In a post on Writers Helping Writers, Becca Puglisi explains how an emotion amplifier can get a moribund character moving. “Sometimes characters balk; they’d rather stay where it’s comfortable and safe, thank you very much,” she says. “The status quo may be stagnant or even unhealthy, but it’s what they know. But a stalled character means a stalled story.”
Puglisi defines an emotion amplifier as “a specific state or condition that influences what the character feels by disrupting their equilibrium and reducing their ability to think critically.” Some examples include hunger, illness, exhaustion, grief, and distraction.
They come in handy when characters resist change. Despite our best efforts, as we come to relate to our characters as real-life human beings, we also begin to understand why they hesitate to move forward. We understand their motivation against change or risk. Unfortunately, that means our plot has come to a standstill. Something needs to shove them forward.
“An emotion amplifier pushes them from one point to the next with opportunities for decisions that add volatility, increase vulnerability, and make the situation worse,” Puglisi writes. “As the story progresses, particularly in the second half, amplifiers can also begin revealing growth as the characters adapt to new challenges and make better choices.”
In Sweet Home Alabama, protagonist Melanie makes bad decisions after an evening drinking, which pushes her away from her intended goal towards a new path. In The Road, hunger drives the father to take risks to feed himself and his son. “In each of these examples, an amplifier is used to drive the character from one turning point to the next, a technique that could work just as effectively for you,” Puglisi says.
So, how do you pick the right amplifier? Puglisi says your theme can point the way. “It may be the same [amplifier] employed repeatedly (as isolation is used in the movie While You Were Sleeping), or a variety of amplifiers that circle the overall message,” she says. “If you know the theme for your story, consider options that reinforce it while also steering the plot events.” Hunger and exhaustion are natural choices for a dystopian or horror novel, while attraction and arousal are common for a romance.
