The Emotional Portfolio
The Emotional Portfolio
Many of us are familiar with the term “Emotional Baggage” a label often used in a negative context to describe how some people allow the past to cloud their present and future. However, as a writer, I prefer to call this collection of emotions and experiences the “Emotional Portfolio.”
A portfolio is something a creative will carry with them and use to showcase their work – it is added to, changed and developed throughout a career, shaping it into something the artist is eventually proud of. Our emotional portfolio is something which contains all of the memories and experiences we have collected and stored throughout life. For a writer, it can be one of the most important tools we have to help us create our books, stories and articles.
The Emotional Perspective
Believable characters need to express different emotions throughout a story, not only to convey what is happening in the plot, but to enable the reader to bond with and relate to the character. This is where your emotional portfolio can be extremely useful as you can draw on those times when you have experienced emotion and use it to describe the emotional perspective of one of your characters.
Most of us have experienced heartache, falling in love, great joy, passion, fear, anger and anxiety at some point in our lives – and while your character may handle life events in a completely different way to you, you can still sit quietly and recall and reflect on how you felt at those times. What was going through your mind and was it pleasant or uncomfortable? Did your emotions cause a physical reaction such as a knot in your stomach or a feeling of light-headedness? Think about how external factors such as music, food and perfume can evoke the memory of feeling an emotion, and use it in your work. You may not feel passionate about the same goal your character is striving for, but you can probably recall a time when you felt as driven and motivated about something you were passionate about.
Try not to simply scratch the surface but delve right in and remember how you truly, really felt at the time, close your eyes and re-live the moments, the feelings and the reactions.
Character Development
Our emotional portfolio also includes the many people we have encountered in our lives. Friends, family, colleagues, school connections; and even celebrities such as actors and musicians. Each person that we have seen, witnessed or interacted with on some level has added to this collection of material we, as writers have to draw upon. Inspiration for our characters has to come from somewhere and this rich tapestry of personality traits, faces, clothing, likes, dislikes and mannerisms gives us everything we need to pick and choose from, combining different individuals to create new and original characters for our work.
Think back to people who have made an impression, for whatever reason, no matter how small. What was it about them that made an impression? What was their voice like, how did they behave, what were their fears and how did this manifest in their facial expressions?
Other people often provoke a reaction of like or dislike in us, but what is it about them that does this? Why do we prefer some people to others and trust some, bringing them close; while choosing not to spend time with someone else? Think about different age groups you encountered, for instance how you perceived elderly relatives as a child, and how you perceive children as an adult.
Location, Location
While many writers pick a specific place in which to set their book, such as London, or the Swiss Alps, and we can research or travel to experience that place; there are still many locations that are purely created from the imagination. Rooms in a house may need describing – what noises were in the room, and what was the décor and furnishing like? Your characters may need to visit an outdoor site such as a forest – what smells and sounds would they encounter and how do they feel when they are there?
Again, your emotional portfolio contains information about all the places you have ever visited, researched or seen. Think back to holidays, daytrips, visits to other people’s houses. How did you feel when you were there and what was the atmosphere like? There are many things we can draw on such as temperature, comfort, noise, scent, and colour.
In my forty-seven years I have accumulated some wonderful memories, and some not so wonderful ones, all of which have helped me with my writing. The process of turning something that may have felt difficult or upsetting into something as positive as creating a piece of fiction can actually be cathartic and therapeutic.
I will continue to collect more material by getting out there and interacting – trying new things, visiting new places and meeting new people. Who knows how future events and chance meetings will shape not just my own life, but the stories I will create in the years ahead?
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Fiona J Ward grew up in a “house filled with books” in the West Midlands, England and now lives in Shropshire. Fascinated by history, mythology, the spiritual and the esoteric from an early age, Fiona ran a small New Age shop for a while, before turning to her long held dream of writing. Her first book was written at the age of six for her grandmother, complete with illustrations. Fiona has always been a creative soul and loves to tell a story – especially if romance is involved in the tale.
Ex-art student Fiona also enjoys drawing and painting and produces her own illustrations for her novels.
Katya is seeking her true self, in order to fulfil her karmic lessons, revealed through a numerology reading. Moving to the picturesque harbour town of Brixham, Devon, provides a peaceful haven for her, and synchronicity is at work for Katya, as she starts a job at a New Age shop. However, the arrival of the soul searching Glen, and flamboyant artist Daisy draws Katya into a web of intrigue, spirit and destiny, as her past returns to haunt her in ways she could have never envisaged.
Karmic Dreams is the first book in a tale of romance, history, karma and unconditional love.
Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips
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