creative writing body language

Body language master list for writers

“Show, don’t tell” is the first lesson of Fiction Writing 101, and one of the easiest and quickest fixes is to replace the emotional adverbs and adjectives with some body language.

For example, instead of “He said, sadly,” you could write, “He said with tears welling in his eyes.” Or, for a deep point of view, skip the “he said” and just write “Tears welled in his eyes” instead of a dialogue tag.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes when writing I get stumped. What body language goes, with, say, exasperation? So I Google it and spend half an hour going down a research rabbit hole. So I started assembling a cheat sheet I could refer to quickly, without getting distracted.

This is that cheat sheet.

Shaking fist Pointing finger Stabbing with finger Slamming fist on table Face flushed Veins throbbing in neck Jutting chin Clenched fist Clenched jaw Eyebrows lowered Eyes squinted Teeth bared Wide stance Tight-lipped smile Invading personal space Touching or rattling someone’s belongings or drink Rapid breathing Sweating Unwanted touching or flicking Moving one leg back into a fighting stance Invading personal space Flared nostrils Puffed chest Lowered, gravelly voice Insulting gestures Mock attacks Sudden movements Wide, exaggerated gestures Pursed lips Red face Slamming or punching things

Anticipation

Rubbing hands together Licking lips Unable to sit still Grinning

Throwing head back Slapping thighs Clapping hands Shaking with laughter Shaking head with a grin

Lips pressed together Eyes narrowed Rolling eyes Exasperated sigh

Fidgeting Twisting a ring Chewing on a pencil Biting lip Swallowing Quickened breathing Holding breath Eyes darting Sweating Clammy hands High-pitched laughter Hunched posture Pacing Stuttering Playing with hair

Attentiveness

Furrowed brow Leaning forward Sitting up Taking notes Mimicking body language

Jaw dropped Frozen in place Fixed gaze

Yawning Avoiding eye contact Tapping feet Twirling pen Doodling Fidgeting Slouching

Clasping arms behind body Lifting head Chest pushed out Standing tall Making firm and precise movements

Head tilted Narrowed eyes Furrowed brow Shrugging

Lifted chin Pursed lips Sneering Stretching Turning away Waving hand dismissively

Lips twisted Half-smile Shaking head Lips pressed together into a slight frown Rolling eyes

One-sided shoulder shrug Looking down Scratching nose, ear, or neck Feet kicking out Shuffling feet Sudden change in demeanor Hesitation in speech Shifting eye contact Long blinks Shrugging Inappropriate smiling or laughter Shaking head “no” while saying “yes” Licking lips Covering or touching mouth

Defensiveness

Crossing arms or legs Placing something in front of body Hands in pockets Holding hands palms up

Winking Looking up through eyelashes Glancing over shoulder Making eye contact Touching hair Touching clothing Straight back Thumbs in belt loops or pockets Dilated pupils Arching Stretching Women crossing and uncrossing legs

Eyes open wide Eyes narrowed Twisted mouth Crinkling nose Creased brow

Crinkling nose Curled lip Flinching Turning away Covering nose Gagging Eyes squinted shut

Displeasure

Fake smile Pouting Frowning Crossing arms

Rubbing neck Wide eyes Rapid breathing Hitting a wall Huddling in a corner Clasping hands over head Rocking Wringing hands Running hands through hair Adjusting cuffs Men holding hands in front of crotch

Chin up Chest out Shoulder back Hard handshake Leaning back with hands behind head and feet up Steady eye contact Hands on hips Straddling chair

Leaning forward Nodding Wide eyes Steady eye contact with raised eyebrows Hand on heart Double-handed handshake Feet pointed inwards

Embarrassment

Blushing Stammering Covering face with hands Bowing head Looking away Looking down Blinking back tears

Rubbing eyes Staring into space Yawning Stretching Nodding off and jerking awake Gritting teeth Closing eyes Moving slowly Slouching

Delayed reactions

Sweating Shaking Eyebrows raised and pulled together Wide eyes Mouth slightly open

Curling into fetal position Contorting face Slumping Covering face or head with hands, arms, or pillow Staring Shaking Sobbing Trembling Turning away Difficulty swallowing Drooping eyelids

Smiling Laughing Humming Crinkling eyes and nose Swinging arms Spinning Dancing Jumping Hugging Giggling

Shaking fists, hands twisted into claws Bared teeth Throbbing vein in neck Sweating, red face, tightness in skin of face Flared nostrils Scathing tone Shouting or screaming Turning away or leaving when the other person arrives, changing plans to avoid them

Maintaining eye contact Smiling with whole face Looking up Palms up Open arms

Nodding quickly Tapping fingers Sighing Checking the time Tapping feet Increasing voice pitch Looking away

Tight lips Sour expression Narrow eyes Crossed arms

Physical closeness to someone, leaning against each other, sitting together so legs touch Obsessively checking for messages, constant texting Doodling love interest’s name with a heart Improving appearance, dying hair, exercising more Affectionate touches, playful shoving Smiling at nothing, beaming, silly grid Using pet names, terms of endearment Listening to love songs

Overwhelmed

Palms to forehead Splayed fingers over eyes Staring into space with wide eyes Gripping something

Playfulness

Winking Waggling eyebrows Nudging Smiling Tickling

Head tilted back Slightly parting lips Eyes wide Eyes closed Slow, languorous movements Stretching Arching back Flushing Rapid breathing Fast pulse

Possessiveness

Handshake with arm clasp Hands around shoulders, neck, or waist Placing hands on a wall around someone Standing in their personal space angled towards them Running a knuckle down someone’s cheek Staring at people if they get too close

Shaky laughter Letting out a huge breath Looking up in silent prayer Raising hand for a high five

More at Writers Helping Writers and even more here by Kathy Steinemann .

Arms crossed Hands in fists Dragging feet Pinching nose Hands over ears

Droopy body Bowed body Wrapping arms around yourself Hesitating movements Bottom lip jutting out Quivering lip Crying Sobbing Shaking Dragging feet

Secretiveness

Tight-lipped smile Hands in pockets Looking away Covering face Looking down

Slumped shoulders Looking down and away Burying face in hands Bowed head Straight mouth

Hands over mouth Mouth open Gasping Freezing Staring with wide eyes Raised eyebrows Smacking palm against forehead Stepping back

Blushing Avoiding eye contact Keeping distance from others Backing away if others come too close Arms folded Head bent Hugging the walls

Slight close-lipped smile One raised eyebrow Slightly tucked chin Enigmatic smile Raised eyebrows Steepled fingers

Wide eyes Wrinkled forehead Slack or open jaw

Narrow eyes Glancing sideways Raised eyebrow Rubbing eyes Shaking head Blowing out cheeks Frowning Tightening lips

Thoughtfulness

Steepled fingers Pinching nose Closed eyes Tugging on ear Stroking beard Stroking chin Furrowing brow Narrow eyes Tilted head Lips pressed together Chin resting on hand Leaning back and looking up

Threatening

Shaking fist Pointing finger Stabbing with finger Slamming fist on table Face flushed Veins throbbing in neck Jutting chin Clenched fist Clenched jaw Eyebrows lowered Eyes squinted Teeth bared Wide stance Tight-lipped smile Invading personal space Rapid breathing Sweating Unwanted touching or flicking Moving one leg back into a fighting stance Invading personal space Flared nostrils Puffed chest Touching or rattling someone’s belongings or drink

Holding hands together above head Tilting back head and yelling Pumping fist in air Jumping Roaring Whooping

Other Resources

A couple of years ago, I bought a copy of a book titled The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression , part of the Writers Helping Writers series.

