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A character so exhausted/ill/out of it they're only able to be partially roused- still responsive enough not to be wholly unconscious but answering with only mumbles and the occasional groan to questions; eyelids that only briefly flutter open to reveal a hazy gaze beneath; able to drink and swallow but having to be coaxed through every sip; not entirely a deadweight to manipulate but able to offer only passive assistance to actually moving and unable to actively support themselves; needing to be constantly pestered and prodded while being cared for otherwise they'll slip back into a stupour.

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Person glancing over at their partner worriedly and saying, “if you sneeze one more time, we’re going home.”

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10 Non-Lethal Injuries to Add Pain to Your Writing

If you need a simple way to make your characters feel pain, here are some ideas: 

1. Sprained Ankle

A common injury that can severely limit mobility. This is useful because your characters will have to experience a mild struggle and adapt their plans to their new lack of mobiliy. Perfect to add tension to a chase scene.

2. Rib Contusion

A painful bruise on the ribs can make breathing difficult, helping you sneak in those ragged wheezes during a fight scene. Could also be used for something sport-related! It's impactful enough to leave a lingering pain but not enough to hinder their overall movement.

3. Concussions

This common brain injury can lead to confusion, dizziness, and mood swings, affecting a character’s judgment heavily. It can also cause mild amnesia.

I enjoy using concussions when you need another character to subtly take over the fight/scene, it's an easy way to switch POVs. You could also use it if you need a 'cute' recovery moment with A and B.

4. Fractured Finger

A broken finger can complicate tasks that require fine motor skills. This would be perfect for characters like artists, writers, etc. Or, a fighter who brushes it off as nothing till they try to throw a punch and are hit with pain.

5. Road Rash

Road rash is an abrasion caused by friction. Aka scraping skin. The raw, painful sting resulting from a fall can be a quick but effective way to add pain to your writing. Tip: it's great if you need a mild injury for a child.

6. Shoulder Dislocation

This injury can be excruciating and often leads to an inability to use one arm, forcing characters to confront their limitations while adding urgency to their situation. Good for torture scenes.

7. Deep Laceration

A deep laceration is a cut that requires stitches. As someone who got stitches as a kid, they really aren't that bad! A 2-3 inch wound (in length) provides just enough pain and blood to add that dramatic flair to your writing while not severely deterring your character.

This is also a great wound to look back on since it often scars. Note: the deeper and wider the cut the worse your character's condition. Don't give them a 5 inch deep gash and call that mild.

8. Burns

Whether from fire, chemicals, or hot surfaces, burns can cause intense suffering and lingering trauma. Like the previous injury, the lasting physical and emotional trauma of a burn is a great wound for characters to look back on.

If you want to explore writing burns, read here.

9. Pulled Muscle

This can create ongoing pain and restrict movement, offering a window to force your character to lean on another. Note: I personally use muscle related injuries when I want to focus more on the pain and sprains to focus on a lack of mobility.

10. Tendonitis

Inflammation of a tendon can cause chronic pain and limit a character's ability to perform tasks they usually take for granted. When exploring tendonitis make sure you research well as this can easily turn into a more severe injury.

This is a quick, brief list of ideas to provide writers inspiration. Since it is a shorter blog, I have not covered the injuries in detail. This is inspiration, not a thorough guide. Happy writing! :)

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Check out the rest of Quillology with Haya; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors!

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The air hung heavy with the smell of antiseptic and the faint hum of a ceiling fan. Whumpee was lying in the bed, barely recognizable beneath the mound of blankets. They were shivering uncontrollably, their breaths shallow and ragged, eyes fluttering between closed and barely open. A persistent fever had left them in a state of near-delirium, and every movement seemed to take immense effort.

They barely managed to lift a trembling hand towards the glass of water on the bedside table, but their fingers wouldn’t cooperate, their grip failing as the glass nearly tipped over.

