-obsess over their feelings ✓ -miss entire conversations ✓ -lose sleep ✓ Oh, so it is part of the writing process, not multiple personality disorder. Phew!
This was a great video! I didn't know what Deep POV was until i watched this. I understand everything you're saying about writing about how the characters feel. Sometimes, when I'm writing, I literally sit at my laptop bawling my eyes out while typing because I feel everything my character is going through as I'm writing it. Funny story--my sister walked in on me one time while this was happening and thought something terrible had happened to me.
On the first one - feelings. I react a lot to this when I'm reading. If there are things happening to the character, and feelings or thoughts are not mentioned even, I get pulled out of it. Like watching from afar. I'm like: Hey! Shouldn't you feel something right now? Ooooh, in editing I have removed soo many filter and filler words, mah Gawd! I wrote he saw, she heard, they noticed etc... all the time. And... realized, is still something I need to work on. I don't know how to NOT use it. XD
Yes, I would have made the same mistake of filter words too! But I see how they would pull us halfway out of the character, kind of like a reminder that we're talking about how this character feels, rather than actually feeling it ourselves. As with commercial writing, don't let the "Is" get in the way, haha! This is amazing.
Ooooo, this is so on point! "Write how it feels"!!! I vividly remember so many experiences that no one else even had a clue what I was going through emotionally and always wanted to belittle it based on their own perspectives (or bitterness?). So true!!!
6:20 I can confirm!!! It did help me a lot though. I discovered I'm able to apply concepts of shot calling, map awareness, map rotation, etc from League of Legends to real life task handling. IDK how to properly explain it but I feel I did some things way better than I would've normally done if I didn't play games.
I was struggling to understand my protagonist because I wanted express something through I couldn't understand. Only to realize I was seeking validation through creating her as a character to see if people would accept her or more if they would love her. And she was difficult to understand for me because she was like me and I was like a mystery to myself still. So I started telling myself I was her and try to feel it like I was discovering and exploring the world as her. It worked . It's easier to write through her pov now.
This is awesome… Just yesterday I was writing a new piece and what you are suggesting here is exactly what I had done. I was into the mind of my protagonist in a very emotional situation and writing from her thoughts. Love your great videos. You truly are very inspiring to so many of us out here struggling with the writing process. I have spent so many hours watching various UA-cam videos and writing craft on subjects like POV, character and plot development, conflict/resolution, etc. been trying to go back to my WIP And reanalyzing if it fits within that structure. Can be so confusing at times but I do feel a lot of your videos are so straightforward and offer so many wonderful tips and bring up a lot of the thoughts. Thank you thank you
Abbie, are you going to participate in CampNaNoWriMo this July? And please film a video about how to choose a tence for your novel. You are AMAZING! 💛 So keep GOING! 💛
Write how it feels is incredible advice!. Opera gives itself the permission to take the time it needs to express the true emotional experience of its characters. "I miss you" can be the only message for a full 15 min piece of music. The listener goes along with the singer to the depths of despair of loss then up a bit again to the hope of reunion. It is the journey that people want, give yourself permission in your writing to explore it. Emotional growth is so much more potent when you are there for the ride. Remember that people have a range of emotions though. Brooding for the whole book only really worked for Meyer because she is a unicorn.
Such POV are great especially if you write a lier character who speaks politely and is a compassionate person on the outside, but is a total bastard inside or vise versa. Makes for a great moment once it's revealed
I need some help Abbie. I want to immerse myself in the characters feelings every scene like you suggest, but it's hard when I can't TELL the readers how the character feels. I have to make the characters REACT to everything happening around them. Those reactions then SHOW the readers how the character feels in certain scenes, but I don't know if the readers will understand the feelings my character reactions describe the same way it was intended to be interpreted. Do you have any quick tips?
That's a great question! Stay tuned, because I'm going to be making a video on this topic soon! If you’d like me to answer a specific question about your story, I would be happy to discuss it in my monthly VIP podcast, which is available through my Patreon: www.patreon.com/abbieemmons :) Thank you so much for watching!
So I don't normally watch informational videos... most people get on my nerves or their voice is like nails on a chalkboard... but I can honestly say I have been watching your videos all day. I just love you!
