It’s a scientific fact: body language speaks volumes about what’s truly in our hearts and minds. Researchers say that 93% of all communication is nonverbal. That’s right. So only 7% of communication is based on what we say.
The same is true of your characters.
Postures, facial expressions, mannerisms, gestures, movements, the way he holds his arms, what her eyes focus on — all these, no matter how subtle, divulge what a person may be feeling in any given moment.
It’s one of the best ways to show, don’t tell.
In today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we’ll explore how to use body language to reveal what your character’s really feeling.
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On today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we’ll explore:
- The science behind non-verbal communication
- How we decode non-verbal cues of people we encounter every day
- How to avoid labeling character emotion and reveal what they’re really feeling
- What gestures, eye and body movements, micro expressions, and posture reveal about characters in ways that not even they’re aware of, but the reader untuits
- How to bring subtlety to the dynamics between two characters
- A fun, 2-part exercise to drive it all home