Caretaker, watching with a mix of concern and tenderness, moved swiftly to the bedside. They gently took the glass from Whumpee’s weak, unsteady hands and sat down beside them. Their presence was a comforting contrast to the chaos of illness.

“Wait, let me help,” Caretaker said softly, their voice a soothing balm against the tension of the room. With careful movements, they took the glass from Whumpee’s unsteady grasp, and they placed one hand behind Whumpee’s head, gently lifting it just enough to allow them to drink.

Whumpee’s eyes were half-closed, their lips parting slightly. They managed a weak, almost inaudible, “Th-thank you…” Their voice was barely more than a whisper, the words strained and fragile.

Caretaker responded with a warm smile, though their eyes held a deep sadness. “It’s okay. Just take small sips. You need to stay hydrated.”

They watched intently, ready to steady the glass if needed as Whumpee’s eyes fluttered open again, and they took a tentative sip. Their mouth moved weakly, and they tried to swallow, but their efforts were almost too feeble to be effective.

After a few sips, Whumpee’s head fell back onto the pillow, their body sinking into the mattress as exhaustion took over once more. Caretaker set the glass down and gently adjusted the blanket, smoothing it around their shivering form.

“You’re doing great,” they said softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from Whumpee’s forehead. “Just rest now. I’m here.”

There was a brief, almost imperceptible smile on Whumpee’s lips, a silent expression of gratitude, then almost soon after, their eyes closed. They were still in the throes of fever, and every breath and moving was agony, but at least they weren’t alone.

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Cuddly whumpees are good, but let's talk about cuddly caretakers for a second.

Caretaker getting worried as they physically feel their sick SO getting hotter and hotter during a fever spike while they're sleeping in the caretaker's arms.

Caretaker wanting to snuggle with a freshly injured whumpee, and being extra careful not to jostle their wounds while simultaneously trying to give them all the love.

Caretaker affectionately rubbing their sick SO's back, and cringing every time the whumpee's coughs rattle a bit too painfully under their palms.

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Two characters arguing or having heated words when one takes an incautious step forward and jars an injury, or comes over faint, and staggers as though on the brink of collapse and the other darts forward, argument immediately forgotten, to catch them with hands cupped under their elbows and an exclamation of concern.

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Favorito Feeling Sick Positions/Reactions

When a character is sick and he has an arm draped over his eyes while laying down, bonus for the other over his stomach

When they have a migraine and they’re pinching the bridge of their nose trying to stop the pain or rubbing their forehead/ temples or massaging the back of their neck

When a hand is on his upset stomach trying to massage it or something especially lying down

Laying down on a desk with their eyes closed arms either under the head or wrapped around their middle

Rubbing his chest from indigestion/acid reflux/nasty burp with a pained expression

Hand over mouth because they feel nauseous

Hand over top a caring character’s hand on his stomach~

I guess that’s all•

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That pneumonia hit me pretty hard, but I am on the mend now. And I have, indeed, been taking notes 😉

Cmmon symptoms, treatment, etc can be found online from health organizations that actually know what they're talking about, so these are just going to be a few little things from my personal experience.

Feel free to use as inspiration in anything whump-related. Enjoy!

CW: irl illness and a bit of medical stuff

In general:

When they say it can come on fast, it can come on FAST. After a bit over a week with lingering cold symptoms and the occasional low-grade fever, my temperature went from normal (98.7F / 37C) to 102.4F / 39.1C in an hour, to 103.7F (39.8 C) in the urgent care half an hour after that. Fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath all hit all of a sudden about half an hour in.

I had lower left lobe pneumonia (inflammation in the lower part of my left lung) and for about 3 days I had what felt like a constant stitch in my left side, in my lower ribs, that hurt to lean against or lie on.

Breathing about halfway in felt fine. Breathing more deeply than that hurt and made my lower ribs and mid-back seize up.