This is so true! Clearly, things hit each person with different intensities! Realizing this definitely could improve the relatability of the character and therefore the story's immersive quality.
''The more things change the more they stay the same" ... the (especially British) comedians of yesteryear played the same role as the psychologists of today. Many moons ago I saw a comedy sketch on the nature of people in different professions and it has stuck with me that 'the profession of weather forecasting is just teeming with people who aren't stressed by being wrong ABOUT ANYTHING!'
Thank you for thos video, Abbie. This is something that I am sort of using in my own novel especially emotionally or spiritually because it is something that I have experienced and it's really intriguing to see the development of these characters in terms of how they deal with the situations in their lives.
GIRL YESSS 👏👏👏 This advice is STELLAR and so, SO helpful! Do you have any advice for managing multiple POVs? I ADORE how you handled Tessa's POV vs. Weston's in 100 Days of Sunlight. In a lot of multiple-POV books I've read, it's felt as if the author is neglecting one (or more) characters to favor another, but I never got that vibe from 100 Days. So do you have any tips/advice on how to not shirk one character's story when moving on to another's?
Holland Girls in my experience, depending on which genre you want to write in, try watching movies that correlate with that genre or read a book. A lot of times reading will inspire you. Story ideas come to me all the time at random times, I can talk to someone and an idea just pops up and I build the story off of that. But I do know when I’m reading or watching a movie an idea will come to me.
I forgot to mention this a few months ago when I subscribed, but I rarely subscribe- yet I did so so quickly with your channel! Your videos are super helpful, and you communicate with such a positive energy. I also love that you embedded that little happiness fact, since that's one of the areas I'm super interested in. Anyways, thanks again! :)
Yes! I would love a video on character voice! Girl you just keep making me look over my novel over and over again, trying to find ways to make it perfect ;) Thanks for the great tips!
Love your videos. Would love to know how you choose what voice your character has. Like for contemporary, first person is big because you can reveal so much about internal conflict, but then you have to choose the tense, and it can be so hard to choose between first and third and such.
I do feel you about that last tip bonus. My main job makes me always aware and focus more to others teeth, mouth whenever the speaks. hahaha talking about working outside of office hours😅 guess what my job is
Not to knock on the tips, but deep POV comes down to living in the character’s skin. Below is one of my favorite revisions. In the first take, the author (me) is telling you that a fully loaded Remington has two rounds. In the second take, my character is skipping over that fact entirely and rejoicing in having a weapon and two rounds. Original Version: He checked the derringer, a Remington, and found that it was fully loaded, which meant two rounds. Not much, but he was happy to have it. Deep POV Version: He checked the Derringer, a Remington, and found that it was fully loaded. Two rounds weren’t much, but he was happy to have it.
Awesome tips, thank you. I'd love to see a video about character voice. I like that your approach is so character focused, as that's definitely my priority, too. 😃👍💝
Another great video, Abbie!!! Love, LOVE those tips especially the last one! It makes great sense, and now I gotta fix that in my story! A video on VOICE sounds perfect right now! :D
A nitpicky issue - keep in mind that it's not necessarily/only the case that people attune to their profession, but it can be the other way around. E.g. people who see minor imperfections in research interpretation may be more likely to become researchers, not the other way around. From personal experience, I was annoying like that since childhood, not only after I became a researcher.
I hear I see I feel I touch, it seems, I know, I deside, it sounds, it sounds like, etc. (Filter words AKA no no's) in case anyone goes to the comments like I did! :D :D :D Gl
The first point about a character not being objectively omniscient won't keep me up at night but the second point about no one is objective definitely could. haha.
These are all great but do they work the same way if we're not writing in first person? How can we make the reader feel close to the character even if we're technically describing them from an outside perspective?
OMG, girl, you are the most GORGEOUS-CUTE I have ever seen in my whole life...I'm an artist and I love doing portraits of people with really striking/exotic faces. I wanna draw yo' face! lol Your EYES...you look really ethereal, like a fairy, to me. This video was also, by the way, one of the better writing advice videos I've seen on UA-cam. Thanks! Really good tips and the examples were helpful too!
@AbbieEmmons #WritersLifeWednesdays (and other people in the comments) what do I do for actions like "I brought up our dishes" or "I sit down". Examples like this separate the reader from the character but I do not know how to make simple actions like this feel like the character's POV. Any advice?
