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Alright.

Instead of whispered, consider:

murmured

mumbled

muttered

breathed

sighed

hissed

mouthed

uttered

intoned

susurrated

purred

said in an undertone

gasped

hinted

said low

said into someone’s ear

said softly

said under one’s breath

said in hushed tones

insinuated

#writing. #tips. #note to self.

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Why You Shouldn’t Use Adverbs in Your Writing

Hi guys! It’s been a while since I’ve made an original post, but tonight I had some extra time on my hands and this popped into my head. Tonight we’re going to talk about adverbs and why exactly it is they’re frowned upon.

We’ve all heard it at least five hundred times, right? Adverbs are not your friends. It’s one of those writing mantras that just gets drilled into your head time after time until you accept it. After a while, some of us may ask ourselves, Why? Why can’t I fraternize with adverbs?

Because they’re lazy writing. You’ve probably heard that umpteen times, too. But why exactly are they lazy writing? What makes them so unbearable? I’ll tell you.

Another writing mantra that’s often shared is Show, don’t tell. In case some of you haven’t heard it, or have heard it so many times it’s lost its meaning, let me explain: basically, show, don’t tell means that it’s more effective to show reactions rather than flat-out say them. For example, instead of He was angry, you could say His jaw was clenched and his shoulders were bunched up like a prizefighter’s; instead of saying I was brimming with anxiety, you could say I felt almost seasick, my stomach broiling like a pot of noodles, and my palms were slick with sweat. That would be showing instead of telling.

One of the main problems with adverbs is that they limit a writer’s ability to show. For example, take this:

Arthur closed the door furiously and walked across the room with a snarl.

You’ll notice two adverbs: furiously and with a snarl (with a snarl is an adverbial phrase – adverbial phrases serve the same function as single-word adverbs, they just come after a comma and are prepositional phrases (things like with a grimace, after a pause, and from a distance)). Now take this:

Arthur slammed the door shut behind himself and walked across the room. His cheeks flamed, and his hands were fisted so tightly his fingernails cut into his palms.

I got rid of the adverbs, and it sounds much better than the first example: the first paints an image that’s kind of fuzzy, but the second is shown in hi-def (at least in comparison to the first). Your word count will increase a little bit if the first example is your first draft and the second example is your second, but in this case I’d say it’s worth it – the quality of your story always comes first.

Another reason adverbs are poor writing tools is that they can be redundant. Using the examples above, let’s paint a little more of the scene, to give the original lines some context:

“Arthur? Arthur, come back! You owe it to me!”

“I don’t owe you shit!”

Arthur tried to start up the staircase, but Vickie pulled him backwards – yanked him, actually. He stumbled, almost fell backwards onto the concrete, then caught his balance. He stood there, looking at her under the piss-yellow lights. Her grip on his wrist was iron.

“You owe everything to me,” she said through gritted teeth. Arthur tried to turn, but her grip only tightened. “You might have forgotten where you come from, but I haven’t, and I plan to collect on my debt.”

There was a lump in his throat that wanted to form tears, but every time he’d cried in front of her she’d turned it against him, and he wouldn’t take it anymore. “You’re asking too much, Vickie.” His voice broke, and that stung like a whip. He sounded like a kid going through puberty. “I can’t give you everything!”

“Fine.” She let go of his wrist and turned away. “Then I guess I won’t give you anything.”

He stood torn, searching for something to say, but he was pulling a blank, so he spun and ran upstairs to the relative safety of his apartment. God, who did she think she was? He was always running, but this was the last time. He’d make sure of it.

He got to his apartment and fumbled with his keys for a solid minute before he got the right one into the lock. Once he was inside, he closed the door furiously and walked across the room with a snarl.

There’s the context. Compared to all the material prior to it, the bolded sentence – the one from our first example – looks almost garish, right? Too contrived? That’s because it’s overkill. Based on the content of the previous scene, we know he’s angry; things like furiously and with a snarl are too much. They convey only one emotion: rage. From what just happened to Arthur, we know he’s feeling a lot more than pure fury.

Now reread the excerpt, but replace the bolded sentence with this: he slammed the door shut behind himself and walked across the room. His cheeks flamed, and his fists were clenched so tightly that his fingernails cut into his palms. Better, right? Yes, because it’s not redundant. The first sentence didn’t fit because it was too bold: it shoved Arthur’s anger in the audience’s face, even though that’s not the only emotion he’s feeling (or even necessarily the primary one). The second option fit better because, by showing instead of telling, it allowed room for the variety of emotions swimming in Arthur’s head (regret, anxiety, anger at both Vickie and himself, embarrassment, and probably more I’m forgetting), and didn’t keep yelling about something we’d already established.

So, to recap: we don’t use adverbs because

1. They tell instead of showing, and

2. They’re redundant. Those two reasons alone are enough to toss them out the window.

I hope this helps! - @authors-haven

#long post #advice. #adverbs.