I'm addition to being a lovely variety of colors, the gunk I coughed up tasted foul. Really bitter, in addition to about triple the usual clingy sickly taste of mucus. And it took a few minutes for the taste to go away.

In a chair, sitting straight up was alright, but it stretched my lower ribs and made it more tiring to breath deeply. Leaning forward elbows-on-knees was sometimes better. In a bed, lying flat made breathing a lot of work, even breathing shallowly; it felt like only the top 1/4 of my lungs was functional. Leaning back at an angle felt best. Any sort of turned/twisted position hurt and made my breathing shallower and more work.

Even after the congestion/inflammation in my lower lungs cleared out and I could breathe completely pain-free, my upper airway was pretty irritated. It felt like my trachea for a few inches above and below my sternal notch was made of tissue paper. Breathing into my lower ribs felt ok, but breathing into my upper chest felt tight and made me cough.

For a modern hospital setting:

Personally, how my IV felt was directly correlated with my fever, which went up and down several times. No fever, no pain as long as I didn't move that arm too much. Fever, and the whole inside of my elbow ached.

The nebulizer treatments made me feel like jumping out of my skin. Jittery, shaking, heart palpitations, heart rate up into the 120s (when it wasn't there already), for about three hours each time. My short-acting asthma inhaler gives me a little bit of that, so I wasn't completely thrown for a loop, but this was way more intense.

If you want to add in a little more hurt-to-help / it's-for-your-own-good, you might consider acquainting your character with an incentive spirometer (aka medical self-torture device). It's a benign-looking plastic apparatus that taunts you into taking painfully deep breaths, and then usually painfully coughing. I don't know what the standard is, but I was sentenced to 10x every hour.

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Hey! Could I get some prompts about otp having a nice day out when Person A starts feeling light-headed and clutches at Person B's shoulder before fainting? Maybe some symptoms before like feeling thirsty or too hot?

Thanks 😊

I’ll do my best! I’ve designated them with sickie and caretaker roles, just to keep things less confusing, but obviously Person B doesn’t have to be a caretaker if you use any of these prompts.

Sickie

“Can we stop for a minute?”

“It feels a lot warmer than it was supposed to be today…”

“Ugh, god. I’m sweating through my shirt.”

“You’re really not hot?”

“Whoa…I just got really lightheaded.”

“I need to sit down.”

“Did you bring any water with you? I left mine in the car…”

“I feel like I’m swaying…”

Caretaker

“Are you okay? You don’t look so good.”

“Do you wanna find somewhere to sit?”

“Holy shit, you’re sweating buckets.”

“Could you stop leaning on me? You’re not the only one suffering from this heat.”

“Stay here, I’ll get you some water.”

“Whoa, please don’t pass out on me.”

“I told you to bring your water bottle. Here, you can have some of mine.”

“Just hold onto me. Steady yourself.”

Both

“I think I’m gonna pass out.” “You’re so dramatic.” “I’m not joking.”

“We can go inside to escape the heat?” “I don’t think I’m gonna make it to the door.”

“I feel like I’m gonna faint.” “That’s normal at first. Your body just isn’t used to the exercise. You’ll get better.” “No…something’s wrong.”

“Holy crap…I’ve never seen you chug anything like that before.” “Yeah and somehow I’m still thirsty.”

“Catch me.” “What? A?!”

“B…?” “It’s okay. I’ve got you. You passed out.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well?” “I didn’t wanna complain…” “A, if you feel like you’re going to pass out onto the concrete, you have permission to complain.”

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Thinking about Fave leaving something early, because they're starting to feel a little off. Not completely sick, but more fatigued than normal, to the point where they decide to play it safe and go home to rest.

There's a bit of a walk, either home or to their transport, and they get soaked with rain. Absolutely dumped on. By the time they hit their front door, they're shivering and dripping wet, leaving a puddle on the floor.

And then, out of nowhere, they faint. Maybe they even leave the door open, so the cold breeze chills the rain soaked into their clothes as they lie there for a few moments too long, freezing, soaking, and (unbeknownst to them) ill.

