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prismaticpichu · 7 months ago

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If you’re someone out there who enjoys my writing—enjoys anything that I do with my words or prose or style—I feel there’s something you oughta know!

I would not be anywhere without the incredible authors I took inspiration from.

I’m admittedly still a wee lad trudging through high school, and I still gotta whole lot to learn! And I’m gonna have fun on that journey. But I legit think I’ve absorbed and learned more from reading all these gifted works more than the lessons we were taught over the years. Ofc, the fundamentals were taught there—teaching me the rules before I could break them. But it was these people that taught me how to break those rules and how to do them effectively. And when you’re a writer, I find, there is no better learning experience than reading words on a page!

My style really seems to be an amalgamation of so many different things and people—prolly a lot of subliminal stuff, too. Though I feel like there’s at least two I gotta give HUGE hugs to for being so influential <3

LuckyLadybug on FF.Net! ~ Literally the first ever FF7 fics I’ve ever read. Literally the sole reason I love Zack & Sephiroth’s friendship. Her fics are absolutely legendary, all written in a very consistently clean and swift style. It’s not an overload on sensory detail, but it also ain’t choppy in the slightest. It really does strike that perfect balance of rhythmic and simple that I always try to fall back on when I find myself getting too flowery! It’s a real life savor—for real! And speaking of For Reals, almost everything I craft about Zack & Sephiroth’s relationship stems from the bond she created. I learned so much about how to make emotional, powerful scenes that really can convey just how much people can platonically love each other. She’ll always be the true power of friendship queen! And the best Zack & Sephiroth author I’ve ever had the honor of reading.

@altocat! ~ Oh boy… there is SO much to say xD Where to even start? While Ladybug was the foundation of my little fanfic quest, I don’t think there’s a soul who helped me build and evolve more than Alto’s works. Because if you aren’t aware, this goddess is just an artist with words. We’re talking the most vivid and powerful imagery you can imagine! Imagery that was so powerful, in fact (and I don’t think she even knows this lol!), that at least a solid year of my works fall into this Altocat-emulating-esque era. Never with the intention to copy, of course, but to try my hand at creating prose that was rich in rhythm, language, and meaning. And while I think I did take this WAY too far sometimes (I can say that bc I’m the author- and I know what just sounds unreadable in retrospect xD), but it was part of the learning process. And one I’m still in the middle of today. For more context, Alto was also the one who taught me the value of fragments and isolating words for emphasis. That something concise could be powerful. Beautiful. Beatiful and valuable. Like words that mirror the characters’ quickened heart rates as their thoughts begin to splinter and spiral and how to wield syntax in a way that’s both enjoyably breathless and taut with anxiety at the same time. I learned how to imbue emotion to my work and peel it back so it’s pure and raw. Altocat is an absolute MASTER of angst, and while I used to write relatively “dark” things, I don’t think I really ever got them right until readings AMT’s (see this! for more details on that gem). In a similar vein, she also taught me the kind of impact that beginning and ending lines can have—how to not waste them and how they can circle back to each other in clever and gorgeous ways. I learned the importance of diction from her work; I learned the meaning of SO many new words lol; I learned how to make dialogue just a tad more interesting. Overall, really, I think Alto really did teach me how to write in a lot of ways. At least, in the sense of taking a step that I had no idea was in front of me. A step I didn’t know existed, because I really never saw more beautiful craft in my life.

Anywho! I think I’m rambling a bit x,D I hope I didn’t embarrass you, my friend. Or weird you out lol!!! I was just doing some reflecting, really, and I just needed you to know how impactful your fics have been to me. And you have no flipping idea how honored I am to know you as a mutual <3 Ty for everything ❤️ Ty for being you!!

(For reference, this is why I always say to NEVER underestimate the kind of impact your works may have on people. No matter how small or how insignificant you think they may be. Because who knows??? Maybe you’ll end up changing a life, too <33)

Thx for listening to this spiel, folks!!! Much love!! <33

#was gonna have a little evolution post of my writing (from the very first Pokémon fic I wrote 6 years ago) to today #but i’ma little sleepy and I’ll fish through those files another time!#pichu writing #ff7 #beautiful authors #<33333 #fanfic #writing #sorry alto LOL #much love!

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gambitimagines · 3 years ago

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J’tadore Vous Part 5

Warnings: an alcoholic drink is mentioned. Kidnapping and short-term hostage situation and the word terrorist is used. Changed guns to lasers. Light disturbing imagery with blood! (No worse than a PG-13 movie.) Edit: Very light intimacy references, nothing graphic.

Edit: I know hospitals don’t ACTUALLY kick you out unconscious, but it sounded funny, and the plot had to keep moving.

AN: I know I get REALLY flowery when writing these. I was actually not a Jane Austin fan growing up, but re-reading, I’m sure it sounds like I was. (I’ve only enjoyed Sanditon and reading Jane Eyre. It’s been too long for me to finish Pride and Prejudice. I’m just more of a modern romance fan I guess?) I’m also just a romantic soul. ^_^

Notes:

WARNING (and small spoiler): The fact that you guys had kids is mentioned. If that bothers you in any way, read after ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ comes up.

déplorable=deplorable musaraigne= shrew (It seems as with most languages that aren’t English, the subject matter comes after the descriptor...or whatever. I don’t really know grammar, despite being a writer. The computer does all the work!)

This is a PG blog and I don’t want to write anything too steamy because of my personal morals and feelings, so any of the usual stuff you might see elsewhere can be left up to your imaginations. but I’ll try and make the next morning after their romantic evening...savory. ;) I tried to go for a natural ending, but it may seem abrupt to some, I don’t know. Sorry? Trying to make a mini-novel I guess and making it flow isn’t always easy. To include every detail of their life would be boring, I did the best I could. Reader is in their late 30s by the end, give or take.

Lastly disclaimer: DO NOT use this as a guide on the off chance you’re ever kidnapped! In other words, don’t try this at home, kids!

Thank you for reading this short series. Enjoy!

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One year later:

You:

You couldn’t believe it. It was finally the day of yours and Remy’s wedding. He’d come out of hiding from the public to be well known for a while and said it would die down in a couple decades or less, as with all celebrity statuses, but for now there were cameras flashing nearly every time you went out. One year was a relatively brief period to get to know someone for most people, but Remy had let his true self be known to you and neither of you had anything to hide. Everything was honest in your relationship.

