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Emotion Naming
Flags tell-verb + emotion-word patterns that name emotions instead of showing them.
What It Does
Detects patterns like "felt angry," "was nervous," "became terrified" where a telling verb is followed by an emotion word.
Why It Matters
"She felt sad" is telling; "Her throat tightened and she turned away" is showing. Named emotions short-circuit the reader's empathy — they're told what to feel rather than being invited to experience it through the character's physical responses.
What Gets Flagged
| Severity | Example | Why | Suggested Revision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hint | "She felt angry" | Names emotion directly | "Her jaw clenched, and she turned sharply away." |
| Hint | "He was nervous" | Tells instead of shows | "His fingers drummed the table." |
Technical Details
- Source:
prose-craft - Scope: Sentence-level
- Method: Tell-verb (felt, was, seemed) + emotion-word lookup with 3-token window