Some emotions stay with us long after an experience has passed. We have difficulty letting go of disappointment, rejection, anger, and grief.
For fiction writers, those experiences are a valuable resource.
During a recent episode of In the Writer's Chair, bestselling author Joanna Campbell Slan and Lana McAra discussed how writers can draw from their own emotional experiences to create characters and scenes that feel more authentic. Their conversation also explored how writers can handle criticism without losing confidence.
Emotional Experiences Are a Valuable Writing Resource
Joanna compared the process to method acting. Just as an actor might recall a personal experience when portraying a character's emotions, writers can revisit memories to understand what their characters are feeling.
You don't have to write about the actual experience. Instead, consider the emotions underneath it. Perhaps you remember feeling powerless during an argument or disappointed when something important didn't work out. Those feelings can help you understand a fictional character facing an entirely different situation.
Capture the Details Before They Fade
Lana shared a practical technique she uses in her own writing: keeping an emotional journal.
When she experiences a powerful emotion, she records what happened, what she was thinking, and sensations in her body. Emotions aren't experienced only in our thoughts.
Consider what happens when someone feels anxious. Their breathing changes. Their shoulders tighten. They struggle to concentrate or lose their words.
Recording these details gives you something specific to draw from when writing a scene.
Give the Emotion to Your Character
Once you've captured an experience, think about how it might help you understand a character.
Ask yourself:
What emotion is my character experiencing?
When have I felt something similar?
What thoughts or physical reactions do I remember?
How might my character express that feeling differently than I did?
Your character doesn't need to respond exactly as you did. Their personality, history, and circumstances will shape their reaction.
The goal is to use what you understand about human emotion to make their experience believable.
Turn Difficult Moments Into Creative Opportunities
Not every difficult experience needs to become a story. And you don't have to revisit memories you're uncomfortable exploring.
Our experiences can offer insights that imagination alone might not provide. Exploring the invisible cages that hold writers back can also help us understand how beliefs and emotions influence creativity.
As Lana and Joanna discussed, even challenging moments can become part of a writer's creative resources.
The next time a strong emotion catches your attention, consider writing it down. You may discover that something you experienced today helps bring a fictional character to life tomorrow.
Watch Lana's full interview with Joanna Campbell Slan on In the Writer's Chair.
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