You and your bridesmaids were getting ready at a local hotel. The actual wedding was being held in Times Square. Remy and you had balked at the idea at first, but Remy’s PR guy had said it was the right move. You weren’t always one for showy displays, but you only had one wedding with Remy and it was going to be special, the place was irrelevant.

“...And then she said ‘it was gin, not sparkling water‘!” Judy related an embarrassing story about you to your aunt. A less than flattering story. Judy was almost crying with laughter.

“Judy, not that old story again,” You groaned, your hired stylist doing the finishing touches on your make-up.

“Come on, it’s your best one.” Judy caught her breath, “So did you ever find out what mister perfect is getting you for a wedding gift?”

“Nope. I snooped and begged for hints, but he only told me that it was expensive, which doesn’t help.” You said, looking at yourself in the mirror again.

It had taken months for you to get accustomed to Remy being rich and getting you the finer things in life. Growing up in a modest suburban home, and then having to make-ends meet by yourself, you’d never got to experience true luxury. Remy almost had to force you to buy a designer wedding dress-You picked out a Vera Wang dress in the end-but you were coming around to being a kept woman. You had also gone through all the hoops of pre-marital arrangements. Had a signed pre-nup, agreeing to half of everything if things actually went sideways, but what was more, Remy had a contract drawn up to say that you inherited every cent of his fortunes on the tiniest off chance he ever died. He said he wanted you to be taken care of and to never again be in a destitute situation. (To which you argued your former living situation was far from destitute, but apples and oranges.)

“Y/N, it’s the hotel staff calling.” Your cousin Gracie handed you room’s phone.

“Hello?”

“Miss Y/N? Your father is here and says he wants to speak with you immediately.”

You found it odd that your dad was at the front desk. He knew you were here getting ready, but he’d been on edge all morning, so whatever.

“Okay. Tell him I’ll be down soon. Bye” You hung up and told everyone you were headed to talk with your dad.

In the lobby, there was no one there and even the desk wasn’t being staffed.

“Dad? Where are you?” Something did feel off, but Remy had hired security. You felt safe.

You took a few steps forward. You felt more than saw ball bearings swing around you attached to thick rope, encasing your arms and torso. Sudden footsteps came up behind you and a bag was placed over your head. Strong hands turned you around and led you back out to the alley behind the hotel, tossing you into what you assumed was the back of a van (it felt bigger than a car and there were no seats, just floor.)

“Knock her out!” A male voice said.

The bag was taken off your head and you were facing two men in black ski masks and black jackets. You struggled, but it was useless as one of them forced some kind of vile of liquid under your nose.

You quickly fell into unconsciousness.

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You woke up in a dank room with only a cot under you and dark blue tiles with grey, dirty walls. You were reminded of every horror movie and spy movie your older brother and sister had made you watch with them growing up. There were no windows and a cliche leaky pipe above you. You noticed immediately that you were no long wearing your wedding dress, but a black Henley top and jogger pants and socks. These creeps had taken the time to undress and re-dress you, making your skin crawl.

“It would’ve been a shame to ruin such a beautiful Vera Wang original,” A female Russian voice said on a speaker overhead.

“Hello? Who’s talking? You’re going to prison when all this is over!” You were angry, not crying and in despair. You were stronger than that.

“We’re going to be somewhere hot and sunny when your man delivers the kidnapping ransom for your pretty face, sweet thing,” A male voice said.

“We’re an underground group of, how would you call it...hmm...people who want to reform the world and aren’t happy with the status quo. Aren’t happy with what the governments are doing,” The Russian woman said.

“So...terrorists?” You said.

“WE’RE NOT TERRORISTS!” The woman went off the handle at you.

“Okay, no more using the T-word, got it.” You said sheepishly, “Still, whatever you want, you’re not getting it. No matter how long it takes, Remy is going to find me and you’re going to pay.”

“I don’t think so, little girl,” The Russian woman said. “Enjoy your stay. We’ll feed you. There’s a bucket in the corner.”

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You napped, you planned on how you were going to decorate the house, and most of all, you wondered how long it was going to take for Remy to find you. You didn’t have tools or weapons, so trying to break your way out of the situation yourself seemed stupid as well as dangerous. This wasn’t like the movies at all.

You just hoped you weren’t going to get sick in this unventilated, dirty place. Would it have killed them to just keep you in some abandoned house instead? At least houses had windows!

It took a while, but a plate of food came through a slot in the door on a tray with some water in a to-go restaurant type of cup. You ate, grateful.

You exercised to keep going and for something to do. When you felt tired enough you went to sleep on the cot, but it was hard to get comfortable without a warm blanket over you. Eventually you fell asleep.

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REMY:

The wedding had been cancelled after a ten-minute argument with your family that you hadn’t run away because of cold feet. Now Remy, your family and a few close friends were waiting in a hotel room with the police, waiting for a phone call. In between the argument and the present, there had been a kidnapping message delivered to Remy. They were a small group that wanted half of Remy’s amassed fortune, a private jet and diplomatic immunity. They weren’t getting any of it. Remy LeBeau hadn’t lived thousands of years just because he had mutant genes. He didn’t cave into anyone’s demands and was smart as well as resourceful. He’d planned on finding you with or without the police’s help. He just had to find a moment to get away from everyone, gather up his gear and go once he had some idea of a location of where you were being held.

The phone rang. It was wired to get all the details. “Hello?” Remy’s voice was deeper than normal and dark. So much vitriol and anger pulsed through him.

“Mister Lebeau, this is Missy. The woman heading your bride’s kidnapping operation. She’s safe. Have you considered our demands?”

“How about fifty-thousand and a small plane?” Remy offered, keeping them on the line. He listened hard for any background noise. Police sirens, people talking, anything that could make their location clear.

“Now, now. Fifty is less than a fourth of what you’ve got. You’re a billionaire. Even if you gave us a quarter of your earnings, you wouldn’t be in the lurch.” Missy said.

A police siren blared on the other end and Remy heard dogs barking. It could’ve been any part of New York, but some were worse off than others. They’d take her somewhere inconspicuous, even dank and gross. Which described any slum in New York City. which gave him a starting point at least.

