So back in 2001 Robert Plutchik, a professor emeritus at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and adjunct professor at the University of South Florida, published a paper in American Scientist called The Nature of Emotions about... our emotions. In that paper, he shared (figure 6) a visual model of human emotions, both in cone form and unfolded like an origami star.
The idea is that there are eight basic emotions, presented as four pairs of opposites: Joy/Sadness; Trust/Disgust; Fear/Anger, and Surprise/Anticipation. Emotions get more intense closer to the center (like anger intensifying to rage or mellowing to annoyance.)
Interestingly, the space in-between the colors of the unfolded star allows for the intersectionality of emotions (like labeling the space between surprise and sadness as disapproval.) We can feel more than one emotion at the same time, and often do -- likewise for our characters!
For your work in progress, I hope this visual model is a helpful tool as you craft and shape your characters' emotional reactions!
Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee
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