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Sick Prompts III

"You feeling okay?"

2. "I literally never get sick. Why is this happening?"

3. "Relax, babe. It's just a cold."

4. "It tastes terrible, I know. But it'll make your fever go down."

5. "I don't think I've ever seen somebody pass out so hard while taking a nap."

6. "Why are your hands so cold?"

7. "You okay? You're never this quiet."

8. "Weren't you sick just last month?"

9. "Come on, baby. It's time to wake up."

10. "Just let me take care of you, okay?"

11. "Your face is white and your hair is a mess, but it's actually pretty cute."

12. "I poked your nose once and it made you sneeze. That's not normal."

13. "This is what happens when you don't sleep."

14. "Bless you."

15. "Do you know where you are and what time it is?"

16. "I made you tea."

17. "I just can't get warm."

18. "Stay here. I'll go get you a blanket."

19. "You look like death."

20. "Can you stay awake for me?"

21. "Is it okay if I touch you?"

22. "You're sick. If you overexert yourself, you're gonna get sicker."

23. "Go back to sleep, honey."

24. "Lightheaded, huh? Perhaps I should carry you to bed."

25. "I don't need to have the heater on when I can just cuddle with you, you human fireplace."

26. "Don't feel bad if you puke this up. At least you tried to keep it down."

27. "I don't care if I get sick. Give me a kiss."

28. "I'll try my best to not sneeze on you."

29. "You have a fever, sweetheart. Of course I'm not going anywhere."

30. "I'm right here if you need anything."

31. "Feeling any better?"

32. "I wish I could make your sick go away."

33. "Here's some medicine, love."

34. "Let me just swim through this ocean of tissues first."

35. "Sit up for me, baby. Just for a second so you can take your medicine."

36. "Don't push yourself so hard. Let me help you."

37. "Go lie down before you pass out."

38. "When were you planning to tell me you were sick?"

39. "Follow my finger."

40. "Sick cuddles are the best."

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Caretaker falling asleep with their hand around whumpees wrist, fingers carefully pressed to their pulse. It's the only way they can sleep tonight, with the assurance whumpee is alive.

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writers often make jokes about our search history accidentally looking very ominous or bloody, but my search history is like "anatomy of a lamp" and "birth certificate example"

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Whumpees who can't stop shivering, whether it's due to fever or the cold, no matter how many blankets are piled on top of them. Their lower lip trembles, their teeth chattering, and every muscle in their body is starting to ache from the repetitive movements.

Caretaker sits or lays right next to them, stroking their hair and holding them close, trying to squeeze some warmth into their bones, their shuddering breaths vibrating against Caretaker's side.

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few things more humbling than the realization that you really do write the same fic(s) over and over again

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i want it to be a really rainy week and the character starts out fine but just soggy and uncomfortable and naturally sniffly and cold and like soaked through socks and midway through the week theyre like shivering from chills that dont go away when theyre warm and dry and get worse when they go outside and theyre suffering and their tissues are wet and unhelpful ok their commute his horrible and by the end of the week they're sick inside cuddling w their so and enjoying the sounds of the rain outside

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A caretaker who is worried, and gets comforted by the sick character.

“It’s just a cold, don’t worry so much.”

The sick character smoothing down the caretaker’s hair. “You don’t need to look so worried.”

“I’m just complaining. Don’ worry so much about it.”

A feverish darling putting their warm hand on the caretaker’s forehead, smoothing down the wrinkle between their brows with their thumb. “Don’t worry so.”

“If you don’t stop worrying now, you’ll get sick too, and then I’ll be so angry with myself.”

“Always worrying about me. Stop.”

“Yes I’m sick, but it’s still my turn to hold you.”

Just a sick character who recognises that the caretaker has needs too. Not denying being sick, but just having an empathy that doesn’t stop existing when they feel miserable.

I just love it so much!!