: Re: How do I show the confusion my character feels? I am trying to show the confusion my character feels (first person narrative) but am not sure what techniques to use. I have tried to achieve

@Deb2945533

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I do not know all the answers and I am learning the ropes here with you. Here are my thoughts.

Showing is anything that makes the reader feel what you are saying.

Sometimes this is achieved through actions, because reading "I caught my breath" or "I gasped for air" is more relatable as a specific experience than "I was tired".
Sometimes it is achieved through similes and metaphors. "The blanket lay across my horse's back looking like it had up and died. It had no lift to it, even its fibers seemed to untwine as I watched. I felt like that blanket. So tired that I couldn't move, so tired that even my thoughts unravelled, and I wished the horse could carry me, instead of the blanket."
Sometimes it is achieved through description. I was tired from the lifting. I'd been lifting all day - twenty pound bags of seed in the morning, and buckets of water from the river to the camp in the evening. The thirty mile hike through the mountains didn't help, and I longed for the day to end but there was still dinner to make.
Sometimes it is achieved through dialog with an observer. He asked me, "Are you feeling OK? Those dark circles under your eyes get worse every day. Do you want some coffee?".

-- What it isn't, is "I was tired."

But I look forward to others' feedback here too.

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