Reblogged this on Plaisted Publishing House and commented: (especially of a person) having an untidy or dishevelled appearance: Find more words at wordhippo.com! How do you feel? A cold smile can indicate a more sinister nature without you having to work very hard at making them seem that way. My eyes are wide with admiration. Her non-fiction includes over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, reviews as anAmazon Vine Voice, a columnist forNEA Today, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Were so far beyond beady eyes arent we? Understanding the characteristics of each expression is the first step towards knowing how to properly describe them in your own writing. 'Unlike Fred who is a creature of habit, I am far more fickle, always in need of new experiences, change and variety.' Collins: fickle adjective Caught her peeking at Hawk sideways out of a narrow corner of her right eye. Ill get more into how to write complex expressions later though, so read on! Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Of course, somebody can be sleepy tired as well as fatigued. 5 How to Describe a Character's Body. How does your character stand? There's that "second wind" thing, when the adrenalin gets moving again. rev2023.3.1.43266. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? You could take the objective approach, which would do just fine in most cases, or you could toy with your readers perceptions. Thanks for sharing! However, the context of the situation is usually enough to tip the readers off to which emotion the character is feeling. Thats so dry, and its not fun to read. Youre telling the story as they experience it, so their judgments are part of the narrative! If a character has an exaggerated feature, such as a large nose or bushy eyebrows, then thats important to mention too. As I feel my consciousness ebbing away, as clear and concise as it was mere moments ago, it was coming to an end. lethargy. Slick, greasy, or wispy hair could suggest an untrustworthy or sneaky character. These will definitely help me in my writing! Im not lazy, or making my pain up, when I say something is too much its because Im already in more pain than you realize. Jenni J. Body language is an often overlooked element of describing a character, but you should give it some thought even if you dont intend to draw a lot of attention to it in the story. Is there a way to only permit open-source mods for my video game to stop plagiarism or at least enforce proper attribution? 19. Just be sure to take notes so you don't forget the immediate sensations. The man is ugly. It appears you entered an invalid email. Getting back to bed is priority one because nothing wants to move arms and legs feel weighted down and being up is more tiring than anything else done that day. Danielle M. It feels like you havent slept for weeks, youve been hit by a train, and every movement is running a marathon all wrapped up in one. Katie P. Swimming in a fur coat after running a marathon. 2 How to Describe a Character's Face. Yikes! Remember, your protagonist can make speculative judgments about the character theyre looking at. Awesome. Chewing on one's lip. You can further elaborate on their appearance later when it is relevant, and describe their gait, posture, temperament, and more. Here are ten of my favorite slag expressions and words that can take your English conversation beyond just "tired.". Symptoms are likely to be dealt with by a GP on an individual basis. (Not by choice, just busy all the time) she only slept when she absolutely needed to, because everyone else needed her. Sometimes my thoughts gets stuck and I need something to give it a kick start. Surprise functions differently from the other universal emotions. A smile can mean many things, and it can even foreshadow a characters hidden traits. Thanks, Patricia. How do they emote? If only I had a photographic memory as long as I didnt have to sacrifice my busy, sometimes all over the place, creative mind. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. To write about microexpressions, all you need to do is show little hints of one or more different features of the full expression, but make sure to note that it is only on the characters face for a brief moment in time. 72 Ways to Describe Sound | WordDreams sheridegrom - From the literary and legislative trenches. Ill start out with a word of caution. Thanks for your help Jaqui. Complexity also means that sadness is often experienced in tandem with another emotion, such as anger, happiness, or disgust. And saw. People cant see the fatigue, so they dont understand. Pingback: 10 Hits and Misses for 2016 | WordDreams Pingback: 10 Hits and Misses for 2015 | WordDreams Pingback: 65 Ways to Describe Sight and Eyes in Your Writing Contin Illustrations. Narrowed his eyes is on this list and Im sure thats been used thousands of times in manuscripts for many, many years. It feels like my body is weighted down and I am trying to walk uphill. When describing a characters face, the easiest way to do that is to first break the face down into its essential parts: the eyes, the mouth, the nose, and the facial structure. I love posts like this, Jacqui. The word "dog-tired" means very tired. Well, isnt that thorough. I lose things, cant find my keys or glasses. If, for instance, you're writing in a humorous tone, utilize humorous language to describe the person. For another example, think about two characters who both have light skin. With that said, dont get too caught up in describing every detail of a characters face. In this free English class you'll learn words like: scooter, rollerblades, skateboard, electric skateboard, electric bike, ATV, kayak, motorcycle, moped, hang glider, wingsuit, side-by . Is it warm, authentic, humorless, mocking, or cruel? For example: His face relaxed, but I could still see the faint outline of wrinkles around his eyeseyes which seemed to sparkle ever so slightly despite the dullness of the room. / I was absolutely petrified. A person you describe as athletic is someone who is slim and has very little fat on their body. You know that keeping things vague and simple or including overused adverbs to simplify descriptions can impact the flow of your story as a whole. You don't have to be an expert to write; you just have to enjoy it. I want to describe the look someone gives another person when the former is deliberately feigning interest in a way meant to convey mockery and contempt. Brilliant Jacqui thank you. Attractive. Other people staring at the character or nudging and whispering to each other about them would help your reader understand that the character is good-looking, and alter their mental image of them accordingly. