A Technique for Conveying Emotion

Hey fellow writers!

📚 Welcome back to our Wednesday Writing Tip!

This week, let’s look at a powerful way to show a character’s emotions—not by telling readers how they feel, but by filtering the world through their perspective.

Instead of saying “Phoebe was happy” or “Phoebe was disappointed,” writer Benjamin Black illustrates emotion by having the character’s perception of her surroundings reflect her inner state.

✨ Example of Joy

In Elegy for April, after receiving good news, Phoebe looks at the sky:

“Between the rooftops the narrow strip of sky, flowing swiftly with gray and silver clouds, seemed for a moment a gorgeous, shining, inverted river.”

Later, still buoyed by happiness, the same sky appears:

“Above their heads, Phoebe saw, that river of cloud flowed on in joyful spate.”

The sky itself isn’t “joyful”—but Phoebe’s perception makes it radiant.

✨ Example of Disappointment

In The Silver Swan, after a discouraging conversation, Phoebe notices the violets she’s holding:

“She realized she was still clutching the bunch of violets in her damp and not quite steady hand; they looked like some small, many-headed creature that had been accidentally strangled.”

Here, both the wilted violets and her trembling hand reflect her inner despair.

Why This Works

By letting characters project their feelings onto what they see, readers experience emotions through the character’s eyes. It’s immersive, subtle, and deeply human.

Writing Idea 💡

Try this exercise:

• Describe a room or landscape as seen by someone who has just committed a murder.

• Then describe that same space as seen by someone who has just discovered their secret love is returned.

Notice how the same environment shifts depending on the emotional “lens.”

Happy Writing!

From IABX

***Source: creative-writing-now.com