| From the desk of ORA President, Kathy Mullins
March, 2010
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Listening With Our Eyes
I recently watched a
television news magazine interview with a psychologist. He said many of
our young people have lost the ability to read subtle facial expressions
and attributed that to a dependence on text messaging, cell phone
conversations, and the Internet for communication. I was intrigued by
the interview, did some checking, and found that, according to a
study at UCLA, up to 93 percent
of communication is through nonverbal cues. And another study indicated
that the impact of a performance was determined 7 percent by words, 38
percent by voice quality, and 55 percent by nonverbal communication.
Most of us know how
to interpret the wringing of hands, the rolling of eyes, hands on hips;
gestures that speak emotions. But there are many unspoken clues that
reveal our character’s true feelings. A study of body language would be
helpful for the writer.
When you’re in
public, analyze people’s nonverbal cues, and see what their bodies say
about them.
Watch their facial
expressions, eye contact, or lack of it, their posture, hand and feet
movements, body movement and placement, and their gate as they walk.
Every gesture communicates a message if you listen with your eyes.
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When someone’s words say one thing but
their nonverbal communication says another, trust what you see instead
of what you hear.
Notice how they sit in a doctor’s
waiting room, or at a basketball game. Observe the driver in the car
next to you, waiting for the light to turn green. As writers, we can use
these nonverbal cues to give our stories more emotional impact.
Here’s an example.
“Where have you been for the last. . .”
Jean checked her watch. “. . . four hours?”
Marv shot a glance at the clock over the
counter and shoved his hands in his pockets.
“I, uh, left my brief case at the office
and had to run back for it.” He seemed fascinated by the toes of his
shoes.
“And?”
She faced him, hands on her hips. He was hiding something. It wasn’t
the first time.
“And, I’m starving.” He took a step
toward the stove and lifted the lid on the pot. “Mmm, smells great!”
“Look at me, Marv.” She grabbed the
sleeve of his jacket, but he wrenched his arm free.
“Where have you been?” She was close
enough now to smell the sour scent of whiskey that still clung to his
breath. Here we go again.
Let your savvy heroine read the liar.
Let the man in tattered clothes reveal his refined upbringing by the way
he moves.
When you’re leading a meeting or
speaking to a group, watch for nonverbal cues that will tell you when
you’ve talked long enough. Notice if people begin to squirm in their
seats, start to chat with each other, or check their watches.
How can you tell when someone else wants
to speak? Or when the group disagrees with what you’re saying? Or if
one of them is confused?
Example;
The pale woman with thin hair sat in the
center of the crowd. She had been watching him, eyes wide, throughout
his presentation, but now, she fidgeted. Her hands worried the fringe
along the collar of her shawl. She put a scrawny hand to her cheek,
hesitated, and raised it.
He nodded toward her and waited. He
hoped she wouldn’t ask him the question he already knew was on
everyone’s mind.
But if you’re writing stories with an
international flavor, you need to know that not all body language is the
same, globally.
Middle Eastern peoples gesture wildly
when they talk. They stand closer to their subject than we’re
comfortable with on this side of the world. This can cause us to
misinterpret their intentions.
Example.
He waved his passport and airline
tickets in her face. He fanned through his English to Israeli
dictionary. Threw it to the floor and stomped on it with both feet.
“I can’t understand a word he’s
saying.” Helen backed up. Even with the counter separating them, she
trembled. “What if he has a gun in his jacket? Or a bomb,” she
whispered to her co-worker.
Practice hearing with your eyes to make
your characters more believable and show a greater depth of human
emotion than is possible using dialogue alone.
Happy Writing! Kathy
Past Monthly Pres.
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