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Tips for fight scenes

If you get punched in the nose your eyes will water, a lot, even if it didn’t really hurt

Your body follows your head, your head gets pushed one way and your body will want to go that way

Getting hit in the stomach isn’t good, it hurts, getting hit in the diaphragm is worse. Causes your lungs to kinda spasm and make it hard to breathe (diaphragm is between stomach and chest)

When fighting a larger person they will have an easier time forcing you back

The jaw is the knockout button. Hit it hard enough and down for the count

Back of the head is very vulnerable, can cause serious damage if hit there

Kidney punches. They hurt. A lot.

People with experience will try to be where they are comfortable. A wrestler will try to get their opponent on the ground, a boxer will stay on their feet, etc.

Easiest counter to a kick is to get closer to whoever is throwing it, then they won’t have enough room for it to be effective

If you want realism, avoid fancy, flashy moves. They’re less practical and easier to counter.

#fight scenes.

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Alternative words

Source: pinterest

#other words for. #multiple.

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How to: write pain

Don't make paragraphs about it - battles are supposed to be fast-paced

Describe:

- the object used to harm the character

-where the injury is

-how long the character had had the injury

-how deep the cut is (for blades)

-whether or not the wound triggers other things (dizziness, bleeding)

There are different kinds of pain

punch/blunt force trauma:

-how it feels: aching, a single spike of pain before it fades into an ache, throbbing, numbness

-effects: swelling, bruising, broken bones, unconsciousness, dizziness, concussion, internal bleeding.

stab wound/cut

-how it feels: stinging (shallow wounds), burning

-effects: bleeding (the blood from arteries is a brighter red, like vermilion, the blood from veins is dark crimson), dizziness from the blood loss, unconsciousness, infection (if left unattended), death

gunshot

-how it feels: depends on the caliber bullet, from how far away they were shot and in what place

-effects: same as stab wounds

Things that an injured character may have/do

-heavy, harsh, ragged breathing

-panting, gasping, crying, grunting, hissing, groaning, whimpering, screaming, shrieking, clenching their teeth

-ears ringing, unable to speak

-pressing their hands on the injury to try and stop the bleeding, trembling, eyes rolling up into their head

-vision blurring, room spinning

Where to hit in a fight

temple and jaw - good for a knockout punch, but are near the skull so it will be dangerous if you miss (it can broke/dislocate your fingers)

nose/eyes - messes up the senses and distracts the opponent

neck: can mess up breathing, talking and the spinal cord

inner elbow: can disable the opponent's arm

solar plexus: hard to hit but very effective

liver: causes immediate pain, dizziness and loss of breath

kidneys

groin

outer/inner thighs

knees

-----------------

But not getting into a fight stops the injury for both the opponents :)

(thank you very much for all the support!!! i appreciate every single reblog/like/comment 💕 I'm happy I could help you)

#fighting.

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I am a(n):

⚪ Male

⚪ Female

🔘 Writer

Looking for

⚪ Boyfriend

⚪ Girlfriend

🔘 An incredibly specific word that I can't remember

#words for. #writing.

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smut guide

for people who need some help with smuts

don’t read if you’re not comfortable

reaction words

shivered

shuttered

trembled

quivers

quakes

shakes

gasps

moan

groans

jolted

jerked

pants

huffs

cries out

bites back a moans

breathing hitched

collapsing 

eyes rolled back

arched back

adverbs(a lack of adverbs weakens your writing)

shakily

desperately

roughly

deeply

raggedly

breathily

loudly

lazily

softly

gently

warmly

frantically

quickly

slowly

harshly

sexy words for said

purred

cooed

murmured

whispered

breathed

rasped

cried out

begged

muttered

growled

grunted

mewled

chocked

sobbed

whimpered

pleaded

teased

sexy actions

licking

nipping

biting

shoving our hips together

pinned their wrists

caressed

stroked

hike up shirt

pressing against wall

rank nails through hair

hooking legs around waist

splay hands over chest

dipping tongue into ___

hair pulling

grasping their chin and tilt up/down

cupping cheek

lips brush ear

hip grind/thrusting/rolled/shifting

dirty talk

tease

kissing

brushed lips together

teeth clicking together

lip play(biting/running tongue over lip)

pausing when lips are just barely touching

sucking bottom lip

kissing hard

teeth clicking

sucking tongue

swirling tongue around one

blow job

redden lips

swollen lips

slick

sloppy

making eye contact

hallowing cheeks

swirling tongue

fucking someones mouth

deep throat 

playing with balls

using hands and lips together

oral(female)

lapping

playing with woman wetness

fingering

parting lips

flicking their tongue

delving tongue

fleshly pink/brown (i prefer not to use skin color for poc)

intercourse

sinking into someone/cock

riding

digging fingers into shoulder/hips/back/chest

snapped/slammed/pounding hips

pace/rhythm

orgasm

shockwaves

pulsing

shattered

coil snapped

splintering

going tense/still

jerking

moans mix with curses words and/or lover name

slang word

clit

cock

dick

slit 

cum/cumming

sexy word

dark

sinful

lush

wanted

need

velvet/lace/satin/silk

desire

heat

aroused

intoxicated

teased

spanked

strip

#smut. #writing.

