Character How Attitude Conveys Emotion with Tracy Forgie Koppel

In a novel, every word and phrase has to do double, if not triple, duty. This is especially true in an opening when we need to convince the reader to buy our book within the first few paragraphs. In this mini intensive, we will read the openings of a few novels by respected authors and look at the words that show the POV characters’ attitude. We will discuss how those same words indicate the characters’ underlying emotions. Once we see how successful authors are packing emotion into the character’s expression of attitude, we can begin to do that in our own work, allowing us to use our words concisely. Homework will include posting a few paragraphs of your own work to practice the techniques. The class will critique posts with both praise and suggestions.