One thing that I'm really afraid of is writing melodrama ( unintentionally.) I want to convey emotion and depth in my writing but I want to avoid "the cheese." Does anyone have any tips for this? I hope I'm not being too vague. Let me know if I am. Thanks in advance.
In my opinion, to make a story or characters non-melodramatic would be to just write. Don't exaggerate things, or make your setting or characters seem like they're from a soap. I know this sounds obvious, but I can't think of any other way to explain it. Another thought is to read your writing out loud, listen to yourself, and identify the problems you have. Basically, if a character is dying, don't have them flailing around taking five pages to hit the ground.
Melodrama is defined as "A dramatic form that does not observe the laws of cause and effect and that exaggerates emotion and emphasizes plot or action at the expense of characterization. " Stay away from lengthy exposition and breaking the 3rd wall by speaking directly to your readers and you should be fine.
Melodrama mainly occurs when one tries to either dramatize something that shouldn't be, or over exaggerate something else. I found out the hard way, and perhaps the best way, that every part of a character should be shown, not told.
When you're writing a scene with a lot of emotions, try to stay away from using flowery language. Stick to concrete descriptions, rather than metaphors. And instead of having your characters directly speak to the emotions ("Oh Tommy, I love you!"), have them show their emotions through physical actions.