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words to use instead of

as 

while 

when,

whilst

 even as

 just as

 just when

 simultaneously as

 so long as

 at the moment that

 at the same time that at the time that

 in the act of

 in the process of 

on the point of

during the time that

 at the same time as

 during the time

 throughout the time

 in the time

 during which

 during which time

for the period that

 at the same time

 meanwhile

 at the time

 as long as

 exactly when

 at the very moment that

at the very time that after

 as soon as

 immediately when

 immediately after

instantly when once

looked

glanced 

gazed 

stared

gaped

peered

focused 

 peeped 

peeked

took a look

taken a look 

watched

considered 

saw 

seen

observed 

viewed

regarded

marked 

checked out

glimpsed 

spotted 

eyed 

took in 

taken 

in ogled

eyeballed 

beheld

beholden 

before

ahead

back

previously

since

sooner

afore

aforetime

ante

antecedently

anteriorly

before present

ere

fore

former

formerly

forward

gone

gone by

heretofore

in advance

in days of yore

in front

in old days

in the past

past

precendently

previous

up to now

smiled

beam

grin

laugh

smirk

simper

be gracious

express friendliness

express tenderness

look amused

look delighted

look happy

look pleased

touch

brush

caress

feel

handle

hit

kiss

lick

pat

reach

rub

strike

stroke

tap

abut

adjoin

border

communicate

contact

converge

dab

examine

finger

fondle

frisk

glance

graze

grope

inspect

join

line

manipulate

march

massage

meet

neighbor

osculate

palm

palpate

partake

paw

percuss

pet

probe

push

scrutinize

sip

smooth

suck

sweep

tag

taste

thumb

tickle

tip

toy

verge

be in contact

butt on

come together

feel up

impinge upon

lay a finger on

exhaled

breathe

emit

give off

let out

discharge

eject

emanate

evaporate

expel

issue

respire

steam

vaporize

nodded

acknowledge

bend

bow

greet

respond

salute

acquiesce

agree

approve

assent

passionate

ardent

dramatic

eager

eloquent

emotional

expressive

fervent

fierce

fiery

forceful

heartfelt

heated

impassioned

intense

poignant

spirited

strong

vehement

violent

zealous

affecting

animated

blazing

burning

deep

fervid

flaming

frenzied

glowing

headlong

high-powered

high-pressure

hot

hotblooded

impetuous

impulsive

inspiring

melodramatic

moving

precipitate

quickened

steamed up

stimulated

stirring

thrilling

warm

wild

but

although

however

nevertheless

on the other hand

still

though

yet

gasped

choke

snort

whoop

blow

convulse

gulp

heave

inhale

inspire

pant

puff

respire

sniffle

wheeze

catch one’s breath

fight for breath

frowned

glare

glower

grimace

pout

gloom

lower

sulk

cloud up

do a slow burn

give a dirty look

give the evil eye

knit brows

look black

look daggers

look stern

movement

act

action

change

development

evolution

exercise

flow

migration

move

operation

progress

shift

advance

agitation

alteration

swirled

boil

churn

roil

twirl

whirl

agitate

coil

crimp

crisp

curl

eddy

purl

roll

snake

surge

swoosh

whirlpool

whorl

wriggle

#other words for.

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Other Words for 'Said' (in alphabetical order)

This is just a semi-comprehensive list of synonyms for ‘said.’ As a writer, I always find myself in need of better words because I’m kind of repetitive. ;;; Hope this is useful to someone!

Keep reading

#other words for. #said. #writing.

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For writers!

Instead of said, consider:

For normal responses:

stated

spoke

remarked

reported

For question responses:

added

asked

required��

requested

begged

For answered responses:

answered

replied

retorted

explained

acknowledged

responded

For happy responses:

rejoiced

laughed

giggled

sang

cheered

smirked

marvelled 

smirked

chimed

For loud responses:

shouted

belted

yelled

shrieked 

screamed

boomed

exclaimed

called

For quiet responses:

murmered

mumbled

muttered

breathed

sighed

hissed

mouthed

uttered

intoned

susurrated

purred

gasped

hinted

spoke softly

spoke in a hushed tone

insinuated

For worried/nervous responses: 

quaked

trembled

stammered

stuttered

gulped

For angry responses:

demanded

hissed

fumed

thundered

snapped

sneered

barked

ranted

grunted

roared

bellowed

For bossy responses:

commanded

ordered

dictated

insisted

For crying responses:

cried

sobbed

groaned

bawled

whined

For silent responses:

thought

pondered

wondered

#other words for. #said. #writing.

[lr-refs]

sibling  relationships.  taken  from  here  &  placed  under  a  read  more  for  myself.  do  not  reblog  this  post,  instead  reblog  the  original.

A sibling relationship is perhaps one of the most complicated things to realistically write about. Your character dynamics and personalities will help determine their relationships but here are some things to consider:

Building their past:

Think about how they were raised. Upbringing plays a large role in impacting a person's character, and it also helps shape relationships with siblings.

Consider their favourite memories. Good memories are important to a person, and people often seek to create new memories similar to the old good ones.  On the other side, also think about their worst memories.

Who was the oldest? Who was the baby? Birth order does have some impact on personality. It also is especially important for the earliest memories.