I would still prefer a print version, though, to keep it on my physical bookshelf for easier and faster access.

Another book that covers some of the same ground is The Writer’s Lexicon: Descriptions, Overused Words, and Taboos by Kathy Steinemann.

Do you have any other suggestions for how to convey emotion through action or body language? Let me know in the comments and I’ll add it to the list!

And if you want more writing advice, I do a weekly round-up of the best writing advice articles from all around the web . Check it out!

Edited by Charles Hand

Maria Korolov

MetaStellar editor and publisher Maria Korolov is a science fiction novelist , writing stories set in a future virtual world. And, during the day, she is an award-winning freelance technology journalist who covers artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and enterprise virtual reality . See her Amazon author page here and follow her on Twitter , Facebook , or LinkedIn , and check out her latest videos on the Maria Korolov YouTube channel . Email her at [email protected] . She is also the editor and publisher of Hypergrid Business , one of the top global sites covering virtual reality.

4 thoughts on “Body language master list for writers”

This is a great list. Thank you for sharing this. I did notice one type of emotion that could be helpful to have.

What would be some good options for a serious character? It becomes a bit repetitive to say that the characters are serious, especially if readers would already know this from what is being discussed.

I have thought of locking eyes, a narrowing of the eyes, leaning forwards and taking a deeper breath. Would there be any others you would recommend?

Depends on what you mean by serious. If you mean thoughtful, then you’ve got all the actions that does someone is thinking — taking off their glasses, looking up, furrowed brow, frowning, adding things up on their fingers, making notes, etc.. If you mean serious as opposed to playful, there’s frowning again, tapping your foot, etc… But if you want to show that someone is a serious person, just have them do hard things effectively.

This is wonderful, thank you!

Thank you for sharing this!! There are so many facial gestures and/or expressions I don’t know how to describe…this is awesome! Thank you!

Writing Body Language: Bringing Your Characters to Life

Body language is an essential part of bringing your characters to life, and yet, many writers struggle to find a balance between drawing no attention to the characters’ body language and obsessing over the way their characters move. If you don’t describe how your characters move in a scene, you’re missing out on a lot of opportunities to showcase their personality, while forcing them to move through emotional scenes like robots. Too much focus on body language, however, can come across as redundant, pointless, and boring.

If you struggle to convey realistic body language in your stories, don’t feel bad! Many other writers are in the same boat. With a little bit of help and direction, you’ll be adding subtle movements and gestures into your writing without even thinking about it in no time!

Why Body Language is Important in Writing

Nonverbal cues make up a large part of communication, so if you aren’t drawing attention to how your characters move and emote, your readers will be missing elements of what they’re communicating.

Not only that, but body language has many important uses in stories, such as:

Keeping dialogue interesting
Setting the tone of the scene
Conveying emotion
Hinting at hidden emotions, deception, and true feelings
Hinting at relationships between characters, such as tension, romantic feelings, or distrust
Illustrating parts of a character’s personality

Finally, body language is a key element of utilizing the technique “Show, Don’t Tell.” By using body language to indicate certain emotions, relations, and personality traits, you are allowing readers to make inferences about these things themselves. This can help to further invest readers into your story by making them feel like they are playing a part in deciphering what is going on. It is also much more fun to read than statements like “he felt angry” or “he looked at her sadly.”

If you want some guidance on how else you can use this technique, check out my other article Show, Don’t Tell: What It Is and How to Use It .

Using Body Language to Enhance Dialogue

It’s no secret that long stretches of dialogue and lengthy conversations often feel like they’re dragging on. When characters are talking for more than a few pages, it can start to get really tiring.

One of the ways you can combat this is by describing what the characters are doing as they are conversing with one another. If the conversation is tense, are your characters behaving nervously? Are they fidgeting? If they’re arguing, what are they doing with their hands? Are they gesturing wildly, or standing stiffly in one place?

Not only does this narration give readers a refreshing break from the dialogue, but it also gives the characters’ words more meaning. You can add context to the conversation by showing how the characters are feeling, moving, and emoting.

One of the easiest ways to seamlessly integrate body language into a dialogue-heavy scene is with action beats. If you want to know more about that, check out the article Action Beats: What They Are and How to Use Them .

How to Show Body Language for Different Emotions

Body language is one of the easiest ways to convey how a character is feeling, since different emotions can influence the ways a character moves and the gestures they use. Drawing attention to a character’s body language can be a subtle way of hinting at how they’re feeling.

It’s important to keep in mind that not everyone experiences or expresses emotions in exactly the same way. Keep your characters consistent, and always take their personality into account when writing their body language. For example, a particularly stoic character may not emote dramatically, while a nervous character could behave more exaggeratedly.

Keep in mind that this article is focusing mostly on body language . If you want to know how to write about facial expression, you should check out How to Describe Facial Expressions in Writing next.

Excited Body Language

Excitement can be an overwhelming emotion. Excited characters are likely to have an abundance of energy, and without a way to talk about their excitement, they may feel as if they are about to explode.

Remember that energy is the most important element of portraying excitement, so bring a little extra energy into everything the character does—whether that’s stirring soup or stocking shelves.

To show that your characters are excited, you could have them:

Gesture wildly
Talk a lot
Take up a lot of extra space in a scene, by gesturing wildly, being loud, or drawing a lot of attention
Bounce around
Cry happy tears
Laugh loudly
Be completely unable to sit still
Grab onto others, and even shake them around
Cross their arms or tuck their hands under their arms to control them
Place a hand on their chest
Clap their hands together
Cover their face with their hands or peek through their fingers
Randomly burst out giggling or laughing

If the character cannot properly contain or vent out their excitement, they can become restless, which results in fidgeting, speaking quickly or loudly, pacing around, and having trouble focusing. This is especially the case with children, who are often not emotionally mature enough to contain intense excitement.

Excitement may also turn into anxiety as whatever the character is excited about draws near, since they may fear it won’t go as planned or meet their expectations.

Happy Body Language

When a character is feeling happy, then they will be at peace with their surroundings, comfortable, and relaxed. There can also be a lot of overlap between happiness and excitement, however, so make sure you take that into consideration when determining how your character would be moving.