This actually made me think that's it's possible to write an "emotionless" character if you research alexithimia well. Your character's trauma could have easily led to them numbing their emotions.
I have a question about POV. Writing in the third person, I've heard it's better to write from a single character's perspective. But if I want to change that POV at only the last chapter, would that be ok? Or would it be too messy?
So, you’re saying that my strategy of venting my own feelings by writing scenes in my novel in which the protagonist feels those same feelings has been writing in deep POV all along?!
Is deep POV (in 3rd person) basically the same like 3rd person limited without psychic distance? Would it be ok to mix them so you would have a voice that can get into the emotions of the character and zoom out when needed?
Stay tuned... I'm going to be making a video on this topic soon! If you’d like me to answer a specific question about your story, I would be happy to discuss it in my monthly VIP podcast, which is available through my Patreon: www.patreon.com/abbieemmons :) Thank you so much for watching!
How do you describe extreme physical pain? I find that really hard because I've never experienced extreme physical pain before... To be more specific, my character is having a headache so extreme that she falls to the floor screaming. (btw, How would you rephrase "My head felt like it was nearly bursting"? Could I just write "My head was nearly bursting"? or is this misleading? I mean, if the narrator is a character, he/she obviously isn't as reliable as an omniscient narrator, but it could still lead to confusion because her head is not actually bursting, it just feels like it is. And when I'm showing an emotion instead of telling it, should I add the emotion to make what the character feels clear to the reader? ("She raised an eyebrow in confusion" or simply "She raised an eyebrow"?) What about filter words? Should they all be cut or are they sometimes okay to use? (Example: "I quickened my pace. I knew what she had to say. She wanted to point out I had to be mindful of my behavior in the presence of the council. No wonder that they didn't manage to dispatch X (villain) for two decades, considering how they wasted all of their energy on etiquette and neatness.")
Katerina Longoria “Thunder shook the ground beneath her. Her hands trembled with fear. A white sign stood in the distance. Immersed in sheets of pouring rain, she squinted her eyes to make out the words upon it . She clenched her fists, sprinting to meet it. The fierce winds whipped her hair in front of her face, blinding her eyes. She gasped, for the words were chilling. It read, “you will meet your end in five days.” Random sentences lol but hope that helped !! I know you wrote this comment a couple of months ago :) however - I do still think you SOMETIMES need filler words , and to “tell” . You cannot only “show.” The style I am writing has a good balance , and my writing is more confident this way. I also have been finding if I am to use the word “feeling,” I break the sentence into both show and tell. “I lifted my chin, feeling invigorated for the journey ahead.” If I just wrote “I lifted my chin,” I just don’t feel it works and I would lose confidence in what I’m trying to portray. I also sometimes use “I thought or I mused”. Where you would put the pronouns in , but as long as it’s not overdone , and you get the point across that you are in the characters thoughts, I think it’s acceptable . But that’s just my opinion. Try reading some of your favorite authors and see what they do . Best of luck! Find your balance ! We all have a unique style and must find it
Dana Provenzano But see that’s the problem that I run into without the so-called filter words. To me it looks a lot like telling like you’re telling me what it look like out there and you’re telling me what happened but I’m not allowed to feel it through the character’s experience. And I think the other problem with not using the filter words is when it’s stated the rain poured down or there was a white sign up ahead or whatever the sentences feel very short and choppy which is a style I have never liked reading or writing. So I guess for those reasons I find it really hard to eliminate filter words
Katerina Longoria I understand . I do use them , I just try not to over use them. And when I use them - I try to show along with it too. We all have our own style !! we need to take writing advice with a grain of salt sometimes . Understand the “ rules “ and then break them with the knowledge of it
Dana Provenzano very true about that grain of salt. I had the opportunity to ask an author recently what was her thought regarding the use of filter words and she actually had to look it up because she said she had never heard of that. That pretty much made me feel better because if she can sell books without having to be conscious of so-called filter words then I don’t think it’s something I need to worry about. 👍🏼
Katerina Longoria Oh I really enjoy hearing that too! Lol . I still think we should be mindful in keeping it balanced - But do not have to avoid them like the plague lol
Internalizing your character's emotions is fun when you're listening to music, that's why you made all those playlists!
