Creating Emotion Charts: Character Tips & Techniques

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 10 July 2023 5 min read

Creating a character emotion chart is a practical tool every writer should have in their toolkit. It can be a game-changer, giving depth and consistency to your characters' emotional journey. In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps of creating an effective character emotion chart, starting with defining your character's emotions.

1. Define Your Character's Emotions

Before you even begin to plot your character's emotional journey, it's important to understand their emotional landscape. Here are a few techniques to help you get started:

Using the Plutchik Wheel

Created by psychologist Robert Plutchik, this wheel is a visual map of emotions, useful for understanding the complexity of human feelings. It includes primary emotions—like joy, sadness, anger, and fear—and their secondary, more nuanced counterparts. As you explore your character's emotions, consider where they might fall on the Plutchik Wheel at different stages of your story.

Considering the Emotion Spectrum

Emotions aren't binary; they exist on a spectrum. For example, anger can range from mild irritation to full-blown rage. When defining your character's emotions, consider the range and intensity of their feelings. This will add a layer of realism to your character emotion chart and, by extension, your story.

Observing Real People

Fiction often mirrors reality, and there's no better place to learn about emotions than by observing real people. Notice how people react under stress, joy, or confusion. You might discover that emotions are often mixed, and rarely as straightforward as we think. This insight can make your character emotion chart—and your characters—more believable and engaging.

2. Convey Emotions Through Dialogue

Dialogue is a powerful tool for conveying character emotions. It's not just about what your characters say—it's also about what they don't say. Let's dive into some techniques:

Learning from Literary Greats

Some of the best teachers are the authors you admire. Take a look at how they use dialogue to express emotion. Notice the rhythm, the word choice, the pauses. How do they convey a character's anger, joy, or fear? Incorporate these insights into your character emotion chart to enrich your own storytelling.

Avoiding On-The-Nose Dialogue

On-the-nose dialogue—where characters say exactly what they feel—can feel forced and unnatural. Instead, strive for subtlety. Let your characters express their feelings indirectly, through hints and allusions. This can make your dialogue more realistic and your character emotion chart more nuanced.

Using Subtext

Subtext is what's between the lines—the unspoken thoughts and feelings that add depth to dialogue. It's often more powerful than explicit statements. As you chart your character's emotions, consider the emotions they hide, as well as the ones they show. This can make your character emotion chart—and your story—more compelling.

3. Show, Don't Tell Emotions

When conveying emotions, show, don't tell. It's a common tip that still rings true. Instead of telling readers how your characters feel, show them through actions, body language, and thoughts. Let's explore how:

Using Body Language

Body language can reveal a lot about a character's emotional state. A clenched jaw might show anger, while fidgeting hands could indicate nervousness. As you develop your character emotion chart, consider how physical cues can reflect your character's emotions.

Leveraging Internal Thoughts

Internal thoughts offer a window into your character's emotional world. They can reveal feelings that your character might not express out loud. When building your character emotion chart, think about your character's unspoken thoughts and how they align with or contradict their outward behavior.

Employing Action

Actions speak louder than words. What your characters do can tell readers a lot about how they're feeling. A character might slam a door in rage or bake cookies to calm her nerves. As you craft your character emotion chart, consider how your character's actions reflect their emotional state.

4. Create an Emotion Chart

Now, we dive into the actual creation of a character emotion chart. This chart is a tool that can help you track your characters' emotional journey throughout your story. Here are the steps you can take:

Choosing a Format

First off, decide on a format for your character emotion chart. It could be as simple as a spreadsheet or as visual as a mood board. You might even use a software like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets for this purpose. Remember, the format should serve your creative process, not complicate it.

Plotting Emotional Arcs

Next, plot the emotional arcs of your characters. This involves mapping out the changes in their emotions from the start to the end of the story. For example, your character might start off happy, then become sad, then angry, and finally find peace. This emotional journey should align with the plot events and character development in your story.

Updating as You Go

Lastly, keep in mind that your character emotion chart is not set in stone. As your story evolves, so should your chart. Update it as you introduce new plot elements or develop your characters further. This will ensure that your chart remains a useful tool throughout your writing process.

5. Practice and Improve

Creating a character emotion chart is just one part of the process. To truly master this, you'll need to practice and refine your techniques. Here are some ways to do that:

Joining Writing Groups

Join a local or online writing group. It's a platform where you can share your work, get feedback, and see how others are using character emotion charts. You'll learn a lot from the experiences of fellow writers.

Reading and Analyzing

Read widely and analyze the works you love. Try to map out the emotional arcs of their characters. This will give you a deeper understanding of how successful authors use emotions in their storytelling.

Continually Edit and Refine

Writing is rewriting. Don't be afraid to revisit your character emotion chart and make changes. As you gain more insight into your characters and their emotions, your chart will become a more accurate reflection of your story.

In conclusion, a character emotion chart is a powerful tool for writers. It helps you visualize your characters' emotional journey and ensure consistency in your storytelling. So, why not give it a try?

If you're looking to further enhance your character design skills, particularly in the area of emotions, we highly recommend checking out Rory Duke Stewart's workshop, 'Drawing Compelling Expressions in Character Design'. This workshop offers invaluable tips and techniques for creating dynamic and emotionally engaging characters that will truly resonate with your audience.