Positive Character Traits

ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ʙᴏᴅʏ ʟᴀɴɢᴜᴀɢᴇ

Anger

Anger is one expression of fight-or-flight mode — an automatic, instinctive reaction to a threat. In many cases, there is an underlying fear of being harmed. Thanks to autonomic nervous system arousal, the heart rate increases, pupils dilate, and the face may flush. Other signs of anger

Balling the fists

Crossing the arms tightly

Clenching the fists once arms are crossed

Tight-lipped smile

Clenched teeth

Shaking a finger like a club

Stabbing a finger at someone

Attraction

Pupils dilate

Women will cross and uncross legs to draw attention to them

Mirroring – (usually unconsciously) mimicking the other person’s body language

Closed to Conversation

Keeping the hands in the pockets (esp. men)

Arms and legs crossed

Sitting back

Folding the hands together on a table (creates a barrier)

The “figure-four” leg cross (setting the ankle of one leg on the knee of the other) and then grabbing the lower half of the top leg with both hands.

Openness and Honesty

Exposure of the palms

Arms and legs unfolded

Leaning forward

Submissive Signals

Smiling – that’s why some people smile when they’re upset or afraid

Slumping the shoulders

Doing anything to appear smaller

Distress

Men in particular have a tendency to stroke or rub the nape of the neck when they’re upset. It acts as a self-soothing gesture to deal with a “pain in the neck.”

Crossed arms – arms act like a protective barrier

Self-hugging – arms are crossed, hands gripping upper arms

One-arm cross – one arm crosses the body to hold or touch the other arm – women keep a hand on a purse or bag strap to make this look more natural

Clutching a purse, briefcase, or bag with both arms

Adjusting cuffs or cuff-links (men’s version of the purse-strap grab)

Folding the hands together in front of the crotch (men)

Lying

Lying causes a subtle tingling in the face and neck, so the gestures below are attempts to eliminate that feeling

Covering the mouth – can be like a shh gesture, or they may cover the mouth completely – some people try to cover it by coughing

Touching or rubbing the nose or just below the nose – often a quick, small gesture, not a scratch

Rubbing the eyes (especially men)

Scratching the neck with the index finger

Superiority, Confidence, Power, Dominance

Steepling the fingers (aka setting the tips of the fingers together)

Folding the hands behind the back

Thumbs sticking out from pockets when hands are in pockets (can be front or back pockets)

Hands on hips

Straddling a chair

Hands folded behind the head while sitting up (in men)

[source]

---

Character developement

- Create a detailed backstory: Develop a rich and layered backstory for your character, including their upbringing, past experiences, and significant events that have shaped them. This will provide a foundation for their personality and motivations.

- Define core traits: Identify a few core personality traits that define your character. Consider both positive and negative traits to make them more well-rounded and realistic.

- Give them strengths and weaknesses: No character is perfect. Give your character a mix of strengths and weaknesses to make them relatable and interesting. These flaws can create internal conflicts and opportunities for growth.

- Establish goals and motivations: Determine what drives your character. What are their goals, desires, or ambitions? Understanding their motivations will help shape their actions and decisions throughout the story.

- Create relationships: Develop meaningful relationships for your character with other characters in the story. This includes friends, family, romantic partners, and even adversaries. Consider how these relationships influence and shape your character's development.

- Show internal conflict: Explore the internal struggles and dilemmas your character faces. This could be conflicting emotions, difficult choices, or battling their own fears and insecurities. Internal conflict adds depth and complexity to their development.

- Allow for growth and change: Characters should evolve throughout the story. Consider a character arc that takes your character from a starting point to a transformed state by the end. Give them challenges and experiences that allow them to learn, grow, and change over time.

- Use dialogue effectively: Craft dialogue that reflects your character's unique voice, speech patterns, and personality traits. Dialogue can reveal their emotions, beliefs, and thought processes, providing insights into their character.

- Show, don't tell: Instead of explicitly telling readers about your character's traits, show them through their actions, choices, and interactions with others. This allows readers to form their own opinions and connections with the character.

- Continuously refine and develop: Characters are not static entities. As you write, remain open to new ideas and opportunities for character development. Allow your characters to surprise you and evolve beyond your initial plans.

---

Can we have some more examples of body language and action tags, pretty please? 🌟🧚🏻‍♀️🌷🍓🌦️

sure!!!

Happiness/Joy

She beamed, her eyes sparkling with delight.

He laughed, a deep, genuine sound that echoed through the room.

She skipped down the street, humming a cheerful tune.

His grin widened, revealing a row of perfect teeth.

Sadness

She sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

He stared at the floor, his eyes glazed with unshed tears.

She hugged her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth.

He wiped a single tear from his cheek, his expression vacant.

Anger

She clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white.

He growled, a low, menacing sound emanating from his throat.

She slammed the door, the sound reverberating through the house.

He paced, his steps quick and agitated.

Fear

She trembled, her eyes wide with terror.

He backed away, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps.

She bit her lip, her face pale and drawn.

He froze, his heart pounding in his chest.

Surprise

She gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

He blinked, his eyebrows shooting up in shock.

She dropped her book, the loud thud breaking the silence.

He took a step back, his expression one of disbelief.

Love/Affection

She leaned in, her eyes soft and adoring.

He brushed a strand of hair from her face, his touch gentle.

She squeezed his hand, her smile tender.

He kissed her forehead, a soft and lingering touch.

Contemplation/Thinking

She tapped her chin, her brow furrowed in thought.

He rubbed his temples, lost in concentration.

She stared out the window, her mind a million miles away.

He drummed his fingers on the table, deep in thought.