Think about the roles that they ended up in. Siblings do, to some extent, define themselves by how they are different from each other. They pursue different interests, take on different roles, and explore different identities. These roles can be a source of self-realisation and sometimes frustration.

Giving siblings personalities:

Choose personality traits for each sibling. Even if the sibling is only a minor character, it's important to know their basic personality.

Think about each character's dreams, hopes, and struggles. What do they want in life? What are their goals? Every character needs something to strive for.

Figure out their insecurities. Everyone feels insecure about different things: skills, personality traits, perceived physical flaws etc.

The siblings in your story might have similar looks, qualities and characteristics. However it’s important to make them their own person too.

Keep in mind that siblings might have the same habits, sometimes without even realising it. (Personal example- My eldest brother and I do not look the same. He has green eyes, mine are brown. I have dark hair, he’s blonde. Our faces are shaped different. He takes after our mum, I take after our dad. However, we have a lot of the same habits and mannerisms. We both carry ourselves in the same way, we both quirk our eyebrows in the same manner when confused. Little things like that, that when growing up I’ve picked up from him and vice versa.)

Things siblings do: (This is a generalisation)

Siblings know how to push each others buttons.

Usually they spend so much time with each other, they know exactly how to annoy their sibling and the best way to do it.

Whatever annoys your character, his (or her) siblings already know about it. If your character’s siblings decide to get on his nerves, it shouldn’t take them very long.

Most (if not all) siblings make fun of each other to some degree. Usually they are just messing with each other. Depending on the circumstances, the insult may be forgotten almost immediately.

But it’s important to consider how siblings react when someone else is picking on their brother or sister. A lot of siblings will get defensive in this situation.  Unless you have set up a reason otherwise, make sure your siblings know how to tease each other but also how to protect each other.

They rarely call each other “sis” or “bro” unless they’re trying to be annoying. This is seen a lot in films and TV but it’s not common. The occasional greeting like that is fine, but overusing it just sounds strange and unnatural.

Sibling conflict:

Siblings will argue other pretty much anything. Most of the time it’s just to get a reaction. Sometimes one will start an argument just because they’re bored.

The silent treatment! A lot of siblings, particularly children teenagers and young adults will give each other the silent treatment over the pettiest things. But it’s incredibly hard to ignore someone living in the same house as you for a long period of time.

The sibling on the receiving end of the silent treatment will usually do absurd and annoying things to get their brother or sister to speak.

Common things siblings argue about:

The tv remote

Who is going to use the bathroom first

Someone is taking too long in the bathroom

Who gets to sit in the front seat of the car

Who the favourite is

Estranged siblings:

“Sibling relationships are our longest, but it’s also an accident by birth. There are no guarantees that the siblings will grow up with similar personalities, interests or like each other,”

You should be able to find plenty of conflict amongst brothers and sisters. But most of the time there is a resolution.

If you were to fall out with a friend, you can unfriend them, you can’t un-sister a sister, whether you like it or not you’re stuck with that person in some sense.

However, some siblings do fall out and never speak to each other again. It happens, but if this happens in your story there are a few things to consider:

When asked about their family will your character acknowledge that they have siblings? Or will they claim to be an only child?

Why did they stop speaking?

Would they reconcile in times of crisis? For example, if a family member died would the siblings put aside their differences to deal with the situation?

Do they tell stories about their childhood that include the sibling?

It’s important to remember that if someone has a sibling, a lot of their childhood memories and stories from growing up will have some reference or include that sibling. It’s hard to complete cut them out, they will be mentioned at some point.

Given the entangled, long-lasting bond, what’s the price paid for suspending or ending it?

Does the sibling have other brothers or sisters whose relationships are satisfying? “

“If they have no contact with a sibling, it’s losing a shared history and there can be a sense of guilt,”

Or are your character’s relieved? Do they express a sense of relief.

“Like the end of a marriage, sibling estrangement is always sad, even when it brings relief. It’s not what anyone hoped for, but sometimes it’s the wise and necessary choice.”

Ways of bringing together estranged siblings:

Write compassion between your characters. Show them trying to see things from the sibling’s viewpoint alongside their own.

Have them say what they want from their sibling moving forward. Don’t just have your characters vent all the time. Your reader might grow tired of that.

Confirmation of love and affection:

Are the siblings in your story the type to talk about feelings? Maybe they don’t talk about it but the feeling is still there. Consider showing the depth of their relationship through actions.  

(Personal example - When I was born my brothers were 4 and 6 years older than me. From what my mum has said they were both excited to have another sibling and would fight about who got to hold me first. When we were younger we used to cuddle on the sofa and play together, and frequently said I love you etc,  however as we got older that stopped. I can’t remember the last time I said I love you to either of them, which sounds terrible. But it doesn’t change the fact that I know they love me and that they know I love them, we just show it and say it in different ways.)

Relationships with parents:

How did parents or caregivers react to fights between siblings?

Was there parental favouritism, real or perceived? How did the non-favourite sibling(s) react?

Do your siblings stick together when arguing with their parents?

Would your characters lie in order to prevent their brother or sister being told off by their parents?

