Hey! I'm in the middle of writing something, and I was wondering whether you guys had any tips on how to convey looks of confusion and/or doubt/incredulity. Whenever I try, I usually just fall back on telling the reader what the characters feel. Or rather, what their outward looks show. Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about: Character#1 says statement X. Character#2 looks confused/gives an expression of incredulity in response to statement X. Or such... I can describe other emotions like happiness, sadness, or anger fairly well. More complex feeling like, say, confusion or incredulity, however, is a lot harder. Please tell me if you have any tips to share. Thanks in advance!
That works just fine. Confusion is just that. You cannot really describe it that much. You can say that Character #2 hesitated with a response, a sign that they were confused. You can always make Character #1 ask if they know what they said and then clarify it. Confusion is just one of those feelings that are hard to convey. Hope it helped a little.
You can show confusion by an inappropriate response based on a misinterpretation of what the first person said. Or you can have the confused person frown and hesitate, or tip their head to the side, or shake their head. Or they can say, "Huh?" Or look at the speaker as if he or she has sprouted an extra head. Many are the ways...
Actually go and look into the mirror. Imagine what the first person says being said to you, watch your self as you respond phisically, as person 2 is supposed to. Take notes on what you see and what your contortions suggests you may be thinking. Then boil it down.
netted his brows in confusion. Had that dimwitted wtf look on his mug His peepers bugged out in amazement. He goggled at him - "Whaaa?" That instant Billy-D was the perfect personification of incredulousity. He squinted at him like his braincells went out of focus - it'd clear in a minute. Ohho! He's got it. Actually the others gave the best advice. Here's a branch off Gharrison's tip - find a movie in which you love the characters expression of confusion and describe it.
Cartoon their faces in your head. Talk about the lines. Caricature rhetoric can paint a clear shot into the mind-frame of confusion. A good written sketch of a bewildered faces mentions why they are confused, how long they stay confused, and/or what they look like when confused. Good luck! "Many are the ways..."<---@Cogito: cute
I usually say things like: "Andrew scrunched his face"; "Andrew stared"; "Andrew's eyes clouded over"; "Andrew furrowed his brow" to show confusion. Rarely, I'll say: "Andrew was confused". I find it more interesting to read - and write - a sentence that shows the emotion as opposed to outright telling it.