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Person A says something person B finds ridiculous or uninteresting. The man is fat. Instead of just dialogue, you can give readers more to imagine as your character shifts their weight, runs their hand through their hair, or twists the hem of their shirt. A disgusted expression affects the entire face, like so: Youve probably also read she recoiled in disgust before, since thats another popular writing clich. It won't be sorted out by having a good night's sleep or a kip in the afternoon. I'm bushed Bushed comes from the word "bush" which is a short tree-like plant that lives in . Additionally, by giving your characters more distinct appearances, they will stand out more from each other, and from characters in other stories. eyes narrowed, she got a vertical wrinkle between her eyebrows. Lifting one's chin. What are the consequences of overstaying in the Schengen area by 2 hours? Someone who is altruistic always puts others first. Use In A Sentence: I am dead tired. Answer by Gayle Laakmann McDowell: Forget about the word offensive. It could beand some of them are so outstanding, genre readers would recognize them for where they came from. i love the first one about the bullshit meter. - Character Development. That word confuses a lot of people and causes silly debate over what qualifies as harm. Aquileana . These really caught my attention. Other Words for "Thin" or "Small" Slender Thin, in a pretty or elegant kind of way. Tears first pool in the eyes before they streak down a persons cheeks. 3. Tears distort vision, so if youre writing in the first person, dont forget that your characters vision will be blurry. Time. Janelle F. Its like having your body filled with wet sand. Golden hair, a heart-shaped face, a chiseled body, piercing eyes, yadda yadda The problem with these descriptions is that theyre bland, theyre clich, and they dont really help your characters stand out. To describe a person's serious illness, they say "sick as a dog". Leaving me in a loop of pain, lack of sleep and a body that feels like a concrete brick. Nicole E. I always tell people its like filling my body with sand and asking me to walk through molasses. One of the most common ways to describe people is with adjectives: tall, short, fat, skinny, pretty, handsome, ugly. also, a good reminder about copyright . One of my favorite lists is finding words to use instead of said. You should alternate between those two, as well as general and more specific details, to make the description flow more naturally, and to make it more interesting to read. Was Galileo expecting to see so many stars? Great examples. Shoulders, feetthey can be ignored, but not whats communicated with eyes. try these phrases on for size: 'Let me draw you a bath.'. . A number of words and phrases describe a lack of hair. A side character who's a jock might wear sports attire. There are so many ways to describe crying that I couldnt possibly cover all of them here, but Ill give you a few pieces of advice: So, sadness is a complex emotionbut what does that really mean? That can make them stand out more, and it can be a really clear indicator that they are special. How do I handle an unequal romantic pairing in a world with superpowers? Derivation of Autocovariance Function of First-Order Autoregressive Process. ? she gasps, narrowing her eyes at the drooling monster in front of her. This has helped me so much! Gazing in direction of perceived hazard. Beauty is subjective, so each reader is going to have a different idea of what attractive means. Read more. For now, the eyes have it. Compassion, sympathy. Sometimes the best way to describe eyes is by using a term that refers to a medical condition or a symptom that affects the eyes. You feel like theres someone dragging all energy from your body. Opposite to the point above, you shouldnt make your introductions too short. The upper eyelids are drooped and the person who is sad usually looks down. The signs that a character is feeling contempt are: This emotion is not a passionate one, meaning the expression is typically somewhat subtle. I did not think using a common phrase would be considered infringement. A third term is unkempt, originally a variant of "uncombed"; the literal sense is no longer consciously present for most people, and the word is more often used of persons than specifically hair, but you may certainly speak of "unkempt hair": /nkm (p)t/. Can I call it plagiarism if I see phrases I used in my book? Panic tends to be a sharp, concentrated form of anxiety. To Be Dead Tired Meaning: to be exhausted. Eyes bleary from surveillance and the two-hour drive, studied her with a predators unwavering attention, Stared off into the crowd but didnt seem to see anything, Looked at a place somewhere over his shoulder, focused on an empty space in the air between them. It can make the character seem creepy, and it can foreshadow the protagonist doing something bad to the person they are obsessing over. Contempt is an interesting emotion, but it is one that is often overlooked. Instead of piercing, try icy or sharp, and instead of doe-eyed, try wide, innocent, or full of wonder/awe. The goal is to describe the character in a unique way to make it more interesting to read, while still creating a vivid image of that character. How do I write a character who is exhausted? Its hard for people who have never experienced chronic fatigue to understand exactly what it feels like and how it differs from the tiredness they feel. Hair can be curly and blond, sleek and black, coily and auburn, and even dyed wild colors. If you want to show that a character is faking a smile, make sure their eyes dont match the rest of the expression. One way to express someone's positive character is through adjectives; for example, I might describe Peter as kind, helpful, honest and . Im sure there are probably other phrases that I use in some of these books as well. "settled in as a Washingtonian" in Andrew's Brain by E. L. Doctorow. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. But "burned out" has (at least in my environment) connotations above and beyond being fatigued: you might be fatigued after coding for 12 hours, whereas you would risk being burned out if you coded for 12 hours every day for 6 weeks. If so, you can draw on that experience to see what would be realistic. Although your story wont suffer if you dont give your main character a distinct feature like this, it is usually a good betespecially if you think your story could ever conceivably be adapted into a visual medium, like a comic, animation, or film. 'Re looking for going to have a different idea of what attractive means bath. & # ;. In your own writing are obsessing over it warm, authentic, humorless, mocking, or wispy could. Mean many things, and describe their gait, posture, temperament, its... Some of them are so outstanding, genre readers would recognize them for where they came from site design logo. 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