Some siblings will join forces to tease their parents.

What if the siblings don’t have a good relationship with their parents:

If this is the case in your story, research it, google is your friend.

Try and read up on real life experiences.

Consider how the siblings view their parents. Do they stand together with the same opinion or do they have conflicting recollection of events?

Do the parents have a healthy relationship with each other? How has this impacted their children?

Writing siblings who have abusive parents:

If the siblings come from an abusive home, how has this affect their behaviour?

Do the siblings ever talk about what happened?

Do they have the share the same experience? Do they ever argue about the situation?

Are they over protective?

Has their own relationship become strained? Have they drifted apart?

Do the siblings ever acknowledge the past? If not, does this cause friction?

Common assumptions about sibling age order:

Oldest child: people pleasing, bossy, organised, punctual, natural leader, controlling, ambitious, expected to uphold family values, caretakers, financially intelligent, responsible

Middle child: flexible, easy going, independent, sometimes feels like life is unfair, sometimes will engage in attention-seeking behaviour, competitive.

Youngest child: silly or funny, risk-taking, creative, sometimes feels inferior, easily bores, friendly, outgoing, idealistic, the baby of the family.

Only child: close to parents, demanding, leaders, spoiled, self-absorbed, private in nature, may relate better to adults to kids their own age, independent, responsible

While these are common assumptions, they are not strictly true and it’s important to consider your characters personality before you apply any of these stereotypes because it may clash with how your character truly is.

Half siblings:

Half-siblings can run along several lines:

They might act like full siblings, depending on how long they’ve known each other.

They may view each other as space takers.

Your characters may feel “eh” about their half- sibling, they could just be someone who is there but they don’t have a relationship with. The half-sibling may even be a complete stranger.

Consider that they might be rivals. Are they friendly rivals or bitter rivals?

Don’t get caught up in trying to build their relationship based on what “should be” in accordance with society. As you establish these characters, let your own imagination lead you to what their relationship is. But remember that their relationship will be impacted on how the parents treat them too.

#sibling relationships. #writing.

[lr-refs]

Eye and hair color reference

Sources: Pinterest

#eye colours. #hair colours. #writing.

[lr-refs]

Synonyms For Very

This masterlist is a masterlist of words that you may use alongside the word very, very being one of the most common words that are used when writing. I hope this helps you as much as it helps me in our writing seem more sophisticated and unique. 

A:

Very accurate - exact Very afraid - fearful Very angry - furious Very annoying - exasperating

B:

Very bad - atrocious Very beautiful - exquisite Very big - immense Very boring - dull Very bright - luminous Very busy - swamped

C:

Very calm - serene Very careful - cautious Very cheap - stingy Very clean - spotless Very clear - obvious Very clever - intelligent Very cold - freezing Very colourful - vibrant Very competitive - cutthroat Very complete - comprehensive Very confused - perplexed Very conventional - conservative Very creative - innovative Very crowded - bustling Very cute - adorable

D:

Very dangerous - perilous Very dear - cherished Very deep - profound Very depressed - despondent Very detailed - meticulous Very different - disparate Very difficult - arduous Very dirty - filthy Very dry - arid Very dull - tedious

E:

Very eager - keen Very easy - effortless Very empty - desolate Very excited - thrilled Very exciting - exhilarating Very expensive - costly

F:

Very fancy - lavish Very fast - swift Very fat - obese Very friendly - amiable Very frightened - alarmed Very frightening - terrifying Very funny - hilarious

G:

Very glad - overjoyed Very good - excellent Very great - terrific

H:

Very happy - ecstatic Very hard - difficult Very hard-to-find - rare Very heavy - leaden Very high - soaring Very hot - sweltering Very huge - colossal Very hungry - ravenous Very hurt - battered

I:

Very important - crucial Very intelligent - brilliant Very interesting - captivating

J:

K:

L:

Very large - huge Very lazy - indolent Very little - tiny Very lively - vivacious Very long - extensive Very long-term - enduring Very loose - slack Very loud - thunderous Very loved - adored

M:

Very mean - cruel Very messy - slovenly

N:

Very neat - immaculate Very necessary - essential Very nervous - apprehensive Very nice - kind Very noisy - deafening

O:

Very often - frequently Very old - ancient Very old-fashioned - archaic Very open - transparent

P:

Very painful - excruciating Very pale - ashen Very perfect - flawless Very poor - destitute Very powerful - compelling Very pretty - beautiful

Q:

Very quick - rapid Very quiet - hushed

R:

Very rainy - pouring Very rich - wealthy

S:

Very sad - sorrowful Very scared - petrified Very scary - chilling Very serious - grave Very sharp - keen Very shiny - gleaming Very short - brief Very shy - timid Very simple - basic Very skinny - skeletal Very slow - sluggish Very small - petite Very smart - intelligent Very smelly - pungent Very smooth - sleek Very soft - downy Very sorry - apologetic Very special - exceptional Very strong - forceful Very stupid - idiotic Very sure - certain Very sweet - thoughtful

T:

Very talented - gifted Very tall - towering Very tasty - delicious Very thirsty - parched Very tight - constricting Very tiny - minuscule Very tired - exhausted

U:

Very ugly - hideous Very unhappy - miserable Very upset - distraught

V:

W:

Very warm - hot Very weak - frail Very well-to-do - wealthy Very wet - soaked Very wide - expansive Very willing - eager Very windy - blustery Very wise - sage Very worried - distressed

X:

Y:

Z:

A/N: If you know of anymore words I can add please message me.

