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the-modern-typewriter · 2 days ago

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How do you write something longer than a short story? I can write 50,000 words of short stories, but the moment I begin drafting out a novel it seems an insurmountable task!

The most important thing:

A lot of writers don't plot an entire novel in their head at the start. Some do, but many don't. Novel writing is a marathon not a sprint. If drafting the entire novel is insurmountable, then you can just not plan it out.

Focus on one foot after the other. 500 words. 1000 words. 2000 words. Hell, 100 words! Whatever! The point is that you chip away at the thing, you don't sit down and write the whole thing all in one go.

Structure tips:

Some short stories follow a similar structure as a novel, but many don't, so if you are used to short stories than it's worth having a quick look at how novels are actually structured.

If you haven't already looked at overall story structure, then having some idea of common story structure can help you with organising your thoughts and deciding where things loosely go. This is not something that you must rigidly stick to, but it can help you wrestle the overall shape of a novel in your head.

You could also try plotting each chapter almost as it's own short story, with a beginning, middle and end. E.g. the character has the overarching plot goals sure, but in each chapter there is an event, or conflict, or smaller goal of some sort. If doing that for a chapter is too much, you could also plan acts this way. This can help chunk the novel and make it more manageable, because you're not focused on the novel, you're focused on the chapter.

If you have no problem writing the words in volume, then the problem might be that you're not sure how to turn a short story/idea into a novel. I don't know you, so just guessing here, as it's a common thing to struggle with.

Themes/What is the story about?

If you know what you want to write about, consider a mind map with that idea in the centre. Your offshoots are everything that could serve that idea.

As you write, you will not use all of these, because some will make more sense than others. But having all of these possible events/ways that your story could manifest will help you decide what happens and help make sure it feels coherent to a larger idea.

Key ways to bulk a story

Unlike a short story, a novel requires a certain amount of meat to fill the word count. You need an idea you can sink your teeth into, not padding. Here are some ways to do this:

Dig deeper into your characters. What do they want? What do they need?

Add a subplot or subplots.

Add more characters than your short story.

Example of turning a short story to a novel

There are some different ways to achieve this. I'm going to walk you through how I would do it, in case this is helpful.

Here is an example, using my short story The Blue Key. It is a simple short story inspired by the Bluebeard myth. The idea as it is works for a short story. Obviously, this will include spoilers, so if you want to read the story, do so before continuing.

If I was going to make it into a novel I could/would:

Keep the same overall structure, but flesh out the characters and their relationship more.

For example, I could show them falling in love with each other through the flashbacks, or linger more on the protagonist getting used to her new home. The reader will explore this fantastically huge house with her and learn more about her at the same time. Maybe we explore her insecurities about comparing to his previous wife as he meets more of his friends/immerses herself in his world. We will see the strain more then as the key becomes more and more of an issue.

What is behind the door?

The Blue Key at the moment would not work entirely as a novel. The idea and especially the ending would need tweaking. However, we can continue to explore the same themes as in the short story and expand them.

Previous wife?/E.g. The classic Bluebeard ending

Gateway to a nightmare world?

Some monster/minotaur in the centre of the house that will be released if she opens the door?

A darker version of the husband? A part of him that he has locked away?

I could either have her open the door in the midpoint or at the beginning of the third act. Depending on what is behind the door, the last 25% of the story will play out differently. I'd also write the husband accordingly to drop hints etc. throughout the first half of the story.

Is the house haunted? This changes how the rest of the novel and the protagonist's exploration goes.

(So the non story-specific takeaway here is decide what your original short story was trying to say, and then think how you can expand that.)

Add a subplot/add characters

Possible subplots to explore our themes could include:

The mystery of what happened to the first wife/could include her POV to compare and contrast with the second wife. This could drill more into the idea of not knowing which genre you are in/the inevitability of the fairytale wife and their role.

Maybe the second wife hid letters around the house for the second wife to find.

Maybe the housekeeper or another character key in the husband's life does not like the new wife, a la Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (one of my inspirations for The Blue Key). How does this impact the relationship between the couple? How does the protagonist overcome this? How does this tie into the story themes? E.g. if a housekeeper, does she also have a key?

What does the protagonist want to escape in herself that she can't to mirror or foil the key/room/her husband?

I hope this helps. A novel is a bit like a long game of 'and then what? What interests me here? What does a character do? Okay, what problem does that cause? How do they fix the problem? Does their attempt to fix the problem work? Does it cause another problem?

#writing talk #writing advice #writing tips #writing help #writing resources #how to write

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alpaca-clouds · 15 hours ago

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Why do people struggle so much with understanding pacing?

Okay, let me talk about my pet peeve when it comes to writing in any medium. Pacing.

People, who know me for long, will know that this has been the thing I have been complaining about since I was like 12. And there is a good reason for it.

See, when I learned to write, there was this guy who I greatly admired as an author. And after bugging him for a while (look folks, the internet was a very different place from what it is now) he did give me some recommendations on books on writing. And a lot of them went deeply into his pet peeve, which - you guessed it - was pacing as well.

And thus, I learned early on about story structure, and pacing, and how to pace out a story in a way grips the audience. This material I read went onto different techniques for different mediums, into how different cultures had a different ways of dealing with this, and so on, and so forth.

Some of my main take aways were, that a lot of very long stories struggled massively with pacing, and that a ton of people also very miscalculated their ability to handle characters in terms of pacing - because characters and pacing are two things that are very, very heavily connected.

I also learned something else, though: That a lot of western writing advice did not understand anything about pacing outside of the idea that stories were supposed to have three acts - or maybe five - and ideally from a certain fateful day in the early 2000s on, would follow the "save the cat" formular. (Mind you, I do not hate "Save the Cat", however, this formular has been created for movies. It works at times somewhat well for books, too. But it definitely does not for for pretty much anything serialized, because that is not what it was developed for.)

And I also learned another thing: Most people do not understand pacing either, because pacing is not a thing that is ever taught in normal school (like most things that are about creative writing are not). So, while some people might have a gut feeling that the pacing of something might be off, they rarely can actually say why. And this is only worsened by the fact that today's tiktok addicted society is so used to consuming ultra condensed media, that they will perceive anything less condenses than 1 minute tiktok videos as "too slow and boring".

So, please allow me - the guy who kinda hyperfixated on this specific writing skill - to talk about pacing. And this will be in the following points:

What is pacing actually?

How do characters relate to pacing?

Pacing, Streaming and the supposed "filler episode".

Pacing and Fantasy

Pacing in Action vs anything else

Pacing in books vs visual media

What Is Pacing actually?

Okay, I think one of the main issues when it comes to understanding pacing is, that a lot of people see pacing on a on a spectrum that goes from "I am bored" to "I can't follow the plot anymore". But that actually does not always have to do with the pacing - obviously.

Technically pacing is the speed in which the plot moves. Or, to make it more quantifiable: "How many plot points (beats) are covered per either time (in any timed medium) or per page (in anything you read)". Which makes sense at the first glance - but does actually often not line up with the subjective perception of this. Becau se here is the thing: No, fight scenes are not automatically fast paces. A lot of modern action movies have super slow paced - in terms of story pacing - action scenes. Because yes, during those action sequences a lot of STUFF happens, but nothing of it actually is in any way related to the plot.

