: Re: How do I convey messages that are clear, but unspoken? So much of communication is nonverbal - facial expressions, body language. Often, it's entirely clear what somebody is thinking and conveying

@Jessie137

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If you have a (first or third person) limited perspective, you could show the POV character's emotional state through the descriptive details she considers noteworthy.

Perhaps one of the most brilliantly executed examples I can recall for this would be the (French) poem "Déjeuner du matin" by Jacques Prévert. It begins:

He poured the coffee Into the cup He put the milk Into the
cup of coffee He put the sugar Into the coffee with milk
With a small spoon He churned He drank the coffee And he
put down the cup Without any word to me

We know that the unnamed "he" is important to our POV character because of the detailed focus she holds on his actions. And while we do not know why, we know she is separated from him through his inactions, neither looking at her nor speaking to her.

There is not a single line of dialogue, but we feel her pain. And at the end, yes, she cries, which may be cliché, but by that point you're ready to cry with her.

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