-obsess over their feelings ✓
-miss entire conversations ✓
-lose sleep ✓
Oh, so it is part of the writing process, not multiple personality disorder. Phew!
Why so relatable tho
How did I not know I did this before AND NOT EVEN FOR ACTUAL REASONS
A video about character voice would be great!
This was a great video! I didn't know what Deep POV was until i watched this. I understand everything you're saying about writing about how the characters feel. Sometimes, when I'm writing, I literally sit at my laptop bawling my eyes out while typing because I feel everything my character is going through as I'm writing it. Funny story--my sister walked in on me one time while this was happening and thought something terrible had happened to me.
Ooo, yes, I get that!
That last tip was brilliant! My protagonist is an artist. This advice will help me to add so much dimension!
You are wise beyond your years. Great tips! Yes, please do Character Voice. I’m struggling with this one right now. Thanks for posting!
On the first one - feelings. I react a lot to this when I'm reading. If there are things happening to the character, and feelings or thoughts are not mentioned even, I get pulled out of it. Like watching from afar. I'm like: Hey! Shouldn't you feel something right now?
Ooooh, in editing I have removed soo many filter and filler words, mah Gawd! I wrote he saw, she heard, they noticed etc... all the time. And... realized, is still something I need to work on. I don't know how to NOT use it. XD
Yes, I would have made the same mistake of filter words too! But I see how they would pull us halfway out of the character, kind of like a reminder that we're talking about how this character feels, rather than actually feeling it ourselves. As with commercial writing, don't let the "Is" get in the way, haha! This is amazing.
Filter words! So true--changed my writing when I realized. Happy Birthday btw!
I love the idea of using the character's job experience as a way to ease into the subjective view of the character.
Yes!
Ooooo, this is so on point! "Write how it feels"!!! I vividly remember so many experiences that no one else even had a clue what I was going through emotionally and always wanted to belittle it based on their own perspectives (or bitterness?). So true!!!
6:20 I can confirm!!! It did help me a lot though. I discovered I'm able to apply concepts of shot calling, map awareness, map rotation, etc from League of Legends to real life task handling. IDK how to properly explain it but I feel I did some things way better than I would've normally done if I didn't play games.
I was struggling to understand my protagonist because I wanted express something through I couldn't understand. Only to realize I was seeking validation through creating her as a character to see if people would accept her or more if they would love her. And she was difficult to understand for me because she was like me and I was like a mystery to myself still. So I started telling myself I was her and try to feel it like I was discovering and exploring the world as her. It worked . It's easier to write through her pov now.
This is awesome… Just yesterday I was writing a new piece and what you are suggesting here is exactly what I had done. I was into the mind of my protagonist in a very emotional situation and writing from her thoughts. Love your great videos. You truly are very inspiring to so many of us out here struggling with the writing process. I have spent so many hours watching various UA-cam videos and writing craft on subjects like POV, character and plot development, conflict/resolution, etc. been trying to go back to my WIP And reanalyzing if it fits within that structure. Can be so confusing at times but I do feel a lot of your videos are so straightforward and offer so many wonderful tips and bring up a lot of the thoughts. Thank you thank you
Ooo cool!
":Write what you know emotionally." Thank you!
can we take a second to appreciate how beautiful she is omgg
Abbie, are you going to participate in CampNaNoWriMo this July?
And please film a video about how to choose a tence for your novel.
You are AMAZING! 💛
So keep GOING! 💛
Each character narrates their stories. I would love to try it out.
Great video! My writer's group is working on Deep POV right now. We showed your vid during our meeting and it got a great discussion going. Thank you!
Write how it feels is incredible advice!. Opera gives itself the permission to take the time it needs to express the true emotional experience of its characters. "I miss you" can be the only message for a full 15 min piece of music. The listener goes along with the singer to the depths of despair of loss then up a bit again to the hope of reunion. It is the journey that people want, give yourself permission in your writing to explore it. Emotional growth is so much more potent when you are there for the ride. Remember that people have a range of emotions though. Brooding for the whole book only really worked for Meyer because she is a unicorn.
Yes! Definitely a video on character voice. These tips are so good, thank you!!
Such POV are great especially if you write a lier character who speaks politely and is a compassionate person on the outside, but is a total bastard inside or vise versa.
