my writing crutch

As writers we are always admonished to “show don’t tell”.  It seems simple and direct.  “Telling” is easy and frankly, lazy.  “Showing” takes craft and is a lot of work.

In my writing I have a crutch – The Emotional Thesaurus A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi.  The authors state that the purpose of the book is to help authors brainstorm ways to express their characters’ emotion.

So, ask yourself, when you are feeling insecure – what does that look like?  I draw a blank.  The book lists insecurity and provides:  a succinct definition; physical signals; internal sensations; mental responses; cues of acute or long- term  insecurity; and cues of suppressed insecurity.  Let’s show you the example.
 
Insecurity:  feeling unsure of oneself or displaying a lack of confidence

Physical signals:  fidgeting, rubbing one’s forearms, rushed speech and stammering Internal sensations:  a roiling stomach and uncontrollable dry throat

Mental responses:  over-thinking problems or choices, agreeing only to avoid a confrontation

Cues of acute insecurity:   a bent spine, preferring to do things alone, difficulty making friends

Cues of suppressed insecurity:  deflecting questions or concerns, mimicking others who display confidence
 
These suggestions are not an ending point but a beginning point for a writer to brainstorm how to show what your characters are feeling in a scene.  Now let’s apply the technique:

Adeline had not slept well anticipating the first day of her new job.  At breakfast she stared at her hands and picked at her fingernails.  She left her bowl of oatmeal untouched.  She gulped down a cup of coffee, pushed her chair back to get up and announced: “I have, I need to, I’m leaving for work now.”
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It may be a crutch or it may just make me a better writer.