did (and she's just awesome).
So what steps can you take to make it seem like you're characters are one with the reader?
Emotion: Anger
1. GET PISSED. I don't care what it takes, if you're alone, just go off on some random inanimate object. Call it names, throw it across the room, punch it then get angry because your hand hurts. Then sit down, put pencil to paper (of fingers to keyboard) and write and angry scene. This has worked for me because it makes ME the WRITER feel like I'm one with the characters. Now this is only a suggested thing to do, please to go all Purge on us and kill someone. And don't get too angry or else you'll be blinded by hate for the world.
2. Get one of your friends to stage the fight with you. One of the best techniques in writing is acting out a scene, so if you don't know how to write two friends fighting, just get help from one of your own! I have even sought help from my mother to write a son and a father fighting. IT WORKS. Because not only will you still be pissed afterwards (suggestion 1) but you'll also be fired up and have some experience under you belt. In the end writing is all about experience and imagination.
3. Watch anger themed movies. This one may or may not work. Pick a movie that has an angry character or fight scene much like you story and get ready to write. While watching the movie (or show even) write what is going on. Describe the look on their faces, the pitch of their voice, their body movements. But DO NOT completely copy what is going on, that's just laziness.*
Emotion: Love
1. Same as suggestion three from above, just with romantic movies.*
2. Think about someone you love. If you're writing about the love between man and dog, then find a dog or animal that you love dearest. Write how you feel about them, why you love them, etc. If it's about mother and daughter, write about your mother or grandmother or whoever is like a mother figure to you.
3. Pretend you're the love interest. Imagine you're the one the character is falling in love with, or you're the one falling in love with them. How would you react, how will they? Your reactions as a person are clearer and much more real than that of most of the book characters out there.
Emotion: Happiness
1. BE HAPPEH HAPPEH HAPPEH!!! Think of something that makes you happy! A nice sunny day, the smell of rain on concrete, living! Who cares, it's what makes you happy. If you're happy, then your writing will have a happy tone to it, simple as that.
2. Watching movies or shows doesn't actually work very well for this emotion, but if you think it'll work, then please go right ahead. But the second tip for this one is READ. Read happy books, magazines, manga, etc. Doesn't matter. (DO NOT COPYRIGHT WHATSOEVER)
Emotion: Depression/Sadness
1. Another movie suggestion here ^.^ *
2. Get sad, think of dead relatives, dead pets, dead friends...etc. Cry, just fracking cry. Cry on your computer, on your notebook, on your typewriter I don't care. Just cry your eyes out. Once you're done, pick yourself up, and write what you just felt. That drowning feeling where you can see everyone else around you breathing, that pain in your chest that makes you want curl up into a ball, etc.
A/N: At this moment I can't think of any other BIG emotion..but I may just be a temporary idiot for a while. Oh, and all the asterisks (*) were over the fact that when you pick you show of movies, be careful. Stay away from cliches and cheesy scenes. You're looking for reality, not something Hollywood cooked up.