Look, I freaking adore the Fast & Furious movies. But you could literally edit those movies down to like 45 minutes each and not lose a single plot beat. But of course, nobody would watch those movies - because yes, me and everyone else who adored those movies, is there to watch them lunch cars into space and see stuff blow up. I don't much care about the characters or the plot.

This is by the way also the kinda point that me and other people talk about, when we are unimpressed by "oh, but sex scenes don't add anything to the plot", while the same people would often not make the same argument about action scenes - even though there is a ton of movies and shows where the action scenes really do not add anything to the plot. A lot of people just do not perceive action sequences as slow pacing, because even if nothing that happens on the screen actually adds anything to the plot or moves it forward, it is undeniable, that STUFF is happening. So basically monkey brain will go: "Hehe, things go boom!"

Don't get me wrong: there absolutely are stories in which the action is moving the plot. Mad Max Fury Road is a great example. The movie is also about 60% action - but the action scenes actually add to the plot.

Meanwhile nothing tells you as much about how unimportant some of the MCU action scenes are, than the fact, that they are often done by a completely different team and will be done apart from the rest of the movie.

But yes, traditionally the idea was, that towards the "finale" of a piece of media, a lot more plot beats would happen over a shorter amount of time. You will see that also in a lot of beat sheets. There are more beats that need to happen in the third act of a story - if we go by three act structure. And often there is actually even more plot developments, as usually in a finale all the "plotlines" will kinda finish up in the end. So even plotlines where not a lot has happened to this point - this shows especially in serialized works both in TV shows and stuff like manga or comics - the important plot points will then often happen close to the finale, because it feels more "right".

In older serialized media - especially TV shows prior to streaming - you also had the same thing hold true towards the finale of a "story arc". In a lot of older shows, you would usually see a structure that looked like this.

The "rise" here technically has less to do with more stuff happening in later arcs or seasons - and more with the threat-level rising, and the convulutedness of a story. lol

But yeah, the take-away from this part should be: No, action does not equal fast pacing. There can be action-heavy shows with super slow narrative pacing - but it will to many not feel this way, because at least action is interesting to watch. Which also might be an explanation to why people are a lot worse in seeing the issue with action-scenes that are not adding anything in visual media, but might actually notice it in written stories. Because in books action scenes do not feel "fast paced" in the same way they feel in movies, where the often faster editing and the amount of motion on screen will create this effect.

Oh, and on the other side: Of course there can be slow paced plots that will leave you having problems following. At times, because they are badly written (aka: the media does not give you all the information you need) - and at times, because a piece of media might expect you to know a certain bit of information that you do not know. I can definitely think of a variety of scifi media, that just expects you to know stuff about computer stuff or space, and will not explain it to you. Which might make you need longer time to take plot developments in, and then leaves you reeling.

Another thing however that is also important is: If the pacing stays actually the same throughout a piece of media - rather than accelarating towards the finale (or finales if there are multiple) - it actually will feel wrong in some way. Often people (even I, who hyperfixates on this specific thing) struggle to point at it at first. But yes, this very much is an issue that also can happen. You want the pacing to accelerate towards certain points in the plot - and then slow down. If you had an important point, you want a few slower scenes/episodes/chapters afterwards, to allow the audience to somewhat absorb all the new things you presented them with.

How do characters relate to pacing?

Alright, now we come to the dicey part - specifically, because a lot of people (which includes narratologists, creative writing professors, and people professionally writing) actually kinda do not fully agree on this. So, fair warning: This is how I think.

A character arc in many cases absolutely is a part of the plot. Most media we consume these days are character driven, so the characters are absolutely centrally connected to the plot and the plot mainly exists to have the character move from point A to point B. Or, to make it more basic: To have a character realize that their WANT is not their NEED.

Sure, those characters will usually also accomplish something plot-related. But them accomplishing them is more often than not heavily connected to them fulfilling their character arc. (Please note: characters having a want but having to realize a need is something that is core of western storytelling. However, given that it makes for interesting character arcs, a lot of Asian media these days also will use this as a central driver for character development.)

In some pieces of media, the character arcs are way more heavily tied into the beats of the main plot, than in other. In adventure, action, and related a lot of fantasy and scifi, there is most of the time a character arc happening parallel to the main plot beats. Meanwhile often enough in more down to earth drama and romance, plot beats and character development beats are heavily interwoven. This is not a hard and fast rule - there absolutely is fantasy where the character arc is the plot arc, just as there is romance where the development does not play as heavily into the main plot - but you can generally observe it.

However, no matter how strongly the character development beats line up with plot beats, you cannot deny one thing: character beats are beats that also add to the pacing - even if they technically do not move the main plot forward. So, for example, if you have an episode in a show or a chapter in a book, where important beats happens in terms of a characters development (for example: they realize something important about themselves), this does not necessarily slow the pacing down - even if no actual plot beats happen.

What the fuck is a plot beat? What is a character beat?

This part of the essay was originally not included, but the people reading over it said I should include this.

If we say, that Pacing is basically the description of "Plot Beats per Time" or rather "Plot Beats and/or Character Beats per Time", then we also need to say, what exactly a Plot Beat is. I will fully admit, that this is one of those things in which I forget that this is not a thing taught in school.

I mentioned "Save the Cat" before. "Save the Cat" is a book about writing movies and specifically about pacing out a movie in a way that it is captivating. It mainly focuses on action, but you can absolutely use it for most other genres. And this comes with a so called "beat sheet", a collection of the main story beats that happen, showing when they are going to happen. It looks like this:

Basically a Beat is a scene, in which the plot (or a character arc) is moved forward by a bit. Basically anything that reveals something to the main characters, anything where the basic assumptions about the plot change, anything like that.

Examples for Plot Beats would be:

Character learns about something going on

Characters find out something important about the plot

Someone (either protagonist or antagonist) gets killed or injured

Characters get a new power or item that is important to the plot

Romance goes forward or a reason for the romance to happen is found

Characters find a hint for something they want to reach

And examples of Character Beats would be:

Character learns something about themselves

Character makes a decision for themselves

Characters realizes feelings about something or someone

Character overcomes trauma

And mind you, because I cannot fit this anywhere else: If you read these you might realize, why Musicals are basically a cheat for very fast pacing. Because you can put an entire character arc into a 4 minute song. This is why musical animated shows like Steven Universe or My Little Pony managed to pull some insanely paced episodes, like the Empire City episodes for SU, and the episode in which the Cutie Mark Crusaders finally got their Cutie Marks. Musicals are insane when it comes to this.

And something that you have to realize: While for movies and books certain Beat Sheets (Save the Cat is not the only one) work rather well, those Beat Sheets usually do not work well for Shows. And currently we are living in a time, where this becomes very noticable - because a lot of modern shows are written and aired as basically 4-8 hour movies, using often just the "Save the Cat" beat sheet (if you have read Save the Cat, you will see it EVERYWHERE, because it is so frequently used in western media), but... obviously, Save the Cat is made for something that has 2 hours, and as such a lot of modern media feels strangely slow and stretched out.