“You took the most important person in my world musaraigne déplorable. Best believe you’re not getting a penny from me if you’re not willing t’ negotiate and I’m getting her back, one way or the other. Second chances are over.” Remy pushed the end call button so hard the phone nearly cracked.

“Hear me out,” Remy said to the lead detective, a tall blonde woman with her hair in a wrap-around bun, “I think they’re holding her in one of the slums or inner cities. Might be a good place to look.” He could take one area secretly and the cops could cover others if they were willing.

“It makes sense. Johnson and Ferrel, you start gathering up teams. I’ll stay with the family. Mister LeBeau, you can--where did he go?”

Remy had edged himself out the nearest window (they were on the ground floor) and was driving at top speed on the back roads, back to his house. He ran in, clicked the eye of the bird statue in his bedroom to reveal a false wall. His mask, trench coat, staff, belt and other gadgets were all there, still in-tact like he’d used them yesterday. He threw on the Adidas long-sleeved spandex shirt and spandex pants with pink stripes he used for exercise, then the coat, loading up his gear. In less than fifteen minutes, he was off in the car again. None of the servants had seen him come or leave, so they had deniability. He turned off his phone. This wouldn’t make him look good, but Remy knew he could work faster than the police.

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You:

You’d reorganized and redecorated your future bedroom and the back deck in your imagination twelve different times in the past two hours. It was day two of being kidnapped and nothing had changed. Even prisoners got to go out in sunlight. You made it a point to exercise, so you wouldn’t get swollen feet or anything. Above all though, you kept imagining the moment Remy would rescue you. Sometimes it was with the police, sometimes it was him just blowing a hole through the wall. Other times, it was Remy quietly dropping down from the ceiling and pulling you out the door, knocking out your captors with cards like you lived in an action movie. Still, there was the thought that he would never find you, that these people would just give up and murder you outright.

Except you couldn’t think like that. Remy was smart, patient, persistent and had super-powers. He loved you and you knew deep down he would do anything to get you back.

You got up and attempted to do another set of thirty squats and lunges, trying to keep your strength up.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Remy:

Six different slums and he’d found nothing! It was infuriating. Remy hadn’t slept since the night before the wedding, but he’d managed to eat here and there. He wouldn’t get anywhere if he didn’t sustain himself. He stopped at a gas station and looked at the map on his phone. The next unsavory part of town was smack dab in the worst part of New York. It was where the mob, murderers and thieves came and went daily. The poor barely survived there and the homeless avoided it at all costs. If you were actually being kept there, the people that took you were going to get double prison time if Remy had any say in it.

He steeled himself, driving the roads on his motorcycle, his heart in his throat while he ignored his tired body’s cries for sleep. His feet were sore, and his eyes were watering in the smog of traffic, but he would’ve swallowed burrs at this point to keep you safe.

Remy’s motorcycle stopped on the road near a boarded- up store. He took off his helmet and started walking to the nearest dive. Remy had deduced some things in the past couple of days. They were keeping Y/N alive, so they had to get food for her. Whatever place they were keeping her in obviously wouldn’t have food or water on hand if it was in a slum, so it would have to be brought in. Remy looked around and listened to customers conversations. Looked for the man or woman who seemed edgy and out of place. First time kidnappers were never calm and in-control, this he knew.

There. The white bald man with the scar on his left cheek picking up the food order. Four large bags, six drinks. He was looking around nervously, scratching his arm and face. Remy discreetly followed him out, seeing the man get into a white unmarked van with no license plate. Either the guy was in the black market, or that was part of the group that had taken you. Even the worst people around here had legal cars with plates, so that was a tell. Remy got back on his motorcycle, waited a few beats, then made sure to follow the white van with two cars between them at all times.

The van drove for a short time before stopping at an abandoned building. White and large, three stories. He went around the back in an alley, not through the front entrance. Remy took his gear, went around the opposite way and scaled up to the roof with a grappling hook. The roof was dilapidated, so he had to be careful and look for the weak spots to avoid them. He listened, hearing voices, but couldn’t make them out unless he got closer.

He made his way to a good spot and listened, catching snippets of conversation on the wind through the city noise around him.

“Shouldn’t...call again.”

“...Doesn’t know what she’s talking...even if...”

“LeBeau can’t...we tried to...this way.”

“Just...make sure...fed.”

This was it! Remy forced himself to stay calm and get off the roof carefully. Once down on solid ground again, he masterfully blew out a hole in the side of the building as quietly as he could, like a welder cutting a piece out, instead of making one large, noisy explosion, he made several smaller ones. “POPOPOPOPOPOP!!” Soft sounds covered by the street noise, thank heavens.

He eventually kicked in the wall, going inside. He could still hear the kidnappers talking, but walked softly, listening for any sound that signaled you were in one of the many rooms.

Remy spotted the bald man walking away from a door as he looked around a corner. Remy flattened himself against the wall, holding his breath until the man turned a corner. He waited a couple minutes, then quietly made it to the door. Remy picked the lock in no time, slowly opening the door.

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You:

You had just taken a bit of your food when you looked up and saw Remy standing there. You spat it out. “RE-”

You watched him lift a finger up to his mouth in a “shh” gesture. He walked over, being the quieter of the two of you, mouthing ‘Quiet. Follow me. Kiss later’.

You were smiling so hard your face hurt. You stepped as softly as you could, but the jig was quickly up when a man with shaggy black hair in a leather coat rounded the corner. “Hey! She’s escaping and LeBeau is with her!”

Remy threw a barrage of cards, knocking the man unconscious as he slid several yards down the hallway opposite of you.

Remy grabbed your hand and started running. You heard the lazers firing before you saw them. One grazed your arm.

“HKK!” Remy made a choking sound and you looked over, seeing him lurch forward from the hit, then falling back.

“Remy?! Remy!!” You caught him as he fell to the ground, the blood staining the left side of his chest...where his heart was.

You cradled him. “Baby, no, please. It-it’s not gonna end like this. You can’t die. Y-you’re not supposed to!”

“F-first time being shot at...figures,” He forced a laugh and a smile, “Cherie, it’s gonna be alright. You’ll be fine without me.”

“NO I WON’T!” You screamed at him.

