You guys want to talk about emotions and writing for a bit?

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

I often tell people to sneer at YA at their own peril. It’s a monstrously popular genre. But only recently am I discovering why it’s popular

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

YA, above all else, is the genre of Emotional Logic.

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

That might sound like a paradox, but it’s not. Rationale and emotion–experience, trauma, desire–are interconnected and inform each other.

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

It makes me sigh when someone decries a character for not being logical. It’s not that people aren’t logical, but they have their own logic.

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

I figured this out when I was talking to my mom about blocking and choreography, how action rings true when its informed by emotion.

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

It’s the difference between a character being there because he wants to be there and being there just to move the plot along.

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

YA has this down to a science. The unapologetic emotions of the characters informs their logic so thoroughly that it resonates with us.

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

I like messy characters, characters who don’t make sense, characters who get stupid sometimes.

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

I like Locke Lamora’s compulsion to be dishonest. I like Eli Monpress’ need to be a thief. I like Falcio’s need to be better.

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

@SamSykesSwears I love, despite how smart Kvothe is, he can make bad decisions because of his pride / anger / arrogance / other emotions.

— Joshua MacDougall (@FourofFiveWits) December 4, 2015

Weirdly, a guy who does this really well and doesn’t get credit for it is Abercrombie. His characters are driven by emotional logic.

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

@SamSykesSwears Logen is so conflicted emotionally. He’s realistic but he’s hopeful. He’s wise but he’s brutal. He wants to change but can’t

— Joshua MacDougall (@FourofFiveWits) December 4, 2015

Too many people focus on the “can’t” part of Abercrombie’s characters and ignore the “wants to” part. https://t.co/1SvoxBKAz2

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

Which is weird. We think of him as grimdark and grimdark as cynical and practical, but his books are actually pretty optimistic.

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

Anyway, something to keep in mind while writing. Emotional logic is what resonates with a reader, makes them jump off a cliff with you.

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

Readers want to be hurt, want to laugh, want to cry, even if they don’t know/admit it. Emotional logic convinces them to do that.

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

So, keep that in mind when writing: is the emotion informing the action? Or is the action informing the emotion?

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

If the former, the reader is holding your hand as you jump off a cliff. If the latter they’re just watching you hit the ground when you land

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

The fun part of this all is that you can’t really explain or dissect the emotions. It just doesn’t work so well.

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

It’s not a matter of dissection, just of instantaneous reaction. You either believe the character or you do not.

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

Well, that was a good talk, gang. If you need me again, you know where to find me. *digs hole* *gets in* *buries self alive*

— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) December 4, 2015

You should read Sam Sykes’ The City Stained Red, Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicles Series, and Joe Abercrombie’s The First Law trilogy.