Pacing, Streaming, and the supposed "filler episode"

(Yes, this needed to be the gif for this. Because no filler episode has lodged itself quite as strong into my brain as this one.)

So, let me talk about the issue in modern media. Because oh boy.

As I said: I hyperfixated on this specific writing skill forever - and as such I was annoyed by "filler episodes" in TV shows. To explain for the youngest people (not that I am assuming a lot of those are on this hellsite lol): "Filler" was the name given to material that did not move the plot forward at all. So a "filler episode" was an episode, that was just there to fill the episode slot for the week, while no plot was happening. I am not fully sure whether the term originated with anime - but at least back in the early 2000s, before Shonen-Anime were done as 12-26 seasons that then allowed the manga to get ahead in between, "filler" was also the name used for those story arcs that the anime people made up for shows like Naruto, One Piece or Dragonball, that were not in the manga - and hence obviously also never added to any overarching narrative.

And what can I say: We did not appreciate the filler episode enough. Because this related very much to the last part: While filler episodes did indeed not add to the plot and usually by definition did not the character development, they actually still added something often enough.

They allowed the audience to get to know the characters a bit better and get a better feeling for the character relationships - and those episodes take out a bit of speed, which is actually important.

As said before: The pacing should not be even throughout an entire piece of media. In a TV series after an episode that was especially tense and pushed the plot or characters forward a lot, there should be ideally at least one or two episodes that move forward slower or even not at all. This allows the viewer to sit with the new developments for a bit - and of course the characters to have a moment to breathe and process whatever happened to them.

There is also the fact that those episodes usually give the audience a better understanding for the characters - and if you have an audience who at this point ideally care about some the characters, this will even be more successful.

And as I said. Back in ye olden days, a lot of people - me included - complained so much about Filler. But we were wrong. Fillers are amazing, as long as they do not overtake the whole show.

Pacing and Fantasy

Okay, let's talk about a thing, that is somewhat funny. A lot of fantasy - specifically written fantasy media - often has a pacing problem. And this problem comes from the Worldbuilding. Others forms of fantasy media (other than games - though pacing in games is whole different matter) have this too at times, but it tends to be worst in books.

Basically, when you are a fantasy worldbuilder, you have this whole world. And this leaves you with two problems.

a) You are afraid that people will not be able to follow the plot if you not give them a lot of information about this world and how it differs from ours.

b) Well, you build this entire world. And the people should KNOW.

So, a lot of fantasy media basically regularly will stop to explain to the reader or audience, whatever is happening right now. Some writers manage somewhat naturally put this in. Maybe they have a character that does not know a lot about for example magic or dragons, and they can ask questions and act as an audience stand-in. But even in cases, where the worldbuilding is somewhat brought in naturally (which by far is not all of them - because people usually do not naturally talk about stuff they both know, or think a lot about something they find naturally) those "explanation" pieces will make the plot come to a screeching halt.

So, the more worldbuilding you explain, the slower your pacing is.

And of course, pacing is not a reliable thing to keep people reading, and pacing will not always turn people off. But you know how people complain about how slow Lord of the Rings is? This is because of course, every time that Tolkien describes a piece of landscape over multiple pages, there is no plot happening on those pages. And while I personally think some of those descriptions are darn stunning, it is one of those things many people will not like.

However, this makes it a bit complicated. Because yes, worldbuilding explanations will slow down the pacing to a degree that can be problematic. But if you explain too little worldbuilding, people might struggle to follow the story. Which again is the most common problem if the pacing is "too fast" as well. Basically, people do not properly follow the plot and will struggle to understand what is happening and why.

But the opposite is true as well. I have read way too many fantasy books, where after the first 100 pages, I know a lot about the city the plot is set in, or about the magic system, but sadly have so far not been privy to any information what the plot is about, what the characters try to archive, or even who actually the characters are. And that, yeah... Is probably the most common reason why I put aside a variety of fantasy books in the past.

Pacing in Action-media vs anything else

Okay, let me talk about one other thing. See, the word "pacing" is at times used in some other context: In visual media, pacing will be used for the editing of what we see. Basically the amount of cuts that happen within a scene. Or, in a comic, the distribution of panels is also seen as a pacing element.

And anyone who heard people complain about how at times confusing the editing in action movies is, you know that this at times can get too much.

Still, in visual media action scenes feel usually fast - because the characters are moving around rather fast. In a visual piece of media, action scenes are often thrilling, because the characters are in constant danger of dying, and because a lot of stuff is happening. This often works better in visual media, than in written pieces. While it absolutely is possible to write thrilling action scenes, a lot of writers struggle with this, because they tend to overdescribe and that takes the speed out of the prose. But generally speaking, a couple of punches thrown - something that in a movie takes about 10 seconds - will in book easily end up in 200-500 words, which you will not read quite as fast. A bit more about that later.

And then there is the issue with the action scenes, that even is true for visual medial, is that they often really do not have any important plotbeats. Sure, if the characters have their final battle, that is a plot point. But in a lot of action media - especially TV shows - there are a lot of scenes included that really do not add anything, but just are there because folks love watching action scenes.

This goes so far, that people will think a show or movie with a lot of action scene will just be seen as "good fast pacing", even though if the actual pacing in terms of plot beats being spaced out is rather bad. As a good example I will once more nod at the Fast & Furious and the Mission Impossible movies, that often have horrid pacing and very confusing plots - but they do not feel really like it, because the movies are like 60% action scenes, and hence they do not feel like it when you watch them.

It can work at times. I spoke about my love of the F&F movies. Can I tell you a lot of the characters? Nope, but the action scenes are fun to watch!

But this also tends to mean, that in a badly paced movie or show, that is badly paced because the action scenes not adding any plot beats, everything tends to fall apart when the action scenes do not work. And often enough action scenes will still be prioritized over everything else in many of those pieces of media, making things fall apart easily.

Pacing in books vs visual media

I have hinted at this now multiple times: Written media is generally a bit harder to pace than visual media, because of the things you can and cannot control. While a writer in a book has full control over the scenario, a director of a show or movie had actually influence the timeflow of the things happening on screen. As a writer meanwhile you absolutely have no influence on the speed in which your reader will read.

Sure, you can somewhat influence it. Shorter sentences are easier read. An general lower reading level will allow people to read quicker. So simpler words, shorter words, shorter sentences will make parts appear quicker. You can use this for example in action scenes to have a bit more of this breathless feeling that an action scene on screen might have. Use short sentences. Do not link sentences up. Quick hits. Quick impressions. It can work - but it needs some training. Not to say it is fucking hard.

Generally speaking to my experience when you write a single novel, the "Save the Cat" Beat Sheet actually works rather well, if you are the kind of writer who is fairly good at planning things out. If I actually try, I will usually manage to plan out a story and predict fairly well how many words a chapter will have. So yes, for books I can very much use "Save the Cat" and it will work.

However, some things simply work a lot better when you have visual parts going on - but there are other things you can do better when you do not have the visual stuff. For example: A writer can do much more when it comes to motivation and introspection of characters. Yes, this slows down the pacing - but it is something that writing has basically over any form of media that is not a musical. (In a Musical you can characters do introspection through songs. Musicals are the ultimate way of cheating. I love them!)