Suddenly, the police piled into the hallway through the hole in the wall, at the same time the small terrorist group caught up to you on the opposite side.

“Drop your weapons and get on the ground,” A policeman said. The group looked at each other. Four of the men gave up, but the woman stayed. She fired a weapon, but the cops were faster, knocking her out by latching a tazer onto her.

Meanwhile you were still by Remy’s side, watching him breath heavy. You had already pressed your hands to his chest to stop the bleeding. You were barely aware of the police taking the bad guys into custody and hauling them outside.

“Y/N, I’m so tired. Just wanted...to be with you...but death...it’s nice dirt nap,” Remy blinked.

“I love you,” You kissed him.

“I love you too, Y/N.” Remy closed his eyes, but he was still breathing. No longer heavy breaths. The ambulance came and took him in a stretcher, trying to stop the bleeding. They started to prep him for surgery, but...

“He healed up. It looks like he never got shot and he’s more than stable,” An older Black male doctor came out to the lobby to see you and your family. Your dad led you to sit in a chair as a thousand emotions hit you at once. The biggest of all being relief.

“He’s...he’s alive? He’s going to live?!” You were rightly confused, but figured mutant powers had a lot to do with it. Surely, Remy had powers even he hadn’t discovered because there had been no cause for it, even after thousands of years.

“For many years, at least. Just add super healing to his list of powers then. It’s certainly not unheard of with mutants as a secondary power,” The doctor smiled, “You can go and see him within the hour. A nurse will let you back.”

You soon went and saw Remy, sleeping peacefully in a hospital bed, now unharmed and safe. The doctors and nurses deduced he’d been awake for about 48 hours straight, so he’d slipped into exhaustion and the bullet wound had healed his heart, back and chest in a just a few minutes.

Remy snored lightly. You sat next to him, crying quietly, thankful he’d made it through the ordeal.

Remy was home within a few hours, the hospital kicking him out, even unconscious, since he was healthy. He had woken up but for a few minutes long enough to make it to the bed with some help from your dad and older brother.

Before joining your family in the living room for some lunch and iced tea to catch up and enjoy you being safe again, you laid in the bed next to Remy, watching him sleep. You squeezed his hand, watching his eyes dart in his restfulness, hoping his dreams were better than the waking world had been for the two of you in the past three days.

“I’ll always be there for you, until my dying day,” You promise in a whisper. You kissed him, then went to join your family.

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The next day, the wedding was back on. Remy woke up that morning while you and your family stayed in the various guest rooms overnight. Everyone had tried to talk him out of it, wanting the two of you to get some rest after the kidnapping, but he wouldn’t hear of not being your husband for another twenty-four hours after the past few days.

So, amid a sea of cameras and spectators, you walked down a red carpet in a Vera Wang gown fit for a queen holding a beautiful bouquet. You made it to Remy, whose face was nothing more than shocked at your beauty.

Soon enough you were saying your vows.

“I, Remy LeBeau take thee Y/N. In sickness and in health, for richer or poorer. I forsake all others and will stand by you our whole lives long, as long as we both shall live.”

You repeated the vows and exchanged rings while the cameras went off. Remy kissed you at the right moment, and everything was complete, in your life, head and heart.

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You woke up in your hotel, overlooking the streets of Italy in one of the bigger cities. You walked onto the balcony and enjoyed the late morning sun on your skin and the cool breeze tickling your powder blue chamise and matching satin robe. You felt Remy’s arms loop around your waist, burying his head in your hair, then trailing kisses down your neck and shoulder.

“Good morning, wife.”

“Good morning yourself, husband.”

Remy’s smell of cologne was now familiar to you as his skin mingled softly against yours. The night before was gently etched into your mind for always. You remembered clasped hands, Remy’s warmth, and his vein-y, leathery, masculine hands making you forget every flaw you ever had with your body. With him, you were a Ming vase, a masterpiece, or a glass slipper. He’d treated you gently, but also treated you like a woman all in the same breath. In bed with him, your weight or the size of you didn’t matter. He loved you-mind, ideas, opinions, thoughts, inner and outer self-completely.

“Was last night okay?” Remy smirked after turning you around.

You gave him a gentle shove. “It was _much_ more than okay! I’ve got a list of words for it.”

“So maybe we’ll order breakfast first and then you can tell it to me while we’re...you know,” He pulled you back into the room and onto the bed, laying on your back longways on the four-poster bed with a bedspread of cream colors and bright red rose print.

Remy got over you, kissing madly. You laughed loudly as he couldn’t help but tickle under your arms between kisses.

It took several minutes before he found his breath again to call room service.

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Eight years later:

You watched Remy playing tag football in the yard with the twins, a boy and a girl, age six, and their cousins. It was fall and you were having family and friends over on a weekend. You’d all had a whirlwind life so far, especially when it started out with your wedding gift not being one, but two cars. (Your favorite type, brand new, in your favorite color, and then a little red convertible for fun.) You’d only gotten Remy an iTunes gift card and a bottle of good wine, since it was all you could afford before the wedding.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“It’s strange,” Judy came up beside you, handing you a mug of warm tea, “Remy doesn’t have a grey hair in sight. I know you’ve only been married a short time, but you’re starting to show. Me too, a little. Guess he’s just got those good genes.”

You’d let your family in on the secret after the wedding. You had spent the past week trying to convince Remy to let Judy in on it, and last night you’d worn him down. She had started getting suspicious lately, so it was only a matter of time before she put the pieces together.

“Come sit down. I’ve got a story to tell you,” You smiled.

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END

#Gambit x reader #Remy LeBeau x reader #X-Men imagine #AU #Alternate universe #Marvel #Imagine #MCU imagine #wedding #love #romance #scary #hero #saves you imagine #New York imagine #X-Men #Gambit

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antihero-writings · 4 years ago

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I am in no way hyperbolic when I say this; your writing gives me confidence to write and confidence in my abilities. sometimes I feel like I have no special skills with words, which has what’s been making and we drown so difficult to write. but reading your stuff, your imagery, your choice of words, it gives me hope. and I really need it. sorry to get so gushy but honestly you bring out such creativity inside of me and I love reading your stories. you’ve such a rich and powerful mind. 🖤🖤🖤

🥺 Awwww oh my goodness, I’m so so happy to hear this!!

