How to Layer in Emotion for More Powerful Scenes
Authors choose to write in first person point-of-view because it is voice-driven. This protagonist-as-narrator approach gives readers a feel for how the main character speaks, views others, and sees themselves. But in early drafts, writers often focus too tightly on what characters are doing, rather than how they are feeling. When I come across this issue in my work as a book editor, and in my own writing, the effect is similar to reading the stage directions for a play. What’s the fix for layering in emotions when we go back and revise our scenes?