Something I feel so many writers struggle with in terms of books is actually putting in a clear goal for the character from the beginning. Again: I have put too many books aside where I reached page 100 and did not yet have any goal for the main character.

That goal you give them does not necessarily need to be their final goal. Again: A lot of western storytelling deals with the incongruent nature of a characters "needs" (aka something that would actually help them) with the character's "wants" (aka what they think they would need). But at the very least the plot needs something that it can head towards from the very beginning - a hook to capture the reader.

There might be readers that are absolutely fine with just reading an exercise in worldbuilding - but you cannot expect them to be.

#writing advice #writing #media criticism #fandom meta #media analysis #writing community #writing tips #writing resources #pacing #storytelling #narrative #story structure #streaming #long post

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chatblancofficial · 2 days ago

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IMPORTANT NEED THIS TYT

List of Names

A list full of names you can use for your stories.

Fantasy Names Part I

Fantasy Names Part II

Fantasy Names Part III

Dark Academia Names (Girls)

Dark Academia Names (Boys)

Dark Academia Names (Genderneutral)

German Names (Girls)

German Names (Boys)

German Names (Genderneutral)

Random Names Part I

Random Names Part II

Random Names Part III

Random Names Part IV

Random Names Part V

Random Names Part VI

Random Names Part VII

Random Names Part VIII

Random Names Part IX

Random Names Part X

Names with Cute Nicknames (Girls)

Names with Cute Nicknames (Boys)

Mythological Names Part I

Mythological Names Part II

Botanical Names Part I

Botanical Names Part II

If you like my blog and want to support me, you can buy me a coffee or become a member! And check out my Instagram! 🥰

#writing #writing reference #reference #resources #writing resources #IMPORTANT

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literaryvein-references · 2 months ago

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When your Character...

Gets into: A Fight ⚜ ...Another Fight ⚜ ...Yet Another Fight

Hates Someone ⚜ Kisses Someone ⚜ Falls in Love

Calls Someone they Love ⚜ Dies / Cheats Death ⚜ Drowns

is...

A Ballerina ⚜ A Child ⚜ Interacting with a Child ⚜ A Cheerleader

A Cowboy ⚜ A Genius ⚜ A Lawyer ⚜ A Pirate ⚜ A Spy

A Wheelchair User ⚜ A Zombie ⚜ Beautiful ⚜ Dangerous ⚜ Drunk

Funny ⚜ In a Coma ⚜ In a Secret Society ⚜ Injured ⚜ Shy

needs...

A Magical Item ⚜ An Aphrodisiac ⚜ A Fictional Poison

A Coping Strategy ⚜ A Drink ⚜ A Medicinal Herb ⚜ A Mentor

Money ⚜ A Persuasion Tactic ⚜ A Quirk ⚜ To be Killed Off

To Become Likable ⚜ To Clean a Wound ⚜ To Self-Reflect

To Find the Right Word, but Can't ⚜ To Say No ⚜ To Swear

loves...

Astronomy ⚜ Baking ⚜ Cooking ⚜ Cocktails ⚜ Food ⚜ Oils

Dancing ⚜ Fashion ⚜ Gems ⚜ Herbal Remedies ⚜ Honey

Mushrooms ⚜ Mythology ⚜ Numbers ⚜ Perfumes

Roses ⚜ Sweets ⚜ To Argue ⚜ To Insult ⚜ To Kiss

To Make False Claims ⚜ Wine ⚜ Wine-Tasting ⚜ Yoga

has/experiences...

Allergies ⚜ Amnesia ⚜ Bereavement ⚜ Bites & Stings

Bruises ⚜ Caffeine ⚜ CO Poisoning ⚜ Color Blindness

Facial Hair ⚜ Fainting ⚜ Fevers ⚜ Food Allergies

Food Poisoning ⚜ Fractures ⚜ Frostbite ⚜ Hypothermia

Injuries ⚜ Jet Lag ⚜ Kidnapping ⚜ Manipulation ⚜ Mutism

Pain ⚜ Paranoia ⚜ Poisoning ⚜ More Pain & Violence

Scars ⚜ Trauma ⚜ Viruses ⚜ Wounds

[these are just quick references. more research may be needed to write your story...]

Writing Resources PDFs

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thewatcher727 · 4 months ago

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Writing Description Notes:

Updated 9th September 2024 More writing tips, review tips & writing description notes

Facial Expressions

Masking Emotions

Smiles/Smirks/Grins

Eye Contact/Eye Movements

Blushing

Voice/Tone

Body Language/Idle Movement

Thoughts/Thinking/Focusing/Distracted

Silence

Memories

Happy/Content/Comforted

Love/Romance

Sadness/Crying/Hurt

Confidence/Determination/Hopeful

Surprised/Shocked

Guilt/Regret

Disgusted/Jealous

Uncertain/Doubtful/Worried

Anger/Rage

Laughter

Confused

Speechless/Tongue Tied

Fear/Terrified

Mental Pain

Physical Pain

Tired/Drowsy/Exhausted

Eating

Drinking

Warm/Hot

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deception-united · 8 months ago

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Writing Tips Master Post

Edit: Some posts may be deleted

Character writing/development:

Character Arcs

Making Character Profiles

Character Development

Comic Relief Arc

Internal Conflict

Character Voices

Creating Distinct Characters

Creating Likeable Characters

Writing Strong Female Characters

Writing POC Characters

Building Tension

Plot devices/development:

Intrigue in Storytelling

Enemies to Lovers

Alternatives to Killing Characters

Worldbuilding

Misdirection

Consider Before Killing Characters

Foreshadowing

Narrative:

Emphasising the Stakes

Avoid Info-Dumping

Writing Without Dialogue

1st vs. 2nd vs. 3rd Perspective

Fight Scenes (+ More)

Transitions

Pacing

Writing Prologues

Dialogue Tips

Writing War

Writing Cheating

Worldbuilding:

Worldbuilding: Questions to Consider

Creating Laws/Rules in Fantasy Worlds

Book writing:

Connected vs. Stand-Alone Series

A & B Stories

Writer resources:

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22K notes · View notes

literaryvein-reblogs · 16 hours ago

Text

460 Adjectives

as reference for your next poem/story

BEHAVIOURAL ADJECTIVES

Affectionate - feeling or showing affection or warm regard; loving

Adoring - feeling or showing great affection and devotion

Affable - being pleasant and at ease in talking to others

Amorous - strongly moved by love; enamored

Caring - feeling or showing concern for or kindness to others

Devoted - characterized by loyalty and devotion

Loving - affectionate

Sweet - pleasing to the mind or feelings; agreeable, gratifying

Sympathetic - given to, marked by, or arising from sympathy, compassion, friendliness, and sensitivity to others' emotions

Tenderhearted - easily moved to love, pity, or sorrow; compassionate, impressionable