Makes for a great moment once it's revealed
I need some help Abbie. I want to immerse myself in the characters feelings every scene like you suggest, but it's hard when I can't TELL the readers how the character feels. I have to make the characters REACT to everything happening around them. Those reactions then SHOW the readers how the character feels in certain scenes, but I don't know if the readers will understand the feelings my character reactions describe the same way it was intended to be interpreted. Do you have any quick tips?
That's a great question! Stay tuned, because I'm going to be making a video on this topic soon! If you’d like me to answer a specific question about your story, I would be happy to discuss it in my monthly VIP podcast, which is available through my Patreon: www.patreon.com/abbieemmons :) Thank you so much for watching!
yay ❤ would love a video about character voice 😍
I’m very interested in the character voices video 😍
Your background is GORGEOUS.
So I don't normally watch informational videos... most people get on my nerves or their voice is like nails on a chalkboard... but I can honestly say I have been watching your videos all day. I just love you!
This is so true! Clearly, things hit each person with different intensities! Realizing this definitely could improve the relatability of the character and therefore the story's immersive quality.
I've watched a lot of these videos, and this one is one of my favorites. Deep POV is so important, and these few tips are very helpful.
Would definitely love a video on character voice!! Love all your Videos Abbie so much!!
Yay! 'Write how it feels, not how it is.' Great advise. Thanx!
Magnificent advice, thank you for the video.
Outstanding final tip!
''The more things change the more they stay the same" ... the (especially British) comedians of yesteryear played the same role as the psychologists of today. Many moons ago I saw a comedy sketch on the nature of people in different professions and it has stuck with me that 'the profession of weather forecasting is just teeming with people who aren't stressed by being wrong ABOUT ANYTHING!'
This was a great one, Abbie! Thanks!
Thanks Abbie!
Thank you for thos video, Abbie. This is something that I am sort of using in my own novel especially emotionally or spiritually because it is something that I have experienced and it's really intriguing to see the development of these characters in terms of how they deal with the situations in their lives.
GIRL YESSS 👏👏👏 This advice is STELLAR and so, SO helpful!
Do you have any advice for managing multiple POVs? I ADORE how you handled Tessa's POV vs. Weston's in 100 Days of Sunlight. In a lot of multiple-POV books I've read, it's felt as if the author is neglecting one (or more) characters to favor another, but I never got that vibe from 100 Days. So do you have any tips/advice on how to not shirk one character's story when moving on to another's?
Can you please do a video on coming up with story ideas? I now it's off topic but would help me so much.
Holland Girls in my experience, depending on which genre you want to write in, try watching movies that correlate with that genre or read a book. A lot of times reading will inspire you. Story ideas come to me all the time at random times, I can talk to someone and an idea just pops up and I build the story off of that. But I do know when I’m reading or watching a movie an idea will come to me.
I'd suggest Pinterest!
I forgot to mention this a few months ago when I subscribed, but I rarely subscribe- yet I did so so quickly with your channel! Your videos are super helpful, and you communicate with such a positive energy. I also love that you embedded that little happiness fact, since that's one of the areas I'm super interested in. Anyways, thanks again! :)
I love how your videos are always so bright!
Yes! I would love a video on character voice! Girl you just keep making me look over my novel over and over again, trying to find ways to make it perfect ;) Thanks for the great tips!
Love your videos. Would love to know how you choose what voice your character has. Like for contemporary, first person is big because you can reveal so much about internal conflict, but then you have to choose the tense, and it can be so hard to choose between first and third and such.
I'm SO living for your rainbow bookshelf 😫🥰
i love your channel! i learn SO MUCH from your videos, you make me want to improve my writing every single day. Honestly, thank you, Abbie
Awesome tips especially about how what they do affects how they see the world! I'd love to hear about writing voice!
that tip about filter words changed my life wow
😅Miss entire conversations. 🤣🤣🤣 I believe she's talking to me, lol! Now, I've kind of gotten that part under control, though, thank God.
Yes to the character voice video!
I do feel you about that last tip bonus. My main job makes me always aware and focus more to others teeth, mouth whenever the speaks. hahaha talking about working outside of office hours😅
guess what my job is
Not to knock on the tips, but deep POV comes down to living in the character’s skin. Below is one of my favorite revisions. In the first take, the author (me) is telling you that a fully loaded Remington has two rounds. In the second take, my character is skipping over that fact entirely and rejoicing in having a weapon and two rounds.
