The Emotional Craft Of Fiction -

Avoid "He felt," "She noticed," or "He thought." Removing these filters puts the reader directly inside the character’s nervous system. Filtered: He felt the room grow cold. Immersive: A sharp chill cut through his sweater. 3. Subtext: The Power of What Isn't Said

Show the character’s "soft underbelly." A hardened detective is more sympathetic when we see them tenderly caring for a dying houseplant. The Emotional Craft of Fiction

If you say a character is "sad," you’ve given the reader a label. If you describe the character’s inability to wash the single coffee mug left in the sink, you’ve given them the feeling. Avoid "He felt," "She noticed," or "He thought