#other words for.

[lr-refs]

Stop using the word "Walk". We don't want that word to die together with "Said".

Here are a few words you can replace walk with.

AMBLE: WALK EASILY AND/OR AIMLESSLY

BOUNCE: WALK ENERGETICALLY

CAREEN: PITCH DANGEROUSLY TO ONE SIDE WHILE WALKING OR RUNNING

CLUMP: WALK HEAVILY AND/OR CLUMSILY

FALTER: WALK UNSTEADILY

FLOUNDER: WALK WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY

FOOT IT: (SLANG) DEPART OR SET OFF BY WALKING

FOOTSLOG: WALK HEAVILY AND FIRMLY, AS WHEN WEARY, OR THROUGH MUD

GIMP: LIMP; HOBBLE

HIKE: TAKE A LONG WALK, ESPECIALLY IN A PARK OR A WILDERNESS AREA

HOBBLE: WALK UNSTEADILY OR WITH DIFFICULTY; SEE ALSO LIMP

HOOF IT: (SLANG) WALK; SEE FOOT IT

LEG IT: (SLANG) SEE FOOT IT

LIMP: WALK UNSTEADILY BECAUSE OF INJURY, ESPECIALLY FAVORING ONE LEG; SEE ALSO FALTER

LUMBER: WALK SLOWLY AND HEAVILY

LURCH: WALK SLOWLY BUT WITH SUDDEN MOVEMENTS, OR FURTIVELY

MARCH: WALK RHYTHMICALLY ALONE OR IN A GROUP, ESPECIALLY ACCORDING TO A SPECIFIED PROCEDURE

MEANDER: WALK OR MOVE AIMLESSLY AND IDLY WITHOUT FIXED DIRECTION

MINCE: WALK DELICATELY

MOSEY: SEE AMBLE; ALSO, USED COLLOQUIALLY IN THE PHRASE “MOSEY ALONG”

NIP: WALK BRISKLY OR LIGHTLY; ALSO USED COLLOQUIALLY IN THE PHRASE “NIP (ON) OVER” TO REFER TO A BRIEF WALK TO A CERTAIN DESTINATION, AS IF ON AN ERRAND