Agreeable - ready or willing to agree or consent; being in harmony

Courteous - marked by respect for and consideration of others

Decorous - marked by propriety and good taste; correct

Gallant - nobly chivalrous and often self-sacrificing

Gracious - marked by kindness and courtesy

Pleasant - having qualities that tend to give pleasure; agreeable

Polite - marked by an appearance of consideration, tact, deference, or courtesy

Respectful - marked by or showing respect or deference

Well-behaved - behaving in a polite or correct way

Well-mannered - having good manners; polite

Amiable - friendly, sociable, and congenial; generally agreeable

Affable - being pleasant and at ease in talking to others

Congenial - sociable, genial

Convivial - relating to, occupied with, or fond of feasting, drinking, and good company

Cordial - showing or marked by warm and often hearty friendliness, favor, or approval

Friendly - serving a beneficial or helpful purpose

Genial - marked by or freely expressing sympathy or friendliness

Hospitable - promising or suggesting generous and friendly welcome

Warm - marked by or readily showing affection, gratitude, cordiality, or sympathy

Welcoming - to greet hospitably and with courtesy or cordiality

Cheerful - full of good spirits; merry

Buoyant - cheerful, gay

Cheery - marked by cheerfulness or good spirits

Forward-looking - concerned with or planning for the future

Hopeful - full of hope; inclined to hope

Lighthearted - cheerfully optimistic and hopeful; easygoing

Optimistic - of, relating to, or characterized by optimism; feeling or showing hope for the future

Positive - marked by optimism

Sanguine - marked by eager hopefulness; confidently optimistic

Upbeat - cheerful, optimistic

Clever - mentally quick and resourceful

Astute - mentally sharp or clever

Bright - intelligent, clever

Brilliant - distinguished by unusual mental keenness or alertness

Intelligent - guided or directed by intellect; rational

Knowledgeable - having or showing knowledge or intelligence

Quick-witted - quick in perception and understanding

Sharp - keen in intellect; quick-witted

Smart - intelligent, bright; witty, clever

Wise - marked by deep understanding, keen discernment, and a capacity for sound judgment

Eloquent - marked by forceful and fluent expression

Articulate - expressing oneself readily, clearly, and effectively

Graceful - displaying grace in form or action

Influential - exerting or possessing influence (i.e., the act or power of producing an effect without apparent exertion of force or direct exercise of command)

Persuasive - tending to persuade (i.e., to plead with; urge)

Poised - marked by easy composure of manner or bearing

Refined - fastidious, cultivated

Silver-tongued - marked by convincing and eloquent expression

Smooth-tongued - ingratiating in speech; persuasive

Well-spoken - speaking well, fitly, or courteously

Good-natured - of a pleasant and cooperative disposition

Benevolent - marked by or disposed to doing good

Big-hearted - generous, charitable

Compassionate - having or showing compassion; sympathetic

Considerate - thoughtful of the rights and feelings of others

Good-hearted - having a kindly generous disposition

Helpful - of service or assistance; useful

Kind - of a sympathetic or helpful nature

Nice - polite, kind

Thoughtful - given to or chosen or made with heedful anticipation of the needs and wants of others

Patient - not hasty or impetuous; steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity

Accommodating - willing to please; helpful, obliging

Forbearing - to hold oneself back from especially with an effort

Forgiving - willing or able to forgive (i.e., pardon)

Long-suffering - patiently enduring lasting offense or hardship

Stoical - firmly restraining response to pain or distress

Tolerant - permitting or accepting something (such as a behavior or belief) that one does not like

Uncomplaining - not complaining; patient

Understanding - endowed with understanding; tolerant, sympathetic

Unexcitable - not responsive to stimuli

Reflective - marked by reflection; thoughtful, deliberative

Contemplative - marked by or given to contemplation (i.e., an act of considering with attention)

Insightful - exhibiting or characterized by insight (i.e., the act or result of apprehending the inner nature of things or of seeing intuitively)

Introspective - characterized by examination of one's own thoughts and feelings; thoughtfully reflective

Inward-looking - more interested in themselves than in other people or societies

Meditative - marked by or conducive to meditation (i.e., a discourse intended to express its author's reflections or to guide others in contemplation)

Pensive - musingly or dreamily thoughtful

Self-analyzing - relating to or using self-analysis (i.e., a systematic attempt by an individual to understand his or her own personality without the aid of another person)

Self-examining - a reflective examination (as of one's beliefs or motives); introspective

Self-observing - introspective

Sensible - having, containing, or indicative of good sense or reason

Analytical - skilled in or using analysis especially in thinking or reasoning

Cerebral - primarily intellectual in nature

Judicious - having, exercising, or characterized by sound judgment

Logical - capable of reasoning or of using reason in an orderly cogent fashion

Practical - actively engaged in some course of action or occupation

Pragmatic - relating to matters of fact or practical affairs often to the exclusion of intellectual or artistic matters; practical

Rational - relating to, based on, or agreeable to reason

Realistic - able to see things as they really are and to deal with them in a practical way

Reasonable - being in accordance with reason

Valiant - possessing or acting with bravery or boldness

Adventurous - disposed to seek adventure or to cope with the new and unknown

Bold - fearless before danger

Courageous - having or characterized by courage; brave

Dauntless - incapable of being intimidated or subdued

Fearless - free from fear

Gallant - spirited, brave

Heroic - exhibiting or marked by courage and daring

Plucky - spirited, brave

Valorous - valiant

Apprehensive - viewing the future with anxiety or alarm

Doubtful - marked by qualities that raise doubts about worth, honesty, or validity

Hesitant - slow to act or proceed (as from fear, indecision, or unwillingness)

Insecure - beset by fear and anxiety

Mistrustful - to be suspicious

Self-conscious - uncomfortably conscious of oneself as an object of the observation of others; ill at ease

Self-doubting - timid, diffident, insecure

Self-effacing - having or showing a tendency to make oneself modestly or shyly inconspicuous

Uncertain - not having certain knowledge; doubtful

Unconfident - lacking in confidence; unsure

Disillusioned - having lost faith or trust in something formerly regarded as good or valuable

Bleak - not hopeful or encouraging; depressing

Cynical - contemptuously distrustful of human nature and motives

Defeatist - an attitude of accepting, expecting, or being resigned to defeat

Downbeat - pessimistic, gloomy

Fatalistic - hacing a belief or attitude determined by a doctrine that events are fixed in advance so that human beings are powerless to change them

Hardened - callous

Negative - marked by features of hostility, withdrawal, or pessimism

Pessimistic - of, relating to, or characterized by pessimism; gloomy

Skeptical - relating to, characteristic of, or marked by skepticism (i.e., an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object)

Dull - tedious, uninteresting

Bland - dull, insipid

Boring - causing weariness and restlessness through lack of interest

Charmless - unattractive or unpleasant

Stodgy - boring, dull

Tiresome - wearisome, tedious

Uncharismatic - lacking charisma (i.e., a special magnetic charm or appeal)

Unexciting - not exciting; dull, commonplace

Uninspiring - not having an animating or exalting effect

Uninteresting - not attracting interest or attention

Fierce - violently hostile or aggressive in temperament

Aggressive - marked by obtrusive energy and self-assertiveness

Antagonistic - showing dislike or opposition

Argumentative - having or showing a tendency to disagree or argue with other people in an angry way; disputatious

Bellicose - favoring or inclined to start quarrels or wars

Belligerent - inclined to or exhibiting assertiveness, hostility, or combativeness