You do have special skills with words!! You manage to evoke these amazing images and metaphors, that is a rare skill, it inspires me deeply to read your work!! Ive said before I especially envy your ability to write these beautiful descriptions/settings. You’ve said before you lament how long and flowery they are, but pretty much time I see you’re about to go into a description/setting I’m like “alright here we go” *lays back with open arms* “whisk me away” XD

I’m really glad that reading my imagery gives you the same hope that reading your stuff does for me. It means a lot to me. I spend so much time agonizing over these tiny word choices and images, and hearing that at least one person notices helps it all feel worth it. Also Redemption and hope are very important things to me, and themes which I try to encorporate into all of my work, so that my readers might feel those things too, so hearing simply the writing by itself gave you hope is just wonderful.

I don’t mind the gush in the least!! Honestly I need it, hearing my work inspires others gives me hope and inspires me too.

Thank you so much for this 💜💜💜

#antihero writings #antihero asks #asks #friends #writing

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sandranelsonuk · 6 years ago

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581 Sensory Words to Take Your Writing from Bland to Brilliant

It’s almost too easy.

By using sensory words to evoke sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell; smart and attractive writers just like you are able to make their words burst to life in their readers’ minds.

In this post, you’ll learn:

The science behind sensory details (e.g. why sensory words are so persuasive);

The definition of sensory words (plus examples);

How answering five simple questions will help you write descriptive words that pack your content with sensory language;

500+ sensory words you can incorporate into your own writing (right now).

Let’s dive in.

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The Colossal Power of Sensory Details

Remember the final scene in Field of Dreams when Ray Kinsella has a catch with his dad?

You can smell the grass on the field.

You can hear the sound of the baseball hitting their gloves.

And you can feel Ray’s years of guilt melting away as he closes his eyes, smiles, and tosses the ball back to his dad.

(Be honest. You’re crying right now, aren’t you?)

Field of Dreams made you feel like you were in Ray’s shoes, on his field, playing catch with dad.

The scene creates such a vivid experience for many viewers that whenever they think of playing catch, this scene will come up alongside their own childhood memories.

Here’s why:

When you paint a strong scene in your audience’s mind, you make it easier for them to pull it back up from their memory. You’ve essentially bookmarked it for them so they can easily find it when something — a sight, a smell, a sound — reminds them of it.

That’s the power of content that incorporates sensory details.

And this power isn’t limited to cinema classics capable of making grown men cry. For centuries, literary giants have been packing their prose with powerful words that evoke the senses:

“Cry ‘Havoc,’ and let slip the dogs of war; That this foul deed shall smell above the earth With carrion men, groaning for burial” — William Shakespeare (circa 1599)

In addition to The Bard, authors like Maya Angelou, Edgar Allan Poe, and Charles Dickens excel at sensory language. So do literally every famous poet you learned about in school.

And that begs the obvious question…

Why are Sensory Details so Effective?

Short answer:

Our brains handle sensory words differently than ordinary words.

In a 2011 study published in The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, experts found that our brains process “tangible” (i.e. sensory) words faster than other words.

And in a study published for Brain and Language in 2012, psychologists found that a certain part of our brain is “activated” when we read sensory words.

In other words:

So, we know why sensory details are powerful. And we know writers have been tapping into their power for a long, long time.

Now let’s define them and go over a few examples:

What are Sensory Words?

Sensory words are descriptive words — using imagery, they describe how we see, hear, touch, taste, and smell the world around us.

Let’s break each one down:

#1. Sight Sensory Words

Words related to vision describe the appearance of something (its color, size, shape, and so on).

Examples of visual words:

Her golden hair looked disheveled thanks to the gust of wind.

He was a towering presence.

I ordered a large orange juice, but the waiter brought me a teeny-tiny glass the size of a thimble.

→ Click here to unfold the full list of Sight Sensory Words.

Angular Azure Billowy Black Bleary Bloated Blonde Blue Blurred Blushing Branching Bright Brilliant Broad Brown Brunette Bulbous Bulky Camouflaged Chubby Circular Colorful Colorless Colossal Contoured Cosmic Craggy Crimson Crinkled Crooked Crowded Crystalline Curved Dark Dazzling Deep Dim Dingy Disheveled Distinct Drab Dreary Dull Dusty Elegant Enchanting Engaging Enormous Faded Fancy Fat Filthy Flashy Flat Flickering Foggy Forked Freckled Fuzzy Gargantuan Gaudy Gigantic Ginormous Glamorous Gleaming Glimpse Glistening Glitter Glittering Globular Gloomy Glossy Glowing Gold Graceful Gray Green Grotesque Hazy Hollow Homely Huge Illuminated Immense Indistinct Ivory Knotty Lacy Lanky Large Lavender Lean Lithe Little Lofty Long Low Malnourished Maroon Massive Miniature Misshapen Misty Motionless Mottled Mountainous Muddy Murky Narrow Obtuse Olive Opaque Orange Oval Pale Peered Petite Pink Portly Pristine Prodigious Purple Quaint Radiant Rectangular Red Reddish Rippling Rotund Round Ruby Ruddy Rusty Sabotaged Shadowy Shallow Shapeless Sheer Shimmering Shiny Short Silver Skinny Small Smudged Soaring Sparkling Sparkly Spherical Spotless Spotted Square Steep Stormy Straight Strange Striped Sunny Swooping Tall Tapering Tarnished Teeny-tiny Tiny Towering Translucent Transparent Triangular Turquoise Twinkling Twisted Ugly Unsightly Unusual Vibrant Vivid Weird White Wide Wiry Wispy Wizened Wrinkled Wrinkly Yellow

#2. Sound Sensory Words

Words related to hearing often describe the sound they make (known as onomatopoeia), but this isn’t always the case.

Examples of hearing words:

He had a big, booming voice.

The sound of screeching tires was soon followed by the deafening sound of a car horn.

As I peeked under the bed, the cackling laughter coming from the closet made the hairs on my arms stand up.

→ Click here to unfold the full list of Sound Sensory Words.