Original Version:
He checked the derringer, a Remington, and found that it was fully loaded, which meant two rounds. Not much, but he was happy to have it.
Deep POV Version:
He checked the Derringer, a Remington, and found that it was fully loaded. Two rounds weren’t much, but he was happy to have it.
Yes!! I’ve been struggling with Character Voice. Also, love this video 😍
Awesome tips, thank you. I'd love to see a video about character voice. I like that your approach is so character focused, as that's definitely my priority, too. 😃👍💝
Another great video, Abbie!!! Love, LOVE those tips especially the last one! It makes great sense, and now I gotta fix that in my story! A video on VOICE sounds perfect right now! :D
I'm very interested in internal world, please Abbiee, make a video also I'm failing in love with your videos. Thanks so much Abbiee.
Your videos are so awesome and helpful! Thank you!😍
These are some awesome tips! Thank you!
Perfect timing on uploading this
Love this! Thank you! I would love to see a video on character voice!
Love these videos! Thanks for doing this.
Quality content as always! And please please please talk about the character'a voice!
Yes to a video on character voice
New subscriber. You have the cutest background! Love it.
Perception is definitely reality
Honestly there are days where I don't even feel like myself cause I'm so inside my character's head I feel like I'm them! 😅
A nitpicky issue - keep in mind that it's not necessarily/only the case that people attune to their profession, but it can be the other way around. E.g. people who see minor imperfections in research interpretation may be more likely to become researchers, not the other way around.
From personal experience, I was annoying like that since childhood, not only after I became a researcher.
Omg we have the same ukulele! Great vid by the way! It helped me do the intro of my storyy uwu
I hear I see I feel I touch, it seems, I know, I deside, it sounds, it sounds like, etc. (Filter words AKA no no's) in case anyone goes to the comments like I did! :D :D :D Gl
The first point about a character not being objectively omniscient won't keep me up at night but the second point about no one is objective definitely could. haha.
“I don’t really know how to describe… this technique… that I’m describing…”
*It was at this moment that she knew-*
those tips definitely really helped me! :)
would love to see a video of character voice!!
I have a question..how do you show emotion..like the character is shocked or something similar
These are all great but do they work the same way if we're not writing in first person? How can we make the reader feel close to the character even if we're technically describing them from an outside perspective?
You are more brighter than sun
I'd love a video on character voice !
OMG, girl, you are the most GORGEOUS-CUTE I have ever seen in my whole life...I'm an artist and I love doing portraits of people with really striking/exotic faces. I wanna draw yo' face! lol Your EYES...you look really ethereal, like a fairy, to me. This video was also, by the way, one of the better writing advice videos I've seen on UA-cam. Thanks! Really good tips and the examples were helpful too!
Filter words start with "I" or "It" and are followed by a verb?
Is there any way you can give some tips on coming up with titles? 💓
This is difficult for screenplay writers. Would you have any ideas for onscreen displays of deep POV?
Is this something that applies only to 1st person narration or will it work for a narrator in the 3rd person?
@AbbieEmmons #WritersLifeWednesdays (and other people in the comments) what do I do for actions like "I brought up our dishes" or "I sit down". Examples like this separate the reader from the character but I do not know how to make simple actions like this feel like the character's POV. Any advice?
This actually made me think that's it's possible to write an "emotionless" character if you research alexithimia well. Your character's trauma could have easily led to them numbing their emotions.
I have a question. If your doing 1st person, and multiple povs can you still do filter words, or just NO FILTER WORDS AT ALL!!!
I'm trying to learn this...I write horror. No idea how to move the character through space and time if I'm stuck in his head. UGH!
I have a question about POV. Writing in the third person, I've heard it's better to write from a single character's perspective. But if I want to change that POV at only the last chapter, would that be ok? Or would it be too messy?
Does this only apply to 1st person or is it also applicable to 3rd person limited?
So, you’re saying that my strategy of venting my own feelings by writing scenes in my novel in which the protagonist feels those same feelings has been writing in deep POV all along?!