PACE: WALK PRECISELY TO MARK OFF A DISTANCE, OR WALK INTENTLY OR NERVOUSLY, ESPECIALLY BACK AND FORTH

PAD: WALK WITH STEADY STEPS MAKING A SOFT DULL SOUND

PARADE: WALK OSTENTATIOUSLY, AS IF TO SHOW OFF

PERAMBULATE: SEE STROLL; TRAVEL ON FOOT, OR WALK TO INSPECT OR MEASURE A BOUNDARY

PEREGRINATE: WALK, ESPECIALLY TO TRAVEL

PLOD: WALK SLOWLY AND HEAVILY, AS IF RELUCTANT OR WEARY

POUND: WALK OR GO WITH HEAVY STEPS; MOVE ALONG WITH FORCE OR VIGOR; SEE LUMBER

POWER WALK: WALK BRISKLY FOR FITNESS

PRANCE: WALK JOYFULLY, AS IF DANCING OR SKIPPING

PROMENADE: GO ON A LEISURELY WALK, ESPECIALLY IN A PUBLIC PLACE AS A SOCIAL ACTIVITY; SEEPARADE

PROWL: WALK NOISELESSLY AND CAREFULLY IN A PREDATORY MANNER

PUSSYFOOT: WALK STEALTHILY OR WARILY

RAMBLE: WALK OR TRAVEL AIMLESSLY

ROAM: GO WITHOUT FIXED DIRECTION AND WITHOUT ANY PARTICULAR DESTINATION, OFTEN FOR PLEASURE; SEE RAMBLE

ROVE: TRAVEL CONSTANTLY OVER A RELATIVELY LENGTHY TIME PERIOD WITHOUT A FIXED DESTINATION; WANDER

SASHAY: GLIDE, MOVE, OR PROCEED EASILY OR NONCHALANTLY; SEE PARADE

SAUNTER: WALK ABOUT EASILY

SCUFF: WALK WITHOUT LIFTING ONE’S FEET

SHAMBLE: WALK OR GO AWKWARDLY; SHUFFLE; SEE SCUFF

SHUFFLE: WALK WITHOUT LIFTING THE FEET OR WITH CLUMSY STEPS AND A SHAMBLING GAIT; SEESCUFF

SKULK: MOVE IN A STEALTHY OR FURTIVE MANNER

SOMNAMBULATE: WALK IN ONE’S SLEEP

STAGGER: WALK UNSTEADILY

STALK: WALK STEALTHILY, AS IN PURSUIT

STEP: WALK, OR PLACE ONE’S FOOT OR FEET IN A NEW POSITION

STOMP: WALK HEAVILY, AS IF IN ANGER

STRIDE: WALK PURPOSEFULLY, WITH LONG STEPS

STROLL: WALK IN A LEISURELY WAY; SEE SAUNTER

STRUT: WALK WITH A STIFF, ERECT, AND APPARENTLY ARROGANT OR CONCEITED GAIT; SEE PARADE

STUMBLE: WALK CLUMSILY OR UNSTEADILY, OR TRIP

STUMP: WALK HEAVILY, AS WITH A LIMP; SEE LUMBER

SWAGGER: WALK WITH AGGRESSIVE SELF-CONFIDENCE

TIPTOE: WALK CAREFULLY ON THE TOES OR ON THE BALLS OF THE FOOT, AS IF IN STEALTH

TODDLE: MOVE WITH SHORT, UNSTEADY STEPS, AS A YOUNG CHILD; SEE SAUNTER AND STAGGER

TOTTER: WALK OR GO WITH FALTERING STEPS, AS IF FROM EXTREME WEAKNESS; SEE STAGGER(ALSO, SWAY OR BECOME UNSTABLE)

TRAIPSE: WALK LIGHTLY AND/OR AIMLESSLY

TRAMP: WALK HEAVILY OR NOISILY; SEE LUMBER AND HIKE

TRAMPLE: WALK SO AS TO CRUSH SOMETHING UNDERFOOT

TRAVERSE: WALK ACROSS OR OVER A DISTANCE

TREAD: WALK SLOWLY AND STEADILY

TRIP: WALK LIGHTLY; SEE ALSO STUMBLE

TROMP: TREAD HEAVILY, ESPECIALLY TO CRUSH UNDERFOOT; SEE LUMBER

TROOP: WALK IN UNISON, OR COLLECTIVELY

TROT: PROCEED AT A PACE FASTER THAN A WALK; SEE NIP

TRUDGE: WALK SLOWLY AND WITH HEAVY STEPS, TYPICALLY BECAUSE OF EXHAUSTION OR HARSH CONDITIONS; SEE PLOD

WADDLE: WALK CLUMSILY OR AS IF BURDENED, SWINGING THE BODY

WADE: WALK THROUGH WATER OR WITH DIFFICULTY, AS IF IMPEDED

WANDER: TO MOVE FROM PLACE TO PLACE WITHOUT A FIXED ROUTE; SEE RAMBLE

RESOURCES: (X) (X) (X) (X) (X)

#other words for. #writing.

[lr-refs]

Body Language Cheat Sheet for Writers

As described by Selnick’s article:

Author and doctor of clinical psychology Carolyn Kaufman has released a one-page body language cheat sheet of psychological “tells” (PDF link) fiction writers can use to dress their characters.

#body language. #writing.

[lr-refs]

CHARACTER FACIAL EXPRESSIONS (WRITING REFERENCE)

EYES/BROWS

his eyes widened

her eyes went round

her eyelids drooped

his eyes narrowed

his eyes lit up

his eyes darted

he squinted

she blinked

her eyes twinkled

his eyes gleamed

her eyes sparkled

his eyes flashed

his eyes glinted

his eyes burned with…

her eyes blazed with…

her eyes sparked with…

her eyes flickered with…

_____ glowed in his eyes

the corners of his eyes crinkled

she rolled her eyes

he looked heavenward

she glanced up to the ceiling

she winked

tears filled her eyes

his eyes welled up

her eyes swam with tears

his eyes flooded with tears

her eyes were wet

his eyes glistened

tears shimmered in her eyes

tears shone in his eyes

her eyes were glossy

he was fighting back tears

tears ran down her cheeks

his eyes closed

she squeezed her eyes shut

he shut his eyes

his lashes fluttered

she batted her lashes

his brows knitted

her forehead creased

his forehead furrowed

her forehead puckered

a line appeared between her brows

his brows drew together

her brows snapped together

his eyebrows rose

she raised a brow

he lifted an eyebrow

his eyebrows waggled

she gave him a once-over

he sized her up

her eyes bored into him

she took in the sight of…

he glared

she peered

he gazed

she glanced

he stared

she scrutinized

he studied

she gaped

he observed

she surveyed

he gawked

he leered

his pupils (were) dilated

her pupils were huge

his pupils flared

NOSE

her nose crinkled

his nose wrinkled

she sneered

his nostrils flared

she stuck her nose in the air

he sniffed

she sniffled

MOUTH

she smiled

he smirked

she grinned

he simpered

she beamed

her mouth curved into a smile

the corners of his mouth turned up

the corner of her mouth quirked up

a corner of his mouth lifted

his mouth twitched

he gave a half-smile

she gave a lopsided grin

his mouth twisted

he plastered a smile on his face

she forced a smile

he faked a smile

her smile faded

his smile slipped

he pursed his lips

she pouted

his mouth snapped shut

her mouth set in a hard line

he pressed his lips together

she bit her lip

he drew his lower lip between his teeth

she nibbled on her bottom lip

he chewed on his bottom lip

his jaw set

her jaw clenched

his jaw tightened

a muscle in her jaw twitched

he ground his jaw

he snarled/his lips drew back in a snarl

her mouth fell open

his jaw dropped

her jaw went slack

he gritted his teeth

she gnashed her teeth

her lower lip trembled

his lower lip quivered

SKIN

she paled

he blanched

she went white

the color drained out of his face

his face reddened

her cheeks turned pink

his face flushed

she blushed

he turned red

she turned scarlet

he turned crimson

a flush crept up her face

WHOLE FACE, ETC.