Confrontational - clashing of forces or ideas; conflict

Defiant - full of or showing a disposition to challenge, resist, or fight; bold, impudent

Hostile - marked by malevolence; having or showing unfriendly feelings

Violent - emotionally agitated to the point of using harmful physical force

Impassive - giving no sign of feeling or emotion

Aloof - removed or distant either physically or emotionally

Apathetic - having or showing little or no interest, concern, or emotion

Cold - marked by a lack of the warmth of normal human emotion, friendliness, or compassion

Detached - exhibiting an aloof objectivity usually free from prejudice or self-interest

Dispassionate - not affected by personal or emotional involvement

Expressionless - lacking expression

Indifferent - marked by a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern for something

Stoic - not affected by or showing passion or feeling

Unemotional - not easily aroused or excited; cold

Lethargic - of, relating to, or characterized by laziness or lack of energy

Idle - not occupied or employed

Inactive - not active; sedentary

Indolent - averse to activity, effort, or movement; habitually lazy

Inert - very slow to move or act

Languid - sluggish in character or disposition; listless

Lazy - disinclined to activity or exertion; not energetic or vigorous

Slothful - inclined to sloth; indolent

Slow-moving - slow-footed, slowgoing

Sluggish - averse to activity or exertion; indolent; torpid

Mysterious - exciting wonder, curiosity, or surprise while baffling efforts to comprehend or identify; mystifying

Closemouthed - cautious in speaking; uncommunicative; also: secretive

Discreet - having or showing discernment or good judgment in conduct and especially in speech; prudent

Enigmatic - of, relating to, or resembling an enigma; mysterious

Evasive - tending or intended to evade; equivocal

Inscrutable - not readily investigated, interpreted, or understood; mysterious

Secretive - disposed to secrecy; not open or outgoing in speech, activity, or purposes

Taciturn - temperamentally disinclined to talk

Tight-lipped - reluctant to speak; taciturn

Uncommunicative - not disposed to talk or impart information; reserved

Odious - arousing or deserving hatred or repugnance; hateful

Abhorrent - causing or deserving strong dislike or hatred; being so repugnant as to stir up positive antagonism

Despicable - deserving to be despised; so worthless or obnoxious as to rouse moral indignation

Detestable - arousing or meriting intense dislike; abominable

Hateful - full of hate; malicious; deserving of or arousing hate

Horrible - extremely bad or unpleasant

Loathsome - giving rise to loathing; disgusting

Unkind - not pleasing or mild; inclement; harsh, cruel

Vicious - dangerously aggressive; savage

Vile - morally despicable or abhorrent

Presumptuous - overstepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy); taking liberties

Audacious - intrepidly daring; adventurous; recklessly bold

Bad-mannered - discourteous, disrespectful, ill-bred, impolite

Churlish - of, resembling, or characteristic of a churl; vulgar

Discourteous - lacking courtesy; rude

Disrespectful - to show or express disrespect or contempt for; insult, dis

Ill-mannered - having bad manners; rude

Impolite - not polite; rude

Impudent - marked by contemptuous or cocky boldness or disregard of others; insolent

Rude - offensive in manner or action; discourteous

Prickly - vexatious; easily irritated

Bad-tempered - easily annoyed or angered; surly, ill-tempered

Cantankerous - difficult or irritating to deal with

Crabby - easily irritated; peevish and irritable; grouchy

Curmudgeonly - (especially of an old person) bad-tempered and negative

Grouchy - given to grumbling; peevish

Ill-natured - having a bad disposition; cross, surly

Irritable - easily exasperated or excited

Sensitive - highly responsive or susceptible

Surly - irritably sullen and churlish in mood or manner; crabbed

Proud - having or displaying excessive self-esteem

Cocky - boldly or brashly self-confident

Conceited - having or showing an excessively high opinion of oneself

Haughty - blatantly and disdainfully proud; having or showing an attitude of superiority and contempt for people or things perceived to be inferior

Overbearing - harshly and haughtily arrogant

Overconfident - excessively or unjustifiably confident; having too much confidence (as in one's abilities or judgment)

Pompous - having or exhibiting self-importance; arrogant

Smug - highly self-satisfied

Snobbish - being, characteristic of, or befitting a snob (i.e., one who has an offensive air of superiority in matters of knowledge or taste)

Supercilious - coolly and patronizingly haughty

Silly - exhibiting or indicative of a lack of common sense or sound judgment

Brainless - devoid of intelligence

Dense - slow to understand

Foolish - having or showing a lack of good sense, judgment, or discretion

Idiotic - showing complete lack of thought or common sense

Ignorant - destitute of knowledge or education; unaware, uninformed

Mindless - marked by or displaying no use of the powers of the intellect

Slow-witted - mentally slow

Vapid - acking flavor, zest, interest, animation, or spirit; flat, dull

Witless - lacking wit or understanding; foolish

Talkative - given to talking

Babbling - idle, foolish, or nonsensical talk or chatter

Blathering - engaging in or characterized by foolish or nonsensical talk or writing

Chatty - fond of chatting; talkative

Conversational - given to conversation

Garrulous - given to prosy, rambling, or tedious loquacity; pointlessly or annoyingly talkative

Gossipy - characterized by, full of, or given to gossip (i.e., rumor or report of an intimate nature)

Loquacious - given to fluent or excessive talk; garrulous

Rambling - straying from subject to subject

Verbose - given to wordiness

Timid - lacking in courage or self-confidence

Bashful - socially shy or timid

Diffident - reserved, unassertive

Introverted - possessing a reserved or quiet nature typically with an inclination to solitude

Meek - deficient in spirit and courage; submissive

Reserved - restrained in words and actions

Reticent - inclined to be silent or uncommunicative in speech

Sheepish - meek, timid

Shy - easily frightened; timid

Withdrawn - socially detached and unresponsive

Tightfisted - reluctant to part with money

Avaricious - greedy of gain; excessively acquisitive especially in seeking to hoard riches

Close-fisted - unwilling to spend money; stingy

Miserly - marked by grasping meanness and penuriousness

Parsimonious - frugal to the point of stinginess; sparing

Penny-pinching - frugal

Penurious - given to or marked by extreme stinting frugality

Scroogelike - not generous with money; miserly

Stingy - not generous or liberal; sparing or scant in using, giving, or spending

Ungenerous - not generous; petty, mean; stingy

EMOTIONAL ADJECTIVES

Angry - feeling or showing anger (i.e., a strong feeling of displeasure and usually of antagonism)