Being in a good mood can result in your character having more patience for situations they otherwise wouldn’t, and their body language will reflect that. A happy character is likely going to be calm and receptive, and they may smile often, maintain eye contact longer, and gesture animatedly as they speak. They are also far more likely to touch others, especially those they are comfortable around or care about.

To show that your character is feeling happy, you could have them:

Prop their head up on one arm and stare lovingly at something or someone
Touch another character on the shoulder
Laugh often
Playfully shove or swat at another character
Lock their hands behind their head
Whistle or hum
Skip, or walk with more bounce than usual
Sit cross-legged or in a relaxed position
Twist, bounce, or wiggle
Clasp their hands together
Lean back or settle in a relaxed position
Angle their body (or even lean) towards another character
Speak with a bubbly tone

Each character is going to have different behaviors, and those behaviors may change depending on the context. A naturally playful character will likely express joy more bombastically, while a more reserved character may only show small signs, such as a small smile and a relaxed posture.

Angry Body Language

Anger is one of the easiest emotions to identify with body language. Anger is powerful , and it can be hard to conceal, so it typically results in many telltale signs.

An angry character may:

Clench their fists
Lean towards other characters or intrude on others’ personal space
Bare their teeth
Widen their stance and stand tensely
Bang on tables
Throw things, or pretend to do so
Gesture aggressively, such as waving fists, imitating striking something, or stomping
Cry, though maintain an aggressive stance
Spit while they speak
Point or jab at other characters
Get red in the face

Anger makes people want to lash out, so in addition to behaviors like those listed above, you can weave aggressive gestures into everything the character does. If you’ve ever seen anyone aggressively buckle a seatbelt or angrily organize a stack of mail, then you know what I mean.

However, not every character is going to be willing to give in to their anger, and they may be more conscious of their own body language. Characters who want to control their anger will behave differently, though it should still be equally obvious to readers how the character is feeling. If a character is at work or otherwise in public, then they are much more likely to try to keep a lid on their anger.

When a character is trying to control their anger, they may:

Force a deadpan expression
Breathe slowly and deliberately
Stand tensely, without moving much or walking around
Speak in a low tone or keep their voice down
Stand straight up with their shoulders squared
Cross their arms
Rub their face, temples, neck, hands, or arms
Cover their mouth
Pretend not to care about whatever is making them angry
Take a walk

Angry body language is also very similar to tense or frustrated body language. A tense character may be more likely to freeze up or shut down, while a frustrated character will gradually get more aggressive if they cannot escape from what is frustrating them.

Nervous Body Language

It is usually easy to tell when a character is nervous because they will have a lot of restless energy to deal with—which often results in a lot of fidgeting. Nervousness is a precursor to fear, but it also has a lot in common with embarrassment.

Nervous characters are likely to:

Pick at things, such as their nails and lips or objects around them
Play with their hair
Tap on objects or other parts of their body
Chew on their lips or nails
Glance around the room and behind themselves
Move stiffly
Sway slightly as they stand
Tremble, both with their body and their voice
Avoid eye contact with others

Depending on what is making a character nervous, they might try to conceal their nerves. At a job interview or date, for example, a character is likely to try controlling their nerves by using a variety of coping mechanisms, such as focusing on their breathing, keeping their hands in their pockets, or talking constantly to avoid awkward silence.

While we’re on the topic of controlling nerves, have your nervous character also engage in self-soothing behaviors when they are nervous, such as:

Running a hand through their own hair
Rubbing the back of their neck
Humming quietly
Sighing or clearing their throat
Pinching the bridge of their nose
Rubbing their hands together
Wrapping their arms around their upper body (or around their knees, if they are seated)

These motions are always going to be specific to the character, so pick a few per character and try to keep them consistent whenever the character in question is feeling nervous.

Nervousness is about more than just body language. Check out How to Write a Nervous Character for more tips on writing about your character’s nerves.

Scared Body Language

When a character gets scared, the first thing that will happen is the “ fight or flight ” response will be triggered, causing a release of adrenaline. This causes dilated pupils, trembling, quickened heartbeat, fast breathing, and flushed skin. Characters will suddenly experience a rush of energy, and they may react to stimuli (such as noise or touch) quickly—or even violently.

This adrenaline response is instinctive, and it allows a person to protect themself when they are in danger, by giving them the energy to flee or fight off the threat. However, your characters are likely to get spooked in situations where a threat isn’t easily identifiable—or even present at all. Characters could be scared of another person, a concept, a specific animal, a loud noise, and any number of other things. Regardless, that adrenaline response is still going to impact them the same.

A character who is scared may:

Grab onto other characters or objects suddenly
Recoil, lean away, or retreat several steps
Cover their face with their hands
Wrap their arms around their torso
Hold their arms up as if to strike at something
Drift away from whatever is frightening them
Angle their body away, as if prepared to run at any moment
Flinch at the slightest noise, feeling, movement, etc
Chew on something, such as their own lips, nails, clothing, hair, etc
Shake or flap their hands around to “shake off” the adrenaline
Shrink themself away, drawing their limbs close to their body
Hide behind another character or object
Stare at something intensely
Avoid eye contact
Sweat profusely
Hyperventilate
Go pale or flushed
Speak quickly and repeat words, or not speak at all
Speak in a hushed, shrill, or raspy voice
Clench their jaw
Force a smile
Clutch their hands together tightly
Stumble or act clumsily

Another unfortunate consequence of adrenaline is nausea. This nausea will be worse the longer a character is frightened, and if they aren’t able to use their adrenaline, they will be left feeling shaky, sick to their stomach, and with a throbbing headache. It is not uncommon for someone to throw up as a result of being frightened.

Sad Body Language

Unlike many of the other emotions described above, sadness results in a lack of energy. Everything your character attempts to do will consume much more of their energy, and they may simply give up on simple tasks such as showering or making dinner.

Sadness is not the same as depression (depression isn’t an emotion, but a medical condition), but there is a lot of overlap between the two states—especially in regard to body language.

A character who is sad may:

Move much slower than usual
Curl up in a ball when seated
Have bad posture
Act lethargic
Snap at others or show signs of anger or frustration
Drag their feet as they walk
Have a slow reaction time
Keep their head angled downward and look at the ground
Zone out (stare off at nothing, with little to no awareness of what is going on around them)
Swallow more audibly and frequently
Cover their head, face, ears, or neck with their hands
Lay their head on a surface, like a table or wall
Hide their face in the crook of their elbow
Speak in a low, monotone voice
Wipe or rub at their eyes and face
Press their palms against their eyes
Let their hair hang in front of their face
Blink rapidly or look to the sky to keep tears from slipping out of their eyes
Breath slowly and deeply

Sadness can make everything seem much harder to do, and if your character is truly sad, they may not have the energy to even try to do anything. They are also likely to be more apathetic about everything, and not see the point of putting in the energy to shower, eat, or get enough rest. Characters who are experiencing intense sadness, grief, or depression may also self-harm or turn to substances like alcohol to cope.

