Many writers see their stories as pictures in their head as they write, almost like the unfolding of a movie. Writing is almost a visual process for them. But how does the writer make sure that what’s in their head is also what the reader sees when they later read the words? A simple rule of thumb for showing the actions of your character is to show the necessary actions while skipping the mundane.
One of the things we’re taught as writers is to start our books and scenes mid-action. Readers want to start somewhere exciting, without scads of backstory or boring “here’s my character’s daily life.” But, nine times out of ten, writers (new and seasoned alike) think about where to start their book (or really, their scenes) without thinking about what comes before. What I mean by that is, they don’t know who their character is right before the book/scene starts.
People feel emotions constantly. That’s a fact. Whether they show their emotions, or how they show them, is unique to each individual. In a novel, our characters also feel emotions. The difference is, readers can’t see them, and, most likely, don’t start out the book knowing them very well. So how can an author show the reader what the character is feeling without simply naming emotions?
