ABSTRACTING REALISM (AR) — The 10 Basic Elements

Abstracting Realism™ is a writing system that shows a character’s inner world the way real thoughts actually happen — fast, fragmented, layered, emotional, and deeply human.

The 10 Elements teach you how to capture those moments on the page so the reader feels the scene instead of being told what happens. Each element reveals one part of how the mind moves during emotion, stress, happiness, memory, or clarity.

Together, they create a natural, believable “show, don’t tell” effect that traditional writing struggles to produce. Combinations of the ten elements create the "movie in the head" effect for most people.

AR shows what is happening outside the character and what is happening inside their thoughts. Readers track action and inner reaction at the same time.

Thoughts appear the way real thoughts appear during emotion, stress, or happiness:
short, broken, nonlinear, fast. This is why AR works for all emotional states—because thoughts change shape depending on the emotion, and AR mirrors that directly.

Scenes move according to emotional truth—what the moment means to the character— not just the visible events.

Dialogue and thought tags are reduced (“he said,” “she thought”). Readers follow the voices naturally through emotion, pacing, and placement.

Thoughts, sensory flashes, feelings, and spoken words sit close together. Readers feel the merge directly.

Short lines. Small breaks. Moments where thoughts “catch,” just like in real life under emotion. These pauses create tension, rhythm, and realism.

AR leaves out small pieces on purpose—not to confuse, but to mirror how real thoughts skip. Readers fill in the gaps without noticing.

Small sensory details—breath, sound, temperature, movement—lock the reader into the moment physically.

Characters reveal who they are through their thoughts, not explanations. Readers often understand the truth before the character admits it.

The reader isn’t watching the story—they are inside the character’s thoughts and feelings. It creates immediate emotional immersion. (feels like a movie in your head).