: Re: Is there a technique to help me write this character's notebook entries? I wrote a short story in which the protagonist (Vasily) has a notebook. During my rewrite, I wanted to really emphasize

@Frith254

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This is hard to answer, because there can be multiple causes for your problem. So the first step would be to identify these causes. To do that you need to know what your character is focusing on.

It could be a problem of gender. Men write different notebook entries than women. Let's say Vasily has met a sexual attractive woman. Now he asks his notebook if her smile was more offering than just politeness. How do men describe that smile, how do women? Ask your friends (one woman, one man) to write down such a description, then compare it with your own.

It could be a problem of different background. Vasily spent ten years in jail. You only one. (ok, ok, I'm kidding, I have no idea how long Kitfox was in jail) So you do not know how these additional years transform the psyche of your protagonist.

Make up different scenarios. Would he describe his feelings for the woman above differently if he was raped by his inmates? If he raped his inmates?

It's about emotions. What would someone feel, who was raped, who felt helpless for ten years? What does someone feel who was dominating the others for ten years?

The key for the different tone are different emotions. Write about something that makes you creep, which you fears. Losing your job? Locked into a room with rats? The first time your kid was coughing hard and you had no idea what it was and what to do?

Write about something that made you happy. Meeting a good friend. Playing with your kid the whole day. Compare these writings and very likely they will sound like different persons. Building on that you also can write like Vasily.

Ask yourself on what details/emotions would Vasily focus.

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