Babble Bang Barking Bawled Bawling Bellow Blare Blaring Bleat Boom Booming Bray Buzz Buzzing Cackle Cackling Chatter Chattering Cheer Chiming Chirping Chuckle Clamor Clang Clanging Clap Clapping Clicking Clink Clinking Cooing Coughing Crackle Crackling Crashing Creak Croaking Crow Crunch Crunching Crunchy Cry Crying Deafening Distorted Dripping Ear-piercing Earsplitting Exploding Faint Fizzing Gagging Gasping Giggle Giggling Grate Grating Growl Grumble Grunt Grunting Guffaw Gurgle Gurgling Hanging Hiss Hissing Honking Howl Hubbub Hum Humming Hush Jabber Jangle Jangling Laughing Moaning Monotonous Mooing Muffled Mumble Mumbling Murmur Mutter Muttering Noisy Peeping Piercing Ping Pinging Plopping Pop Purring Quacking Quiet Rant Rapping Rasping Raucous Rave Ringing Roar Roaring Rumble Rumbling Rustle Rustling Scratching Scream Screaming Screech Screeching Serene Shout Shouting Shrieking Shrill Sigh Silent Sing Singing Sizzling Slam Slamming Snap Snappy Snoring Snort Splashing Squawking Squeaky Stammer Stomp Storm Stuttering Tearing Thudding Thump Thumping Thunder Thundering Ticking Tingling Tinkling Twitter Twittering Wail Warbling Wheezing Whimper Whimpering Whine Whining Whir Whisper Whispering Whistle Whooping Yell Yelp

#3. Touch Sensory Words

Touch words describe the texture of how something feels. They can also describe emotional feelings.

Examples of touch words:

Two minutes into the interview, I knew his abrasive personality would be an issue if we hired him.

With a forced smile, I put on the itchy Christmas sweater my grandmother bought me.

The Hot Pocket was scalding on the outside, but ice-cold in the middle.

→ Click here to unfold the full list of Touch Sensory Words.

Abrasive Balmy Biting Boiling Breezy Bristly Bubbly Bubby Bumpy Burning Bushy Chilled Chilly Clammy Coarse Cold Cool Cottony Crawly Creepy Cuddly Cushioned Damp Dank Dirty Downy Drenched Dry Elastic Feathery Feverish Fine Fleshy Fluff Fluffy Foamy Fragile Freezing Furry Glassy Gluey Gooey Grainy Greasy Gritty Gushy Hairy Heavy Hot Humid Ice-Cold Icy Itchy Knobbed Leathery Light Lightweight Limp Lukewarm Lumpy Matted Metallic Moist Mushy Numbing Oily Plastic Pointed Powdery Pulpy Rocky Rough Rubbery Sandy Scalding Scorching Scratchy Scummy Serrated Shaggy Sharp Shivering Shivery Silky Slimy Slippery Sloppy Smooth Smothering Soapy Soft Sopping Soupy Splintery Spongy Springy Sputter Squashy Squeal Squishy Steamy Steely Sticky Stifled Stifling Stinging Stony Stubby Tangled Tapered Tender Tepid Thick Thin Thorny Tickling Tough Unsanitary Velvety Warm Waxy Wet Woolly

#4. Taste Sensory Words

Taste words are interesting. Though they can describe food, they’re often used in comparisons and metaphors.

Examples of taste words:

It’s a bittersweet situation.

Her zesty personality caught Karl’s eye.

The scrumptious jalapeno poppers comforted Karl after his bitter rejection.

→ Click here to unfold the full list of Taste Sensory Words.

Acidic Appetizing Bitter Bittersweet Bland Buttery Charred Contaminated Creamy Crispy Delectable Delicious Doughy Earthy Fermented Flavorful Flavorless Floury Garlicky Gingery Gritty Hearty Juicy Luscious Medicinal Mellow Melted Nauseating Nutritious Nutty Palatable Peppery Pickled Piquant Raw Refreshing Rich Ripe Runt Savory Scrumptious Stale Sugary Syrupy Tangy Tart Tasteless Unripe Vinegary Yummy Zesty

#5. Smell Sensory Words

Words related to smell describe — yes, you guessed it — how things smell. Often underutilized, sensory words connected with smell can be very effective.

Examples of smell words:

The pungent smell was unmistakable: someone in this elevator was wearing Axe Body Spray.

No matter the expiration date, it was clear from its rancid stench the milk had gone bad.

The flowery aroma was a welcome change after the elevator and milk incidents.

→ Click here to unfold the full list of Smell Sensory Words.

Ambrosial Antiseptic Aroma Aromatic Briny Citrusy Decayed Decomposed Doggy Fetid Floral Flowery Foul-smelling Fragrant Gamy Gaseous Horrid Inodorous Malodorous Mephitic Musky Musty Odiferous Odor Odorless Old Perfumed Piney Polluted Pungent Putrid Rancid Rank Redolent Reeking Scent Scented Sickly Skunky Smell Smoky Stagnant Stench Stinky Sweaty Tempting

Note on Taste and Smell:

Because they’re closely related, some sensory words can be used for both taste and smell. Examples: fruity, minty, and tantalizing.

→ Click here to unfold the full list of Taste and Smell Sensory Words.

Acrid Burnt Fishy Fresh Fruity Lemony Minty Moldy Mouth-watering Rotten Salty Sour Spicy Spoiled Sweet Tantalizing

Sensory Details: Examples in the Wild

Imagine the following headline came across your Twitter feed:

How to Avoid Using Boring Stock Photo Images in Your Content

Would you click it?

Better question…

Could you read the headline without falling asleep?

The answers are probably “no” and “heck no.”

Now imagine you saw this headline:

Much better, right?

The simple addition of the sensory word “cringeworthy” changes the tone of the entire headline. Instead of yawning, you’re thinking of an awkward or embarrassing moment you really don’t want to relive.

Let’s look at a few more modern-day examples of sharp people using sensory language to spruce up their content:

Using Sensory Words in Author Bios

I’ll pick on me for this one.

Here’s the author bio I used for one of my first-ever guest posts:

Kevin Duncan is the owner of Be A Better Blogger, where he helps people become the best bloggers they can be.

Now look at the author bio my friend Henneke wrote for Writer’s Block: 27 Techniques to Overcome It Forever:

Henneke Duistermaat is an irreverent copywriter and business writing coach. She’s on a mission to stamp out gobbledygook and to make boring business blogs sparkle.