Enraged - very angry; furious

Furious - exhibiting or goaded by anger

Incensed - very angry; enraged

Infuriated - furiously angry

Irate - roused to ire; arising from anger

Raging - causing great pain or distress

Seething - constantly moving or active; agitated

Upset - emotionally disturbed or agitated

Wrathful - filled with wrath; irate

Calm - free from agitation, excitement, or disturbance; still

Peaceful - untroubled by conflict, agitation, or commotion

Relaxed - easy of manner

Sedate - keeping a quiet steady attitude or pace; unruffled

Serene - marked by or suggestive of utter calm and unruffled repose or quietude

Tranquil - free from agitation of mind or spirit

Unbothered - not feeling or showing agitation, worry, or annoyance

Unflappable - marked by assurance and self-control

Unperturbed - not worried, upset, or disquieted

Untroubled - not given trouble; not made uneasy; calm

Cheerful - conducive to cheer; likely to dispel gloom or worry

Beaming - radiant; bright; smiling brightly; cheerful

Content - contented, satisfied

Gleeful - full of glee; merry

Happy - glad, pleased

Jocular - characterized by jesting; playful

Jovial - characterized by good-humored cheerfulness and conviviality; jolly

Joyful - experiencing, causing, or showing joy; happy

Merry - full of gaiety or high spirits; mirthful

Radiant - marked by or expressive of love, confidence, or happiness

Content - contented, satisfied

Appreciative - having or showing appreciation (i.e., a feeling or expression of admiration, approval, or gratitude)

Fulfilled - feeling happiness and satisfaction

Grateful - appreciative of benefits received

Gruntled - in good humor; happy, contented

Pleased - feeling or showing pleasure and satisfaction, especially at an event or a situation

Satisfied - pleased or content with what has been experienced or received

Thankful - well pleased; glad

Untroubled - not given trouble; not made uneasy

Unworried - not afflicted with mental distress or agitation

Disgruntled - unhappy and annoyed

Agitated - troubled in mind; disturbed and upset

Annoyed - feeling or showing angry irritation

Cross - marked by typically transitory bad temper

Distressed - of, relating to, or experiencing economic decline or difficulty

Exasperated - having or showing strong feelings of irritation or annoyance

Irritable - easily exasperated or excited

Resentful - full of resentment (i.e., a feeling of indignant displeasure or persistent ill will at something regarded as a wrong, insult, or injury)

Stressed - subjected to or affected by stress (i.e., bodily or mental tension)

Vexed - feeling or showing irritation, annoyance, or distress

Jealous - hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage

Begrudging - said, done, or given reluctantly; grudging

Bitter - exhibiting intense animosity

Covetous - marked by inordinate desire for wealth or possessions or for another's possessions

Desirous - impelled or governed by desire (i.e., conscious impulse toward something that promises enjoyment or satisfaction in its attainment)

Envious - feeling or showing envy

Grudging - unwilling, reluctant

Malicious - having or showing a desire to cause harm to someone; given to, marked by, or arising from malice (i.e., desire to cause pain, injury, or distress to another)

Resentful - caused or marked by resentment (i.e., a feeling of indignant displeasure or persistent ill will at something regarded as a wrong, insult, or injury)

Spiteful - filled with or showing spite; malicious

Lively - briskly alert and energetic; vigorous, animated

Animated - full of vigor and spirit; lively

Elated - marked by high spirits; exultant

Electrified - to excite intensely or suddenly

Energetic - operating with or marked by vigor or effect

Enthusiastic - filled with or marked by enthusiasm (i.e., strong excitement of feeling)

Excited - having, showing, or characterized by a heightened state of energy, enthusiasm, eagerness, etc.

Exhilarated - very happy and excited or elated

Spirited - full of energy, animation, or courage

Thrilled - extremely pleased and excited

Unhappy - not cheerful or glad; sad, wretched

Crestfallen - feeling shame or humiliation; dejected

Dejected - low in spirits; depressed

Gloomy - low in spirits; melancholy

Glum - broodingly morose

Grief-stricken - very sad; deeply affected by grief

Melancholic - of, relating to, or subject to melancholy; depressed

Miserable - being in a pitiable state of distress or unhappiness

Sad - affected with or expressive of grief or unhappiness; downcast

Sorrowful - expressive of or inducing sorrow (i.e., resultant unhappy or unpleasant state)

PHYSICAL ADJECTIVES

Aged - grown old

Ancient - having had an existence of many years; venerable

Centenarian - one that is 100 years old or older

Elderly - of, relating to, or characteristic of later life or elderly persons

Gray-haired - having gray hair; of or relating to old age or old people

Mature - of, relating to, or being an older adult; elderly

Nonagenarian - a person whose age is in the nineties

Old - advanced in years or age

Senior - a person older than another; of, relating to, or intended for seniors

Wrinkled - to become marked with or contracted into wrinkles

Attractive - arousing interest or pleasure; charming

Beautiful - having qualities of beauty; exciting aesthetic pleasure

Dashing - marked by vigorous action; spirited

Fetching - attractive, appealing

Good-looking - having a pleasing or attractive appearance

Gorgeous - splendidly or showily brilliant or magnificent

Handsome - having a pleasing and usually impressive or dignified appearance

Pretty - having conventionally accepted elements of beauty

Striking - attracting attention or notice through unusual or conspicuous qualities

Stunning - strikingly impressive especially in beauty or excellence

Average - not out of the ordinary; common

Forgettable - fit or likely to be forgotten

Homely - plain or unattractive in appearance

Mediocre - of moderate or low quality, value, ability, or performance

Ordinary-looking - not different or special or unexpected in any way; usual

Plain - lacking ornament; undecorated

Plain-featured - ordinary

Plain-looking - not beautiful, distinctive, or remarkable in appearance; normal

Unexceptional - not out of the ordinary; commonplace

Unremarkable - unworthy or unlikely to be noticed; not remarkable; common, ordinary

Feeble - markedly lacking in strength

Decrepit - wasted and weakened by or as if by the infirmities of old age

Delicate - not robust in health or constitution; weak, sickly

Doddering - showing or involving a loss of physical or cognitive abilities in old age

Frail - easily broken or destroyed; fragile; physically weak

Infirm - of poor or deteriorated vitality, especially: feeble from age

Sickly - somewhat unwell, also : habitually ailing

Unwell - being in poor health; ailing, sick

Wan - suggestive of poor health; sickly, pallid

Weak - lacking strength

Muscular - of or relating to physical strength; full-bodied

Athletic - vigorous, active

Brawny - muscular, also: strong, powerful

Burly - strongly and heavily built

Fit - sound physically and mentally

Herculean - of extraordinary power, extent, intensity, or difficulty

Powerful - having great power, prestige, or influence

Robust - having or exhibiting strength or vigorous health

Strong - having or marked by great physical power

Sturdy - firmly built or constituted

Short - having little length; not tall or high

Diminutive - exceptionally or notably small

Little - not big

Petite - having a small trim figure

Pint-sized - small

Short-legged - having short legs, particularly in proportion to one's body

Small - having comparatively little size or slight dimensions

Stubby - being short and thick

Teeny - tiny

Tiny - very small or diminutive; minute

Sophisticated - deprived of native or original simplicity

Chic - cleverly stylish; smart

Dapper - neat and trim in appearance

Dignified - showing or expressing dignity (i.e., formal reserve or seriousness of manner, appearance, or language)

Elegant - of a high grade or quality; splendid

Majestic - having or exhibiting majesty; stately

Noble - possessing outstanding qualities; illustrious

Regal - of notable excellence or magnificence; splendid

Stately - marked by lofty or imposing dignity; haughty

Stylish - conforming to current fashion

Stout - bulky in body

Big - large or great in dimensions, bulk, or extent

Chubby - somewhat fat; having a full, rounded form

Heavy - having great weight

Large - exceeding most other things of like kind especially in quantity or size

Overweight - exceeding expected, normal, or proper weight

Plump - having a full rounded usually pleasing form

Plus-size - extra large

Portly - heavy or rotund of body; stout

Potbellied - having a potbelly (i.e., an enlarged, swollen, or protruding abdomen)