If your characters are using alcohol to cope with sadness, then that is going to completely change the body language they display and the way you should write it. If you want help with that, you should check out How to Write a Drunk Character next.

Disgusted Body Language

Disgust, like fear, is an emotion that is driven by instinct. Humans experience disgust to keep them away from things that could infect them or make them sick in some way. Anything that is considered offensive (or potentially harmful) to any of the five senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound) can elicit a disgusted reaction—for example, the smell of rotten food or the sound of something gooey being squished.

However, disgust can also be triggered by another character’s political ideas, hobbies, behaviors, or preferences. That also means that disgust can be influenced by culture, since certain foods or behaviors might be considered normal in one culture, but gross and unacceptable in another. Disgust, when directed at another person’s traits or behaviors, is more often described as “contempt,” but that emotion also comes with an inherent sense of superiority.

When a character is disgusted, the most important thing to keep in mind is that they will be doing whatever they can to get away from the thing that is disgusting them. A character experiencing disgust may also:

Recoil, or take several steps back
Cover their mouth with their hand
Squint their eyes
Feel nauseous
Flinch or recoil at being touched, or at feeling certain objects
Swallow hard and often
Gag or choke
Shake their head side-to-side
Stick out their tongue
Avoid being touched
Close their eyes
Hold their arms up by their torso or chest
Cover their nose, ears, eyes, etc
Move away from other characters and maintain a large radius of personal space

The context for the character’s disgusted reaction matters tremendously. A character reacting to a nasty smell is not going to behave in the same way as a character who is learning about their aunt’s strange weekend plans.

The Body Language of Attraction

Every romance writer wants to know how to amp up the chemistry between their characters, and subtly weaving body language cues throughout the text is one of the best ways to do that. By having each character indicate that they are attracted to each other with their behaviors long before a real romance begins to bud, your readers will be more likely to accept the relationship between the two characters.

When a character experiences attraction for another character, they will experience a sense of awe (that “oh my gosh, they’re beautiful ” moment). This is commonly associated with a warm feeling in the chest, an increased heart rate, and dilated eyes.

A character who is attracted to another character in the room is likely to:

Point their feet at the person they are interested in, instead of pointing them away or in separate directions
Tilt their head to the side
Maintain eye contact with the person they are interested in
Blink faster than normal (but not like a Disney Princess fluttering her eyelashes)
Face their whole body towards the person they are interested in, instead of pivoting or turning their head to look at them
Run their hand through their hair in a big, sweeping motion, or twirling with the ends of long hair
Mirror the body language of the person they are attracted to
Stand up straight and puff out their chest
Speak with a lighter, softer tone to their voice
Steal glances at the person they are attracted to (especially when the other person isn’t looking)
Look at the lips of the person they are attracted to
Lick their lips
Smile often
Push the boundaries of personal space
Straighten out their clothes, fix their hair, or otherwise attempt to keep their appearance in-check
Maintain an open posture, such as with their hands behind their back, their arms at their sides, or their hands on their hips

There’s a lot that goes into conveying good chemistry between characters. If you want some more specific instruction for writing about chemistry, attraction, and love, head over to Romance 101: How to Write Characters Falling in Love .

Body Language and Personality in Character Creation

When you’re creating a new character, you should take the time to consider how they move, and the ways they cope with their emotions. In fact, the way a character moves is just as important as the ways they look or behave. Giving a character distinct body language can take a well-designed character and bring them to life in your readers’ imaginations.

Body language is a powerful tool for creating distinct characters. Every person in the world has their own specific ways of reacting to different emotions and situations, and everyone has different behavioral quirks. By taking the time to consider a character’s personal body language and the ways they gesture and move, you are adding in another layer of individuality that makes them unique.

When designing a character’s body language, it can be helpful to make a list of the most common emotions. (You can even take inspiration from the table of contents for this article!) Under each emotion, write out just a few distinct behaviors for the character to utilize in situations where they would feel that emotion. For example, maybe a character will always clear their throat when they get nervous, or they have a habit of tugging at their earlobe when they are happy.

Those aren’t the only behaviors the character can use, but they should always be present whenever the character is feeling the emotion in question. This keeps them consistent and allows readers to pick up on how that character is feeling as they get more familiar with them.

Avoid Excessive Use of Characters’ Body Language

Although body language is important to include in your stories, you should be careful not to overdo it. Humans (and other humanoids, of course) move constantly , but that doesn’t mean you should draw attention to every micro-expression and subtle gesture they make. Only point out the behaviors that are relevant to the situation, or those that illustrate something about the character in question. If you overdo it, body language can really clutter up your scenes and add a lot of unnecessary length to your draft. Remember writers, there is such a thing as “too much of a good thing.”

Writers in the Storm

A blog about writing.

A Look at Body Language in Writing

by Ellen Buikema

More than half of human communication consists of body language, which we use to communicate feelings, thought, and ideas without speech. Body language impacts other people’s perception and conveys our emotions far more than we think it does. Physical descriptions of what our characters are doing allows us to show-not-tell what is happening to them internally. It is one of the simplest ways to give the reader a feel for characters’ depth of mood and attitude.

Can you communicate well with others if you sit on your hands? I tried to and discovered that I don’t express myself as well. I’m a hand-gesturer. Plus, with COVID-19 upon us, I’ve realized how often I touch my face!

I also move around a lot, especially if I’m nervous. The first time I taught a classroom full of adults, I paced the entire time. Thinking back, I wonder if I made anyone dizzy.

Simple tasks require a surprising amount of movement.

Here’s a quick exercise that will give you a feel for how many movements you actually make. It will help you determine the balance needed between dialogue and description in your writing.

Choose an activity you commonly do at home or at work. It can be as small a task as sitting in a chair, working on the laptop, or other computer keyboard. Here are a few possible questions to get you started.

Where are your hands when not on the keyboard?
Are you leaning in, or away?
Do you cross your legs?
Crane your neck?
Arch your back?
Tap your finger on the mouse?
Use the dog as a footrest?
Lift the cat off the keyboard?
Roll your eyes?

Write out what you are physically doing, making a conscious effort to write all the steps you take. The first time I tried this I was shocked at how many little steps are involved in doing even simple tasks. Weave these descriptions into your manuscripts to help your characters come alive.

Other Body Language Recommendations

Showing Emotion

Make a list of the emotions your main characters exhibit along with the accompanying body language. Think about how your main characters move and react. How does your antagonist look when she is amused? What body language does your protagonist use when angered?

Avoid repetitive gestures.

Repeating gestures can be annoying. Certainly, it feels forced. Not every character should clench their fists or waggle their eyebrows. One character can habitually use the same gesture now and then, but not everyone. (Although thinking about a town full of people waggling their eyebrows makes me chuckle.)

Use vivid action verbs.

Choosing the right verb helps express the emotion you want to convey. For example, there are many ways to walk and each alternative verb implies an emotion. We can:

stride into a room
sashay down the boardwalk
lumber across the floor.

Each of the three verbs is a form of walking, all with different nuances. Each paints a distinct picture.

