-_Scarlet_Warrior_- asks: How do you describe emotions through eyes?
Our eyes play a huge role in nonverbal communication, but they don't act alone. The eyeballs themselves can't really convey anything. In a few episodes of a TV show, Jane the Virgin, one of the characters is given something that paralyzes everything except her eyes. (Whether such a drug exists and how it might work is beside the point.) This meant her face was unable to move. In scenes where people did things in front of her--things that would make her mad--all you could see were her big eyes moving around. She was likely seething inside, but you could only assume this because none of it showed on her face. It was completely blank, because it's the entire face that conveys emotions, not just the eyes.
Tell the Reader
If you want to focus on the eyes, however, you could do it by telling the reader what emotion is being broadcast. Here are some examples of what I mean:
I could see the hunger in their eyes.
The sadness in his eyes made me want to hug him.
It didn't take long for anger to spark into her eyes.
He cast her a jealous look.
This is a quick, straightforward method of conveying what emotion the character is projecting, and is seen a lot in traditionally published books. However don't rely strictly on this method. It's usually used along with other methods to convey emotion.
Show the Reader
As mentioned before, eyes alone don't broadcast emotions. It's done in conjunction with eyebrows, eyelids, cheeks, and other facial features. The human face is controlled by 43 muscles that all work together to create different expressions! So instead of spelling out what emotion is being conveyed, we can describe these expressions. Examples:
My eyes narrowed at the broken pot.
A crevice formed between her eyebrows.
A muscle in his jaw popped and his eye twitched.
Their faces drooped.
By describing what subtle things the face is doing, we broadcast emotions without actually naming which ones they are.
Use Adverbs or Strong Verbs
In a previous chapter, I advised to limit your use of adverbs, because strong verbs can often be used instead. Conveying emotion is a good place to use adverbs when a strong verb cannot be found. Examples of both:
He glared at the empty fish tank. (strong verb)
I stared longingly at the fruit. (adverb)
She scrutinized the essay. (strong verb)
He gazed lovingly at the motorcycle. (adverb)
Mix things up! Don't stick to just one method of conveying emotions, because it will start to feel repetitive. By avoiding repetitive phrases, we can keep the writing fresh.
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How to Write Stories People Will Love
Non-FictionIf you're a writer struggling to improve your craft, this book can help. It breaks down the basics of a good story and good writing. It'll also provide a few tips on how to stay motivated. There's no magical formula for instantly likable stories, bu...