Tall - high in stature

Colossal - of, relating to, or resembling a colossus (i.e., a person or thing of immense size or power)

Gangling - tall, thin, and awkwardly built; lanky, gangly

Giant - having extremely large size, proportion, or power

Gigantic - exceeding the usual or expected (as in size, force, or prominence)

Long-legged - having long legs

Massive - forming or consisting of a large mass; bulky; weighty

Monstrous - having extraordinary often overwhelming size

Statuesque - having a tall and shapely form

Towering - impressively high or great; imposing

Thin - not well fleshed; lean

Angular - lean and having prominent bone structure

Bony - having prominent bones

Lean - lacking or deficient in flesh

Scrawny - exceptionally thin and slight or meager in body or size

Skinny - lacking usual or desirable bulk, quantity, qualities, or significance

Slender - spare in frame or flesh, especially: gracefully slight

Slim - of small diameter or thickness in proportion to the height or length; slender

Underweight - weighing less than the normal or requisite amount

Willowy - pliant; gracefully tall and slender

Unattractive - not attractive; plain, dull

Ugly - offensive to the sight; hideous

Displeasing - to incur the disapproval or dislike of especially by annoying; to give displeasure

Hideous - offensive to the senses and especially to sight; exceedingly ugly

Ghastly - terrifyingly horrible to the senses; frightening

Repulsive - tending to repel or reject; cold, forbidding; arousing aversion or disgust

Unpleasant - not pleasant; not amiable or agreeable; displeasing

Grotesque - fanciful, bizarre; absurdly incongruous; departing markedly from the natural, the expected, or the typical

Revolting - extremely offensive

Unsightly - not pleasing to the sight; not comely

Young - being in the first or an early stage of life, growth, or development

Adolescent - of, relating to, or being in adolescence; emotionally or intellectually immature

Boyish - of, like, or characteristic of a male child or young man

Childlike - resembling, suggesting, or appropriate to a child or childhood, especially: marked by innocence, trust, and ingenuousness

Girlish - of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a girl or girlhood

Juvenile - reflecting psychological or intellectual immaturity; childish

Immature - exhibiting less than an expected degree of maturity

Teenaged - of, being, relating to, or intended for teenagers (i,e., someone who is between 13 and 19 years old)

Underage - of less than mature or legal age

Youthful - having the vitality or freshness of youth; vigorous

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs +600 Traits ⚜ 170 Quirks ⚜ 200+ Character Quirks ⚜ Types of Adjectives

#character development #character building #writeblr #writing reference #psychology #personality #traits #dark academia #spilled ink #creative writing #light academia #literature #writers on tumblr #poets on tumblr #writing prompt #character description #poetry #original character #writing resources

222 notes · View notes

allthingswhumpyandangsty · 6 months ago

Text

HOW TO WRITE A CHARACTER WHO IS IN PAIN

first thing you might want to consider: is the pain mental or physical?

if it’s physical, what type of pain is it causing? — sharp pain, white-hot pain, acute pain, dull ache, throbbing pain, chronic pain, neuropathic pain (typically caused by nerve damage), etc

if it’s mental, what is the reason your character is in pain? — grief, heartbreak, betrayal, anger, hopelessness, fear and anxiety, etc

because your character will react differently to different types of pain

PHYSICAL PAIN

sharp and white-hot pain may cause a character to grit their teeth, scream, moan, twist their body. their skin may appear pale, eyes red-rimmed and sunken with layers of sweat covering their forehead. they may have tears in their eyes (and the tears may feel hot), but they don’t necessarily have to always be crying.

acute pain may be similar to sharp and white-hot pain; acute pain is sudden and urgent and often comes without a warning, so your character may experience a hitched breathing where they suddenly stop what they’re doing and clench their hand at the spot where it hurts with widened eyes and open mouth (like they’re gasping for air).

dull ache and throbbing pain can result in your character wanting to lay down and close their eyes. if it’s a headache, they may ask for the lights to be turned off and they may be less responsive, in the sense that they’d rather not engage in any activity or conversation and they’d rather be left alone. they may make a soft whimper from their throat from time to time, depends on their personality (if they don’t mind others seeing their discomfort, they may whimper. but if your character doesn’t like anyone seeing them in a not-so-strong state, chances are they won’t make any sound, they might even pretend like they’re fine by continuing with their normal routine, and they may or may not end up throwing up or fainting).

if your character experience chronic pain, their pain will not go away (unlike any other illnesses or injuries where the pain stops after the person is healed) so they can feel all these types of sharp pain shooting through their body. there can also be soreness and stiffness around some specific spots, and it will affect their life. so your character will be lucky if they have caretakers in their life. but are they stubborn? do they accept help from others or do they like to pretend like they’re fine in front of everybody until their body can’t take it anymore and so they can no longer pretend?

neuropathic pain or nerve pain will have your character feeling these senses of burning, shooting and stabbing sensation, and the pain can come very suddenly and without any warning — think of it as an electric shock that causes through your character’s body all of a sudden. your character may yelp or gasp in shock, how they react may vary depends on the severity of the pain and how long it lasts.

EMOTIONAL PAIN

grief can make your character shut themself off from their friends and the world in general. or they can also lash out at anyone who tries to comfort them. (five states of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and eventual acceptance.)

heartbreak — your character might want to lock themself in a room, anywhere where they are unseen. or they may want to pretend that everything’s fine, that they’re not hurt. until they break down.

betrayal can leave a character with confusion, the feelings of ‘what went wrong?’, so it’s understandable if your character blames themself at first, that maybe it’s their fault because they’ve somehow done something wrong somewhere that caused the other character to betray them. what comes after confusion may be anger. your character can be angry at the person who betrayed them and at themself, after they think they’ve done something wrong that resulted in them being betrayed, they may also be angry at themself next for ‘falling’ for the lies and for ‘being fooled’. so yes, betrayal can leave your character with the hatred that’s directed towards the character who betrayed them and themself. whether or not your character can ‘move on and forgive’ is up to you.

there are several ways a character can react to anger; they can simply lash out, break things, scream and yell, or they can also go complete silent. no shouting, no thrashing the place. they can sit alone in silence and they may cry. anger does make people cry. it mostly won’t be anything like ‘ugly sobbing’ but your character’s eyes can be bloodshot, red-rimmed and there will be tears, only that there won’t be any sobbing in most cases.

hopelessness can be a very valid reason for it, if you want your character to do something reckless or stupid. most people will do anything if they’re desperate enough. so if you want your character to run into a burning building, jump in front of a bullet, or confess their love to their archenemy in front of all their friends, hopelessness is always a valid reason. there’s no ‘out of character’ if they are hopeless and are desperate enough.

fear and anxiety. your character may be trembling, their hands may be shaky. they may lose their appetite. they may be sweaty and/or bouncing their feet. they may have a panic attack if it’s severe enough.

and I think that’s it for now! feel free to add anything I may have forgotten to mention here!

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