For dialogue tags, said is never wrong. Unfortunately, I find myself using smile, laugh, and nod. My current Work In Progress had a whole lot of nodding going on. After someone brought this to my attention, I did a "nod search" on my Word document and was appalled by the many cheerful yellow highlights.

Wise words from my editor about empty words and gestures. (Those are pauses between lines of dialogue that don’t advance a scene or characterize.) She said, “If you point something out by putting it down on the page, it needs a reason to be there. Your job during your editing phase is to second guess every image you put down on the page and make sure it’s clearly what you mean.”

Don’t overdo.

Too many descriptors make readers focus on the details instead of the feelings you want them to experience. Or worse, it gives readers a chance to trip on the details and get pulled out of the story. Meaningless details interrupt the flow.

As with all else in writing, put just enough body language in your prose to get your point across.

About Ellen

Author, speaker, and former teacher, Ellen L. Buikema has written non-fiction for parents and a series of chapter books for children with stories encouraging the development of empathy—sprinkling humor wherever possible. Her Work In Progress, The Hobo Code , is YA historical fiction.

Find her at http://ellenbuikema.com or on Amazon .

Image by Ri Butov from Pixabay

18 comments on “A Look at Body Language in Writing”

Such a great topic! I often find myself getting up and acting out a scene when I'm writing so I can know what the movements and sensations are! I also struggle with finding ways to convey body language that are concise and accessible, but not over-used. My characters always seem to shrug, nod, and raise their eyebrows LOL. Thank goodness for that "search" box that shows me how often they do that! On the other hand, sometimes those "standard" words are just fine because they get the job done without drawing attention to themselves. Being too creative can break the flow of the scene. Another aspect of our craft that requires a balancing act!

Being too "flowery" can definitely pull me out of the story I'm reading.

Acting out the scenes makes a big difference!

Smiling, shrugging, and nodding are on my hit list for my first editing pass.

Our eldest daughter's Freshman year English teacher gave her class a list of forbidden words. This made writing more difficult, but seriously improved her writing.

Hit list! The perfect term.

My characters smile all over the place as well. That find feature is humbling.

Excellent post. I find that my cozy characters roll their eyes and shrug, whereas my Gothic characters glance nervously and have racing hearts. And even nonverbal cues that might look the same--I'm thinking smiling and grinning--have different connotations depending on which word we use.

I love The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. It really gets me thinking about all the different ways we express our emotions and it's a treasure trove for writers who need new words to describe how a character is thinking or feeling.

Thanks for the great post!

And you have the second edition, right? They added 30÷ things!

The Emotion Thesaurus is a go to resource for me as well. It helps me get unstuck when I discover a repeated descriptions in my writing: batting eyelashes and hand on hip moments overplayed!

When we say, "show not tell" body language is definitely a HUGE part of that.

Absolutely. The show is all about body language.

Amy, thank you for your recommendation. I'll check out The Emotional Thesaurus.

It's interesting to note the different uses of body language in various genres. I'm glad you brought that up.

Sometimes, if I'm trying to vary action tags, I'll give characters an object, like a pencil, to tap, throw, or doodle with, depending on emotion. Or, they might be doing a task in a location but they'll be stomping around the room and talking or slamming drawers if angry. If sad or reflective, maybe they're sitting and twisting their coffee cup rather than drinking, etc. It's interesting to see how other authors do this.

I enjoy seeing how other writers use body language to express emotions. Reading other's work shows us different directions to go. Currently I'm reading a SciFi novel. The author did extensive research and wove that into her book. One of the characters has significant bodily damage and uses an exoskeleton, making for unusual body language.

Thanks, Ellen, great post. It made me think of my WIP and without even looking back at the ms I am sure I have overused "shrug." Something to look out for. Oh, well. I'll keep my eyes open on the next pass. All kidding aside, thanks again.

I'm glad the post is helpful, James! I think we all have our pet words. Thank goodness for word search, however ghastly cheerful.

Thank you for the examples of showing the emotions through body language. We convey emotion and thoughts subconsciously in real life and it makes sense for our readers to experience this in our writing. It makes me want to people watch for research!

People watching is ALWAYS fun.

I'm sure I do, I can't think of one off hand. I try to search for overuse words.

I did notice a friend using "shimmied her shoulders" in a book several times recently. It didn't fit the character. I don't think she was using the right word for the action she wanted. denise

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Awesome Resources for Creative Writing: Body Cheat Sheets

December 29, 2015 By Andy Peloquin

9 Simple and Powerful Ways to Write Body Language

Dialogue is a great tool to establish relationships between your characters and deepen emotional connection to your readers. But if you rely on dialogue alone to show how your characters interact, you’re missing a big opportunity. In real life, nonverbal cues—body language—account for more than 90% of our communication. Including body language in your writing gives your characters more depth and provides a relatable, interactive experience for your readers.

That’s easy enough to see in real-world interactions or on the stage or screen, but how can you write it into your story?

How to use body language effectively in your writing

There are so many components to body language, and many writers only ever use a few. To create believable and engaging characters, it’s important to look at all the ways to communicate body language in your writing.

1. Gestures

Most of my clients don’t know this because we primarily work over email and telephone, but I talk with my hands. Big time. Some of your characters probably do too. Sure, not everyone uses finger guns (even though they should). But virtually everyone shakes hands, points, or waves.

worAd of caution: be aware that your book will likely be read around the world, and some gestures have different cultural connotations. One common example is the two-fingered V. Other than being super popular now in selfies, it has also meant victory, peace, or an insult. If you use it, make it clear how it’s being used.

2. Facial expression

Again, some of us have very expressive faces, and others are harder to read. But facial expressions are an important part of body language because they are pretty much universal. Even people who curb their reactions still have tiny involuntary changes called microexpressions . Our brains pick up on these and decipher them, even when we aren’t aware that they’re happening. How cool is that?!

3. Tone of voice and cadence

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it.” For example, my kids know I’m close to losing my patience when I slow my speech and lower the pitch of my voice. That’s their cue to get in line or risk Mom’s wrath. Your characters’ speech will sound different to each other, depending on what emotion they are feeling. How does your protagonist sound when she’s excited? Guilty? Apathetic?

Some gestures relate to touch, but I included it as a separate category because it’s all about how the characters interact. Touch conveys so much in just a fleeting moment. Think about all the emotions expressed by physical contact—running a hand through a child’s hair, laying a head on a friend’s shoulder, punching someone in the face!

Posture is how we hold our bodies while we stand and sit, but it’s more than just being able to balance a book on your head. The way a character carries himself as he goes about his life says a lot about him. Does he stand tall or slouch? Sit back with his legs crossed or lean forward? How does your character hold his head, shoulders, arms, and legs—and what does that tell your readers about him?

6. Proxemics (personal space)

This aspect of body language makes me think of that old Seinfeld episode about the close talker, a man who doesn’t understand the idea of personal space. Most people respect that people want 18 inches or so between themselves and others. To be inside that space usually means either intimacy (if wanted) or threat (if unwanted). Again, there are cultural differences here, so be aware of that when you write.

