Using unexpected emotion

[Brian G Turner]

An interesting piece coming from a workshop with agent Donald Maas, about using unexpected emotions in writing:
http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/donald-maass-wisdom-cultivate-reader.html

 

[Winni]

Fantastic article, thanks for the link. The Unexpected Emotion is a technique we all know of but sadly rarely use. I find if I force emotion in my characters the emotion comes across as 2-dimetional, but when I write (in the zone) and stop forcing the emotions and just report back to the page what the characters are telling me, I find a simple magic in it.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I've had characters do that naturally. I'd bring them to a certain point, plan for them to have a certain emotion, so that they could then take a certain predictable action, and realize that would be completely out of character, and that what they would really do/think/say was far more exciting.

When that happens, though, you have to be willing to loosen your hold on the plot and trust that it will come back around to where it should be.

 

[Glitch]

Good link. Think I will have a go at it tomorrow.