Is deep POV (in 3rd person) basically the same like 3rd person limited without psychic distance? Would it be ok to mix them so you would have a voice that can get into the emotions of the character and zoom out when needed?
My story is filled with fillers xD I need to edit all of that. Thank you for the tips!
Empathy...see the world through you character’s eyes...
Another question is I am scared of my characters sounding the same(multi povs), so is that charcater voice?
Now that you mention it, I use filler words all the time in my writing ...
Could you do a dialogue video?
Stay tuned... I'm going to be making a video on this topic soon! If you’d like me to answer a specific question about your story, I would be happy to discuss it in my monthly VIP podcast, which is available through my Patreon: www.patreon.com/abbieemmons :) Thank you so much for watching!
It took me so long to get through my last WIP because I kept getting vicariously depressed through my MC's eyes lol
not me using all the filter words in my first draft lmaooooo
How do you describe extreme physical pain? I find that really hard because I've never experienced extreme physical pain before...
To be more specific, my character is having a headache so extreme that she falls to the floor screaming. (btw, How would you rephrase "My head felt like it was nearly bursting"? Could I just write "My head was nearly bursting"? or is this misleading? I mean, if the narrator is a character, he/she obviously isn't as reliable as an omniscient narrator, but it could still lead to confusion because her head is not actually bursting, it just feels like it is.
And when I'm showing an emotion instead of telling it, should I add the emotion to make what the character feels clear to the reader? ("She raised an eyebrow in confusion" or simply "She raised an eyebrow"?)
What about filter words? Should they all be cut or are they sometimes okay to use?
(Example: "I quickened my pace. I knew what she had to say. She wanted to point out I had to be mindful of my behavior in the presence of the council. No wonder that they didn't manage to dispatch X (villain) for two decades, considering how they wasted all of their energy on etiquette and neatness.")
Kind of like "method acting" technique.
How can you eliminate filter words if you’re writing in 3rd person? How can you say your character did something without using those words?
Katerina Longoria “Thunder shook the ground beneath her. Her hands trembled with fear. A white sign stood in the distance. Immersed in sheets of pouring rain, she squinted her eyes to make out the words upon it . She clenched her fists, sprinting to meet it. The fierce winds whipped her hair in front of her face, blinding her eyes. She gasped, for the words were chilling. It read, “you will meet your end in five days.” Random sentences lol but hope that helped !! I know you wrote this comment a couple of months ago :) however - I do still think you SOMETIMES need filler words , and to “tell” . You cannot only “show.” The style I am writing has a good balance , and my writing is more confident this way. I also have been finding if I am to use the word “feeling,” I break the sentence into both show and tell. “I lifted my chin, feeling invigorated for the journey ahead.” If I just wrote “I lifted my chin,” I just don’t feel it works and I would lose confidence in what I’m trying to portray. I also sometimes use “I thought or I mused”. Where you would put the pronouns in , but as long as it’s not overdone , and you get the point across that you are in the characters thoughts, I think it’s acceptable . But that’s just my opinion. Try reading some of your favorite authors and see what they do . Best of luck! Find your balance ! We all have a unique style and must find it
Dana Provenzano But see that’s the problem that I run into without the so-called filter words. To me it looks a lot like telling like you’re telling me what it look like out there and you’re telling me what happened but I’m not allowed to feel it through the character’s experience. And I think the other problem with not using the filter words is when it’s stated the rain poured down or there was a white sign up ahead or whatever the sentences feel very short and choppy which is a style I have never liked reading or writing. So I guess for those reasons I find it really hard to eliminate filter words
Katerina Longoria I understand . I do use them , I just try not to over use them. And when I use them - I try to show along with it too. We all have our own style !! we need to take writing advice with a grain of salt sometimes . Understand the “ rules “ and then break them with the knowledge of it
Dana Provenzano very true about that grain of salt. I had the opportunity to ask an author recently what was her thought regarding the use of filter words and she actually had to look it up because she said she had never heard of that. That pretty much made me feel better because if she can sell books without having to be conscious of so-called filter words then I don’t think it’s something I need to worry about. 👍🏼
Katerina Longoria Oh I really enjoy hearing that too! Lol . I still think we should be mindful in keeping it balanced - But do not have to avoid them like the plague lol
😢
Have you ever done anything on how to choose which pov for your story?