I'm trying to get more 'Show don't tell' into my writing and I'm having trouble describing feelings. You know like that knot in your stomach when you are angry followed by that burning sensation. Or that tingling on your skin shortly followed by a creeping heat that covers your whole body when you get embarrassed.
I've done some research into the different physiological responses of emotions and what they are supposed to feel like, but personally I've never experienced some of them so I don't really know how to describe them physically.
So, I'm wondering if anyone is willing to indulge in a little writing exercise. Taking one of the emotions below that you experienced recently very strongly, describe how it felt in detail, focusing on physical changes and reactions to those changes.
Optimism, Serenity, Joy, Ecstasy, love, acceptance, trust, admiration, submission, apprehension, fear, terror, awe, distraction, surprise, amazement, disapproval, pensiveness, sadness, grief, remorse, boredom, disgust, loathing, contempt, annoyance, anger, rage, aggressiveness, interest, anticipation, vigilance, anger, calmness, friendship, enmity, fear, courage, shame, confidence, kindness, cruelty, pity, indignation, envy, jealousy, love, expectation, wonder, happiness, amusement, cowardice, pride, modesty, shame, closeness, detachment, distance, pain (different kinds of pain), pleasure, caution, boldness, rashness, patience, tolerance, relaxation, composure, stress, goodwill, nervousness, respect, disrespect, appreciation, hatred, hope, despair, confusion, melancholy.
(If you have another complex emotion that is not on the list, please feel free to write about and describe it)
For example:
The other day I had left out some mince pies and they were covered in ants. Instead of trying to get rid of them I just put all the mince pies in the freezer. When I took it out later all the ants had huddled together under the mince pies, holding on to each other trying to preserve heat to survive.
At that moment, when I saw them all in the bottom of the plastic tray trying so hard to survive I was assaulted by this overwhelming feeling of melancholy. My body became a little bit colder and I had this slight discomfort in my stomach. Not a knot, rather a little bit of heaviness, like I had eaten to much. My skin didn't tingle, but there was this perceptible discomfort, like my clothes were too clingy. I felt a bit heavy as well, maybe a little bit of a release of tension in my muscles and posture.
Like that.