My bio is devoid of sensory words (or any interesting words at all, if we’re being honest).

Henneke’s is chock full of them.

Her bio is interesting.

Mine is boring.

The lesson? Add at least one sensory word to your author bio.

Using Sensory Words in Social Media Profiles

Some people opt for brevity when writing their social media profiles, and that’s fine.

But if you want your Twitter profile (or Facebook, Instagram, or any other social media profile) to stand out from the crowd, sprinkle in a sensory word or two.

Like so:

Mel Wicks is a veteran copywriter who knows a thing or two about the effectiveness of descriptive words, so she uses them to spice up her Twitter profile.

Here’s an example from my badly-neglected Instagram account:

“Enchanting” and “adorably-jubilant” are wonderful sensory words — so wonderful, it’s a shame they’re wasted on a profile no one sees.

Look at your own profiles and see if there’s a place to add a sensory word or two. They’ll help your profile jump off the screen.

Heck, see if you can use enchanting and adorably-jubilant.

They deserve to be seen.

Using Sensory Words in Introductions

The opening lines of your content are so important.

If you’re a student, your opening sets the tone for your teacher (who we both know is dying to use his red pen).

If you’re an author, your opening can be the difference between someone buying your book or putting it back on the shelf in favor of one of those Twilight books (probably).

And if you’re a blogger, writer, content marketer, or business; your opening can hook the reader (increasing dwell time, which is great in Google’s eyes) or send them scurrying for the “back” button.

It’s why we put such an emphasis on introductions here at Smart Blogger.

Sometimes our openings hook you with a question.

Sometimes we strike a note of empathy or (like this post) focus on searcher intent.

And sometimes we give you a heaping helping of sensory words:

Imagine you’re sitting in a lounge chair on the beach, staring out over the glittering sea, the ocean breeze ruffling your hair, listening to the slow, steady rhythm of the waves.

In the above opening for How to Become a Freelance Writer and Get Paid $200 – $1K per Post, Jon Morrow uses sensory language to set a scene for the reader.

And it’s highly, highly effective.

Using Sensory Words in Email Subject Lines

Like you, your readers are flooded with emails.

And with open rates in a steady decline, people are trying anything and everything to make their email subject lines stand out:

Emojis;

Capitalized words;

All lowercase letters;

Two exclamation points;

Clickbait that would make even BuzzFeed go, “that’s too far, man.”

You name it, people are trying it.

Want a simpler, far-more-effective way to help your emails stand out from the crowd?

Add a sensory word.

Brian Dean loves to include words like “boom” in his subjects:

The folks at AppSumo and Sumo (formerly SumoMe) regularly feature descriptive words in their subjects and headlines.

Here’s one example:

And sensory language appears in most everything Henneke writes, including her subject lines.

In this one she also uses an emoji related to her sensory word. Very clever:

Now that we’ve covered several examples, let’s dig a bit deeper…

Let’s discuss some practical steps you can take that will make adding sensory language to your writing a breeze:

How Descriptive Words Can Pack Your Writing With Sensory Language

If you’ve taken a good English or writing class, you’ve probably been told a time or two to “show, don’t tell.”

This means you should create an engaging experience for your audience; not just tell them what you want them to know.

You accomplish this by using descriptive language that conveys sensations and lets readers experience your words (rather than simply read them).

And how do you do that, exactly?

Ask yourself these five questions when you’re writing:

#1. What Do You See?

It isn’t enough to tell your readers there was a scary house in your neighborhood when you were a child. Describe the house to them in vivid detail.

What shade of gray was it?

Were the doors boarded up?

Precisely how many ghostly figures did you see staring at you from the upstairs bedroom windows, and how many are standing behind you right now?

Paint a mental picture for your readers.

#2. What Do You Hear?

We listen to uptempo songs to push us through cardio workouts. Many of us listen to rainfall when we’re trying to sleep. Some of us listen to Justin Bieber when we want to punish our neighbors.

Want to transplant readers into your literary world?

Talk about the drip, drip, drip of the faucet.

Mention the squeaking floors beneath your feet.

Describe the awful music coming from your next-door-neighbor’s house.

#3. How Does it Feel?

Touch sensory words can convey both tactile and emotional sensations.

Can you describe to the reader how something feels when touched? Is it smooth or rough? Round or flat? Is it covered in goo or is it goo-less?

Paint a picture for your reader so they can touch what you’re touching.

The same goes for emotions. Help the reader feel what you (or your character) are feeling. Draw them in.

#4. What Does it Taste Like?

Does the beach air taste salty? Is the roaring fire so intense you can taste the smoke? Is the smell of your roommate’s tuna fish sandwich so strong you can taste it from across the room?

Tell your audience.

Be descriptive.

Make them taste the fishiness.

#5. How Does it Smell?

It wasn’t a basement you walked into — it was a musty, moldy basement.

And you didn’t simply enjoy your Mom’s homemade lasagna. You inhaled the aromatic scents of sauce, cheese, and basil.

Evoking the sense of smell is possibly the most effective way to pull readers out of their world and into yours.

So when you sit down to write, ask yourself if it’s possible to describe how something smells. And if you can? Do it.

The Massive Sensory Words List: 581 (and Counting) Descriptive Words to Supercharge Your Writing

Once you’ve asked and answered the five questions above, your writing will be packed with sensory details.

In time, you’ll build up your own massive list of sensory words you can reference and sprinkle throughout your work.

But in the meantime, here’s my list.

Bookmark them.

Print them.