7. Physical appearance

Our cleanliness, hairstyles, clothes, accessories, and other decisions about personal appearance tell others plenty about us. In fact, our first impressions of people often come from these choices. Show more about your characters by showing these aspects of them as well. Maybe she only likes to wear skirts or always wears a cross necklace. Perhaps she has giant, unruly curly hair. Maybe she was just born that way, and it doesn’t mean anything about her, OK???

Sometimes a character’s actions are a kind of body language. How and when he acts in certain ways can be meaningful (it isn’t always). Running instead of walking, slamming doors, taking a drink to fill a loaded silence, jumping in a car and driving away…these are all actions that carry emotion.

9. Physical sensations

Especially effective when writing in deep POV, these are the involuntary responses a character’s body will have to a certain stimulus. It might mean prickling skin, sweating, blushing, fast pulse, dry mouth…you get the idea. These are physiological responses we all share, so it engages readers’ senses and memories. It’s easy, though, to end up with a bunch of sweaty people with goosebumps who are practically having heart attacks. So be careful not to overdo it or go into clichés or purple prose.

A few other tips

Use it to strengthen dialogue

Body language reinforces the emotional connotation of the words, breaks up large amounts of dialogue, and provides a better alternative to dialogue tags.

Make the connection

Make sure you’re clearly connecting the chain of emotions, thoughts, motivations, actions, and reactions. Don’t hit your reader over the head with it, but don’t leave it ambiguous either.

Use multiple kinds of body language

Don’t rely on one nonverbal cue to communicate everything. Write them in little groupings and sprinkle them throughout the story.

Sometimes it’s about what they don’t do

Some characters are carefully blank, schooling their expressions and controlling their actions. What a person doesn’t do can say as much about them as what they do.

Make sure you include intentional actions as well as unconscious reactions to go even deeper.

Body language habits = personality quirks

Use your characters favorite body language as a personality quirk. Be careful not to repeat it too much, though, or you may bore your readers.

How do you use body language to create engaging characters? Leave a comment here or on Instagram or tweet me @jenichappelle .

From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: Body Language

by Melissa Donovan | Aug 19, 2021 | Creative Writing Exercises | 0 comments

Take a peek at “Body Language” from 101 Creative Writing Exercises.

101 Creative Writing Exercises is a collection of creative writing exercises that takes writers on a journey through different forms and genres while providing writing techniques, practice, and inspiration.

Each exercise teaches a specific concept, and each chapter focuses on a different subject or form of writing: journaling, storytelling, fiction, poetry, article writing, and more. Every exercise is designed to be practical. In other words, you can use these exercises to launch projects that are destined for publication.

Today, I’d like to share one of my favorite exercises from the book. This is from “Chapter 4: Speak Up,” which focuses on dialogue and scripts. The exercise is called “Body Language.” Enjoy!

Body Language

Sometimes what people say without actually speaking tells us a whole lot more than what comes out of their mouths. Using body language to communicate is natural. We all understand it intuitively—some better than others.

As a writer, you can closely observe people’s body language and learn how humans speak without words so you can bring unspoken communication into your writing.

Imagine two characters, a man and woman, who are complete strangers. They are in a bookstore. Their eyes meet across the room. You wouldn’t write “ Their eyes locked. They were instantly attracted to each other.” That would be boring and unimaginative. Instead, you would let the scene unfold and describe it to the reader—how their eyes met, how he gulped and she blushed, how they both suddenly felt warm, how the two of them slowly worked their way toward the center of the store until they finally met in the horror section.

The Exercise

Write a scene between two (or more) characters in which there is no dialogue but the characters are communicating with each other through body language. You can also write a nonfiction piece. Surely you have experienced nonverbal communication. Take that experience and describe it on the page.

Your scene can be a lead-in to two characters meeting or conversing. The scene should comprise at least two pages of non-dialogue interaction with two or more characters. Here are a few scene starters:

A cop, detective, or private investigator is tailing a suspect through a small town, a big city, a mall, amusement park, or other public area.
Strangers are always good for body language exercises. Think about where strangers are brought together: public transportation, classes, elevators, and formal meetings.
Kids in a classroom aren’t supposed to be speaking while a teacher is giving a lecture, but they always find ways to communicate.

Tips: What if one character misinterprets another character’s body language? That could lead to humor or disaster. Maybe the characters are supposed to be doing something else (like in a classroom where they’re supposed to be listening to the teacher) but instead, they’re making faces and gestures at each other. One helpful technique might be to go inside the characters’ heads, but don’t get too carried away with he thought and she wondered as these constructs are basically inner dialogue.

Variations: As an alternative, write a scene in which one character speaks and one doesn’t: an adult and a baby, a human and an animal.

Applications: There are depictions of nonverbal communication in almost all types of storytelling from journalism and biography to memoir and fiction.

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When You Write

How to Describe Body Language in Writing

The body can speak without uttering a word. In some real-life situations, body language is used to save lives or sign death penalties—i.e., a kidnapping victim can use facial expressions or hand gestures to signal to police or civilians that they’re in trouble.

In fiction writing, which is what we’ll be talking about in this post, body language has numerous uses, some of which the writer does not originally intend on when writing.

Body language is an effective non-verbal form of communication, and it adds depth and brings realism to a fictional story as the characters seem a little bit more alive when they use their bodies to communicate.

What Is Body Language?

Body language includes facial expressions, body posture, hand gestures, and other body cues that can be used to nonverbally communicate with other people.

These actions may be intentional or unplanned, but they have an impact on other people’s perceptions of us.

Body Language is Important, this is Why

So, why use body language?

We indeed talk a lot when trying to communicate with others but people mostly communicate using body language (like more than half of the time). When we are writing fiction, we use dialogue to insert breaks into the narration and body language is another great way of doing that. With body language, the characters aren’t just speaking, but they’re also revealing their personalities to the reader.

That adds a lot of depth to your fiction writing; the reader is shown—not told—how the characters show their emotions, and the body language reveals the characters’ distinct mannerisms.

Show, Don’t Tell!

The sacred rule of fiction writing—you’re allowed to be fluid, exercise some anarchy, or be divergent, but you CAN’T break this rule.

That’s a NO-NO. A cardinal sin!

Even with body language, you don’t have to tell the reader what’s happening; you have to show it! You have to get the reader into the story’s environment and give the precise feelings of the characters.

Almost impossible, right?

If you think that’s impossible, then you shouldn’t be a writer (at least not a fiction writer). You can only add depth using body language if you let the characters own those body cues, not the narrator.

I’ve written some words and phrases for you in a later section, jump to this section to see what words can be used to incorporate body language in your writing.

How to Use Body Language in Your Writing

1. facial expressions.

The face is the first body part when we think about communication. Even in real life, facial expressions are easier to read than other types of gestures and body cues (maybe that’s why “clowns at a kids’ party” is usually a good idea).