Nervousness/Anxiety

She fidgeted, her fingers twisting the hem of her shirt.

He bit his nails, his eyes darting around the room.

She shifted from foot to foot, her discomfort evident.

He cleared his throat, his voice wavering slightly.

Confusion

She cocked her head to the side, her brows knitting together.

He scratched his head, his expression puzzled.

She frowned, her lips pursed as she tried to understand.

He looked around, searching for an explanation.

Confidence/Determination

She stood tall, her chin lifted in defiance.

He crossed his arms, his stance unwavering.

She marched forward, her eyes fixed on her goal.

He nodded, his resolve clear and firm.

---

Can you please share some words to use instead of "Look", I really struggle with that, it's always "She looked at him in shock" or "He looked at her with a smile". I know there's "Gazed" and "Glanced" but I wanted some advice to use "Look" less

Words To Use Instead of "Look"

Words Closest in Meaning (w diff connotations!):

stare

eye

study

behold

glimpse

peek

glance

notice

observe

inspect

regarding

view

review

look-see

get an eyeful

peer

give the eye

eyeball

size up

size up

check out

examine

contemplate

scan

recognize

sweep

once-over

judge

watch

glare

consider

spot

scrunitize

gaze

gander

ogle

yawp

Other (more fancy) words:

glimmer

sntach

zero in

take stock of

poke into

mope

glaze

grope

rummage

frisk

probe

rivet

distinguish

witness

explore

gloat

scowl

have a gander

comb

detect

surveillance

squint

keeping watch

rubberneck

pout

bore

slant

ignore

audit

pipe

search

note

speculation

simper

---

Honestly? My main piece of advice for writing well-rounded characters is to make them a little bit lame. No real living person is 100% cool and suave 100% of the time. Everyone's a little awkward sometimes, or gets too excited about something goofy, or has a silly fear, or laughs about stupid things. Being a bit of a loser is an incurable part of the human condition. Utilize that in your writing.

---

hey writers! OneLook Thesaurus lets you find that word you can’t think of but can describe! go check it out!

---

masterlist of characters’ deepest fears

ok maybe i shouldn’t call this a masterlist but it’s pretty comprehensive i think hello!! i was having a lot of trouble finding resources for ideas of fears to give to characters so i thought i would compile my own list, then i figured i might as well share it with y’all! 

this list is for those deeper, more intangible, existential type of fears rather than fears such as illness or bugs or clowns (all very valid fears!! just not the kind i needed rn) it might be a little repetitive but i wanted to be thorough/account for nuances and such. hope this is helpful :-)

• Fear of intimacy • Fear of death/dying • Fear of failure • Fear of rejection • Fear of commitment • Fear of being alone/loneliness • Fear of God • Fear of abandonment • Fear of change • Fear of the unknown • Fear of success • Fear of love • Fear of being forgotten/ignored • Fear of getting old/growing up • Fear of the future • Fear of loss • Fear of forgetting/losing memories/amnesia • Fear of becoming their parents • Fear of being a bad person • Fear of being unwanted

Lees verder

---

So... I found this and now it keeps coming to mind. You hear about "life-changing writing advice" all the time and usually its really not—but honestly this is it man.

I'm going to try it.

---

cruelty is so easy. youre not special for choosing it

---

Describing Facial Expressions

-> feel free to edit and adjust pronouns as you see fit.

Eyes and Eyebrows:

His eyes widened

Her eyes went round

Their eyes narrowed

His eyes lit up

Her eyes darted

They squinted

He blinked

Her eyes twinkled with...

Their eyes gleamed with...

His eyes flashed with...

Her eyes burned with...

Their eyes blazed with...

- glowed in his eyes

The corners of her eyes crinkled

They rolled their eyes

He winked

Tears filled her eyes

Their eyes welled with tears

His eyes swam with tears

Tears flooded her eyes

Tears shimmered in their eyes

Tears shone in his eyes

Her eyes were glossy

They were fighting back tears

Tears ran down his cheeks

She squeezed her eyes shut

Their lashes fluttered

She batted her lashes

His brows knitted

Their forehead creased

She furrowed her brows

A line appeared between his brows

Their brows drew together

She raised a brow

His eyebrows rose

They lifted a brow

She wagged her eyebrows

He gave them a once-over

They sized

Her eyes bore into them

He took in the sight of...

They glared

She peered

He gazed

They glanced

She stared

He scrutinized

They studied

She gaped

He observed

They surveyed

She gawked

He leered

Their pupils dilated

Nose:

Her nose crinkled

His nose wrinkled

They sneered

Her nostrils glared

He stuck his nose up

They sniffed

She sniffled

He scrunched his nose

Mouth:

She smiled

He smirked

They grinned

She simpered

He beamed

Their mouth curved into a smile

The corners of his mouth turned up

The corner of her mouth quirked up

A corner of their mouth lifted

Her mouth twitched

He gave a half-smile

They gave a lopsided grin

His mouth twisted

She plastered a smile on her face

They forced a smile

He faked a smile

Her smile faded

Their smile slipped

He pursed his lips

She pouted

Their mouth snapped shut

His mouth set in a hard line

Their lips were pressed into a thin line

She pressed her lips together

They bit their lip

He drew his lower lip between his teeth

She chewed on her bottom lip

Their jaw set

His jaw clenched

Their jaw tightened

A muscle in her jaw twitched

He ground his jaw

They snarled

Her lips drew back in a snarl

His mouth fell open

Their jaw dropped

Her jaw went slack

He gritted his teeth

They gnashed their teeth

Her lower lip trembled

His lower lip quivered

---