Use them often:

SIGHT

SOUND

Angular Babble Azure Bang Billowy Barking Black Bawled Bleary Bawling Bloated Bellow Blonde Blare Blue Blaring Blurred Bleat Blushing Boom Branching Booming Bright Bray Brilliant Buzz Broad Buzzing Brown Cackle Brunette Cackling Bulbous Chatter Bulky Chattering Camouflaged Cheer Chubby Chiming Circular Chirping Colorful Chuckle Colorless Clamor Colossal Clang Contoured Clanging Cosmic Clap Craggy Clapping Crimson Clicking Crinkled Clink Crooked Clinking Crowded Cooing Crystalline Coughing Curved Crackle Dark Crackling Dazzling Crashing Deep Creak Dim Croaking Dingy Crow Disheveled Crunch Distinct Crunching Drab Crunchy Dreary Cry Dull Crying Dusty Deafening Elegant Distorted Enchanting Dripping Engaging Ear-piercing Enormous Earsplitting Faded Exploding Fancy Faint Fat Fizzing Filthy Gagging Flashy Gasping Flat Giggle Flickering Giggling Foggy Grate Forked Grating Freckled Growl Fuzzy Grumble Gargantuan Grunt Gaudy Grunting Gigantic Guffaw Ginormous Gurgle Glamorous Gurgling Gleaming Hanging Glimpse Hiss Glistening Hissing Glitter Honking Glittering Howl Globular Hubbub Gloomy Hum Glossy Humming Glowing Hush Gold Jabber Graceful Jangle Gray Jangling Green Laughing Grotesque Moaning Hazy Monotonous Hollow Mooing Homely Muffled Huge Mumble Illuminated Mumbling Immense Murmur Indistinct Mutter Ivory Muttering Knotty Noisy Lacy Peeping Lanky Piercing Large Ping Lavender Pinging Lean Plopping Lithe Pop Little Purring Lofty Quacking Long Quiet Low Rant Malnourished Rapping Maroon Rasping Massive Raucous Miniature Rave Misshapen Ringing Misty Roar Motionless Roaring Mottled Rumble Mountainous Rumbling Muddy Rustle Murky Rustling Narrow Scratching Obtuse Scream Olive Screaming Opaque Screech Orange Screeching Oval Serene Pale Shout Peered Shouting Petite Shrieking Pink Shrill Portly Sigh Pristine Silent Prodigious Sing Purple Singing Quaint Sizzling Radiant Slam Rectangular Slamming Red Snap Reddish Snappy Rippling Snoring Rotund Snort Round Splashing Ruby Squawking Ruddy Squeaky Rusty Stammer Sabotaged Stomp Shadowy Storm Shallow Stuttering Shapeless Tearing Sheer Thudding Shimmering Thump Shiny Thumping Short Thunder Silver Thundering Skinny Ticking Small Tingling Smudged Tinkling Soaring Twitter Sparkling Twittering Sparkly Wail Spherical Warbling Spotless Wheezing Spotted Whimper Square Whimpering Steep Whine Stormy Whining Straight Whir Strange Whisper Striped Whispering Sunny Whistle Swooping Whooping Tall Yell Tapering Yelp Tarnished Teeny-tiny Tiny Towering Translucent Transparent Triangular Turquoise Twinkling Twisted Ugly Unsightly Unusual Vibrant Vivid Weird White Wide Wiry Wispy Wizened Wrinkled Wrinkly Yellow

TOUCH

TASTE

Abrasive Acidic Balmy Appetizing Biting Bitter Boiling Bittersweet Breezy Bland Bristly Buttery Bubbly Charred Bubby Contaminated Bumpy Creamy Burning Crispy Bushy Delectable Chilled Delicious Chilly Doughy Clammy Earthy Coarse Fermented Cold Flavorful Cool Flavorless Cottony Floury Crawly Garlicky Creepy Gingery Cuddly Gritty Cushioned Hearty Damp Juicy Dank Luscious Dirty Medicinal Downy Mellow Drenched Melted Dry Nauseating Elastic Nutritious Feathery Nutty Feverish Palatable Fine Peppery Fleshy Pickled Fluff Piquant Fluffy Raw Foamy Refreshing Fragile Rich Freezing Ripe Furry Runt Glassy Savory Gluey Scrumptious Gooey Stale Grainy Sugary Greasy Syrupy Gritty Tangy Gushy Tart Hairy Tasteless Heavy Unripe Hot Vinegary Humid Yummy Ice-Cold Zesty Icy Itchy Knobbed Leathery Light Lightweight Limp Lukewarm Lumpy Matted Metallic Moist Mushy Numbing Oily Plastic Pointed Powdery Pulpy Rocky Rough Rubbery Sandy Scalding Scorching Scratchy Scummy Serrated Shaggy Sharp Shivering Shivery Silky Slimy Slippery Sloppy Smooth Smothering Soapy Soft Sopping Soupy Splintery Spongy Springy Sputter Squashy Squeal Squishy Steamy Steely Sticky Stifled Stifling Stinging Stony Stubby Tangled Tapered Tender Tepid Thick Thin Thorny Tickling Tough Unsanitary Velvety Warm Waxy Wet Woolly

SMELL

TASTE & SMELL

Ambrosial Acrid Antiseptic Burnt Aroma Fishy Aromatic Fresh Briny Fruity Citrusy Lemony Decayed Minty Decomposed Moldy Doggy Mouth-watering Fetid Rotten Floral Salty Flowery Sour Foul-smelling Spicy Fragrant Spoiled Gamy Sweet Gaseous Tantalizing Horrid Inodorous Malodorous Mephitic Musky Musty Odiferous Odor Odorless Old Perfumed Piney Polluted Pungent Putrid Rancid Rank Redolent Reeking Scent Scented Sickly Skunky Smell Smoky Stagnant Stench Stinky Sweaty Tempting

Are You Ready to Unleash the Power of Sensory Words?

It’s time to say goodbye.

Goodbye to lifeless words that sit on the page.

Goodbye to indifferent readers ready to move on to something, anything, else.

You now know why sensory details are so effective. You know how to sprinkle descriptive words throughout your content. And you now have a massive, ever-growing list of sensory words to bookmark and come back to again and again.

Variations of the following quote have been attributed to everyone from Carl W. Buehner to Maya Angelou, but regardless of who said it, and how they said it, it’s true:

“People may forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.”

It’s time to make your readers feel.

Are you ready?

Then let’s do this thing.

About the Author: When he’s not busy telling waitresses, baristas, and anyone else who crosses his path that Jon Morrow once said he was in the top 1% of bloggers, Kevin J. Duncan is the Blog Editor and Social Media Manager for Smart Blogger.

The post 581 Sensory Words to Take Your Writing from Bland to Brilliant appeared first on Smart Blogger.

from Julia Garza Social Media Tips https://smartblogger.com/sensory-words/

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moffixxey · 6 years ago