You can use facial expressions to show sadism, astonishment, anger, and a lot of other things.

2. Gestures

I know a lot of people that talk with their hands and sometimes they use their hands to do things without uttering a word. Characters are fashioned after real people so your readers would understand if your characters spoke using hand gestures.

One example would be when a villain uses a finger gun to tell a character that they were going to get killed.

The thing with hand gestures is that they can be interpreted differently in different cultural contexts. For example, you could use the middle finger in a certain cultural space and it wouldn’t have some vulgar implication.

Posture refers to the way our bodies are fixed when sitting or standing. Posture can also be used to show how a character behaves as himself as his bodily stances.

You can use posture to show the reader whether your character likes to sprawl or sit with legs crossed, assume a drooping posture, or stand tall.

Posture can be used to tell your readers a lot about your characters. For example, Straight posture indicates that you are interested in a conversation.

You can use implications like that to show one character’s reaction to another character’s speech or a group discussion.

A person might be saying something and the tone or pitch of their voice might be saying a completely different thing. That’s how important a person’s tone of voice is.

For instance, if a talkative person says “I’m happy” or “I’m okay” in a very slow, low pitch, they’re probably lying—they’re not okay and surely not happy.

You can change your characters’ tones to show the readers that the character’s mood has changed or that they’re hiding something.

5. Physical appearance

The way we look says a lot about us. Someone whose ‘house is in order’ is usually clean, clean-shaven, and looks smart. Bad times can be reflected in a character’s appearance.

Imagine seeing an ex-coworker, say an accountant, with a huge beard and in dirty clothes, would think that they are still employed?

So you can use physical appearances to show your readers what kind of characters are in your story. You can also use physical appearance to twist the narrative and unravel some truths at the end of the story—like a homeless person turning out to be an undercover rich guy.

You can use tattoos, pants sagging, hairstyles, facial hair to paint a picture of your character.

Touch can be used to show a lot of emotions and actions. You can use gestures that relate to touch to show aggression, tenderness, or other actions.

There’s so much information that a single touch can convey.

A soft continuous caressing of a lover’s hand or other body parts might indicate affection and set the mood for romance in some instances, and a punch in the face shows aggression and sets the mood for a fight.

Tips for Using Body Language

1. use it to strengthen dialogue/add depth.

I’ve already said that we speak more with our body than our mouth—more nonverbally than verbally. So if you hugely rely on dialogue to demonstrate how your characters communicate, you’re making your story less realistic (Not that it’s a must that a story should follow real-life patterns).

Body language helps you give your characters more depth and sets up a relatable, interactive feel for the readers.

In my other posts, I’ve also said using the simple ‘he said, she said’ dialogue tags is always effective . But… It’s also good to show who is speaking instead of telling your readers, and you can use body language to show how the character spoke.

You need to have a realistic balance between dialogue and description in your fiction writing.

2. Use It to Show Rather Than Tell

You may feel like I’m overstressing this point because I said it at the beginning of the post and in the first part of this section.

But it’s the sacred rule, and once you break it, you’re no longer a good writer. Simple!

So, always observe this rule.

3. Don’t Overexploit Body Language

If you use body language unconscionably, you will realize diminishing returns. Too much body language will slow your story down.

Everything has to advance your story, so you don’t need body language if it’s retarding the story’s development. Body language should be added to add something to the story, not take something from it, although it’s okay if you intentionally use body language to slow down your story.

4. Use Body Language to Connect Your Character’s Emotions with Their Actions

If you want your characters to be as realistic as possible, you have to show your reader that the characters’ emotions, thoughts, and actions are linked.

Body language has to correlate with the way your character acts or reacts to situations and set the reader for the impending actions.

Body Language Words and Phrases

Here are some of the phrases and words you can use to describe body language in your writing. These are just a few but a lot of them, and you can also make your own phrases.

Arms akimbo
A vicious yank
Arm curled around his waist
Bit her lip
Fast, shallow breathing
Clenched his dirty little fists
A deadpan expression
A lackluster smile
A toothy smile
Crossed his arms over his chest
Palm to palm handshake
Gritted his teeth
Fists shaking
Darting eyes
Blood rushing to head
Laid her chin in her palm
Fingers spread like claws
Tensed muscles
Eyes burned with hatred
Pursed her lips
Ambled away
He shivered
She cowered
Hunched over
Rubbing temples
She rubbed her forehead
Clenched jaw
Tall erect posture
Sketched a brief bow
He balled his fists
His body shook
She trembled
Swaggered into the hall
Blitzed into the room
Eyes flashed
He stroked his beard
He scratched his nose
He scratched his head
He tapped his fingers on the table

Books On Writing Body Language

I don’t think you can master the art of writing body language by reading a couple of blog posts or by using tips from other authors. There are books that can help you learn and become good at writing body language.

Here are some of them:

1. The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression

2. The Writer’s A-Z of Body Language Paperback

Final Words

Over the years, I have come to realize that to become a good writer, there are a lot of things that you have to learn and master. You don’t have to go to a special school, but you still have to learn aspects of writing that improve you as a writer.

Using body language to express emotions, reactions, and add depth is one such aspect that you have to master. If you separate yourself from the characters, it’s going to be harder to express or use body language. But if you put yourself into the character’s state of mind and try to behave like they would, figuring out how they’d use body language to react to things or communicate is going to be easy.

One thing you must do is let your characters speak, whether by acting out some scenes or using the personalities.

If you nail the body cues, your readers will instinctively understand the characters’ impressions and will be able to understand what’s going on without needing your narrations.

Easier shown than said.

Using Body Language in Your Novel, Part One—Facial Expressions

How ’bout you and I get physical today? *Kat blows a kiss*

Don’t worry; I’m not trying to be inappropriate with you (any inappropriateness happens naturally, there’s no try here, it’s all “do”—ask Yoda). I’m only trying to share some of my notes on getting physical. Or rather helping you add some layers to your characters with the use of body language.

In art, there’s a term called underpainting–it’s the building of layer upon layer upon layer. And that’s what we want to do with our characters so the reader can experience a deep subconscious connection to them. We’re going to layer them up with some good old-fashioned physical actions.

So let’s get into it.

Reading another person’s body language is tricky. But most of our body parts are quietly communicating how we feel and what we want, whether we realize it or not. This is helpful in fiction. Although words can be deceptive, the human body is a terrible liar. It provides a surprising amount of information on what other people are thinking or how they’re feeling.

Here are some body language “tells” to further enhance your characters’ emotions:

Part One: Facial Expressions

Chin, neck, and jaw:.

* Jutted chin. Described as extending your chin in front of you. Use it to indicate your character is being arrogant, inflexible, or stubborn. This can also be used to describe someone who feels superior to the other characters.

* Neck. The way you describe your character holding his neck can indicate anxiety or confidence. For example, if he’s looking at the floor or ceiling you know he’s nervous or unsure. But if he holds his head straight up, he’ll look calm and self-confident.