he screwed up his face

she scrunched up her face

he grimaced

she winced

she gave him a dirty look

he frowned

she scowled

he glowered

her whole face lit up

she brightened

his face went blank

her face contorted

his face twisted

her expression closed up

his expression dulled

her expression hardened

she went poker-faced

a vein popped out in his neck

awe transformed his face

fear crossed her face

sadness clouded his features

terror overtook his face

recognition dawned on her face

SOURCE

#facial expression. #writing.

[lr-refs]

Smile (writing references)

(So I was doing research for myself, but I thought that it might be useful.)

Adjectives for Smile

radiant; broad; beautiful; sexy; lovely; rustic; uneasy; gracious; seductive; warm; disarming; regretful; winning; surprised; bitter; reminiscent; whimsical; boyish; girlish; wreathed; metallic; faint; apologetic; affectionate; sweet; amiable; solitary; pitying; ridiculous; quizzical; spicy; special; contagious; fawning amused; icy; wistful; courteous; crafty withering; beaming; dazzling; ravished; enormous uncontrolled; sickly; sly; devilish; maternal; eager naked; frank; joyous; complacent; brilliant answering; forced; angry; sympathetic wanton; contemptuous; deadly; sad; simulated; audible; illumined; parting; approving; ironical; mocking; sudden; indulgent; welcoming; irradiating; agreeable; restrained; watery; rare; playful; superior; arch; perpetual; innocent; sparkling; big; somber; polished; responding; irrepressible; religious; peculiar; convenient; everlasting; tolerant; vapid; priceless; vague; racked; complicated; smart; polite; murderous; disdainful sunny; indomitable; sinister; diabolical; complaisant; dim; patient; haughty; endless; rapid; passing; benign; lurid; crooked; placid; hot; grave; malicious; incredulous; timid; bland; provocative peerless; vivacious; mellow; wan; new quiet; calm; abrupt; loving; sagacious; cautious; buoyant; greasy; sardonic; conciliatory; sidelong; nasty; dawning; grim; ironical; false; meaning; sustaining; saucy; atoning; cynical; prodigal; charming; natural indifferent; tolerant; wry; little; visible mournful; naughty; weary; patronizing; languid deprecating; fitful; humorous; sarcastic; mutual; idiotic; frigid; hospitable; doubtful; ingratiating counterfeit; curious; mischievous; childlike exultant; saturnine; speculative; pensive immutable; condescending; pert; impish roguish; ghastly; rueful; hollow; unctuous inane; joyless; wild; satirical; reassuring slow; hideous; flattering; listless; parting fleeting; engaging; severe; immortal; insipid; moonshine; fascinating; facile; beatific; restless; scornful; blossomed; wondering; moony; senile; ambrosial; covert; airy; incisive; faded; shy; social; angelic; envious; debonair; bashful; artificial; waking; antiseptic; mischievous; paternal; dubious; malevolent; roguish; hungry; pale ready; clear; thoughtless; gentle; infectious conscious; timorous; haughty; frequent backward; enamored; obnoxious; pallid derisive; beguiling; excited; brittle; smarmy; conceited; sneering; wide; rascally; timid; meek; reluctant; courageous; nervous; kind; involuntary; smothered; ardent; brave; beaming; glowing; incandescent; inviting; fake; phony; imploring; practiced; delightful; endearing; cheerful.

Verbs for Smile

achieve—; answer with—; bestow—; cloud—; conceal—; crinkle into—; extinguish—; extract—; flash—; grant—; illuminate with —; induce—; loosen—; manage—; mock— permit—; provoke—; quench—; repress— rouse—; share—; shed—; suppress— throw—; toss—; wear—; wreathe in— wrinkle into—; —abashes; —basks; — confronts; —contorts; —creases; —crinkles; —deludes; —departs; —disconcerts; —disparages; —fades; —flashes; —flickers; —hides; —hovers; —lightens; —lingers; — mantles; —plays; —reassures; —renders; —reveals; —twitches.

Adverbs for Smile

delightedly; approvingly; shrewdly; affectionately; reluctantly; ecstatically; whimsically; tolerantly; radiantly; indulgently; benevolently; tremulously;grimly; sympathetically; blandly; beamingly; wanly; auspiciously; impudently; disarmingly; mischievously; magnanimously; unctuously; contemptuously; lewdly, winsomely; wryly; languidly; artificially; automatically; apathetically; benignly; facetiously; superficially; demurely; guilelessly; angelically; affably; ambiguously; coyly; cynically; cunningly; exultantly; exaggeratedly; cryptically; ruefully; benevolently.

#writing. #facial expression. #other words for.