* Clenched jaw. A clenched jaw and tightened neck can be used to indicate stress, anxiety, or to portray that your character’s mind is elsewhere.

* Frowning. This can be used to indicate disapproval, lying, displeasure, or concentration in your character.

* Scowling and grimacing. Same as frowning—can be used to also indicate unhappiness, disagreement, or hurt.

Mouths can say a lot of things without words. These are some things your character can say with just their lips.

* Pursed lips. Described as lips pulled inward from all directions. Use it to indicate: tension, frustration, distaste, disapproval, lying/withholding the truth, or anger. For example, you can use it to showcase a character holding her mouth shut to prevent herself from saying something she shouldn’t.

* Turned up lips. Described as having the corners of the mouth turned upward. Use it to indicate a smile of pleasure, which will engage the whole face. Or use it in a grimace of disgust, in which case the teeth are unlikely to be shown, making it flat and tense.

* Turned down lips. Described as having the corners of the mouth turned down. Use it to indicate sadness or displeasure.

* Parted lips. This can be used to indicate your character is flirting. Especially if the lips are then licked . . . and to kick it up a notch, add intensity by having the character hold the other person’s gaze.

* Puckered lips. Described as having the lips in a kiss shape. Use it to indicate desire primarily. But it can also show your character may be experiencing uncertainty—showcase this more by having her touch her puckered lips with her fingers.

* Tight or flattened lips. Described as squeezed flat lips or an exaggerated closed mouth. Use it to indicate disapproval, frustration, or a repressed desire to speak. Or even to show your character is trying not to cry.

* Retracted lips. Described as pulled back with exposed teeth. Use it to indicate either a broad smile or a snarl of aggression. Don’t forget to pair it with the eyes (see below)—crinkles for a smile and for the snarl, your character can have narrowed eyes.

* Twitching lips. Described as quick, small movements of the mouth. Twitching lips can indicate the betrayal of inner thoughts, cynicism, and disbelief.

* Biting the lips. Usually, this is the bottom lip. Use it to indicate flirtation (paired with eye contact), anxiety, stress, lying, or as a suppressing action (like your character stopping himself from saying something).

Smile and laughter:

Focus on describing what’s happening around the eyes.

* Fake Smile. If you want your character to have a fake smile, point out the lack of crinkles around the eyes. Conversely, with a . . .

* Genuine smile , if your character is smiling joyfully, their eyes will crinkle. So be sure to add crow’s feet on the outside of your character’s eye.

* Shy smile. Described as head turned slightly down or away while holding a closed-lip smile. This can be used to help your character look more innocent, secretive, youthful, or playful.

* Smug smile. You know that self-satisfied smile! This can be used to indicate arrogance, feelings of superiority, or as an attempt to dismiss what another character is saying. On the other hand, it can also be used to show flirtation as a sign of humor and playfulness.

* Slight smile. This can be used to indicate an attempt at seduction, especially if it’s accompanied by direct eye contact. Or on the other hand, it can indicate your character is unsure, or worried about another person’s perception of them.

* Smirk. Otherwise known as a twisted or lopsided smile. Described as a smile where the mouth moves in opposite directions, with one side of the lips moving upward as the other side slants down. It can be used to indicate mixed emotions, anxiety, sadness, sarcasm, irony, or embarrassment.

* Laughing. If one character is receptive to another character’s humor, she’s probably into him. Laughter serves as a way to indicate a desire for a relationship—platonic or romantic.

* Excessive or exaggerated nodding. This could indicate anxiety about approval. It’s a good action if you want to showcase your character being worried about what a specific person may think of them.

* Hair. This may not be an actual body language, but it’s helpful for appearance’s sake. The way your character carries her hair can be used as “tell signs.” Give her perfectly groomed hair to showcase her need to be in control. And THEN give her frazzled locks in a scene where you need to really highlight the level of tension and angst she’s going through.

* Touching face. If your character repeatedly touches his face, he’s probably nervous, anxious, or stressed.

The key is to add a mismatch between what your character is saying and what his (usually tense) body language is revealing. Use these “tells” sparingly, and you’ll be adding a great layer of emotional description! 😉

Be sure to come back in the next few weeks for more body language tips for your novel.

Coming up next: eyes, posture, arms, shoulders, legs, and feet.

Published by S. Katherine Anthony

S.K. Anthony (Shanny) is a writer, a reader, and make-stuff-up-er who lives in New York. She is an award-winning author and a podcaster. When she isn’t busy with her toddler twins, S.K. finds herself being transported into the world of imagination. Well, either that or running away from spiders . . . she is convinced they are out to get her! View all posts by S. Katherine Anthony

20 thoughts on “Using Body Language in Your Novel, Part One—Facial Expressions”

You know if you wrote a how-to book for indie authors I’d buy it, right? 😉

Like Liked by 1 person

I appreciate you saying that, Felicia!!! We do have several of those in the works, but want to make sure we offer truly helpful advice. I will be sure to reach out to you when we’re ready! I would love your input when it’s time! 😘

YASSSSS! So glad to hear this, S.K.! If your books mirror your blog posts, trust me – they will be helpful!

I save your blog posts as docs then import them into my Scrivener research folder. Would love to have a book-in-hand instead. Looking forward to the day! 😉

Reblogged this on Nesie's Place and commented: Fix your face! 😄 Using facial expressions in fiction.

Thanks for sharing! 💜💜💜

Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes . . .

You know I can’t help singing it. This is so thorough and helpful! I can’t wait for the next ones. And I agree with the above commenter. You could put this all together in book form and people would love it.

Well, there’s no one else who can take away the seriousness of our posts like you–with a kiddie song nonetheless lol

And, yes, as you already knew Miss Editor, those books are in the plans! 😊

No kiddie song can take away the quality of what you two post, that’s for sure. But I gotta be me!

[…] Facial Expressions (what they are and when to use them) […]

[…] See Part One—Facial Expressions here. […]

These are very helpful tips. I have read so much over the years, that I naturally just used these as part of my character building. I hadn’t really stopped to think of the breakdown in emotional connection. Lol Also, since you have young twin girls…when do you find is your BEST time to do your writing? I have 2 little ones as well.

What is writing? lol Honestly, I struggle to find the writing time . . . which is why my books take a few years each 😂 And, actually I have boy/girl twins, I try to write (both books and articles) at night when they sleep. What about you with your two little ones?

I like the ‘lippy oh’

Great tips SK, I have used a few of these but frequently forget to add them. Excellent first list.

JT!!! Hi 🙂 I frequently forget, too! I worked on this series in hopes it sticks this time lol

EMOTION AMPLIFIERS

BEING STUCK

BEREAVEMENT

BRAINWASHING

CHRONIC PAIN

COGNITIVE BIAS

COGNITIVE DECLINE

COMPETITION

CONFINEMENT

DEHYDRATION

DISTRACTION

HORMONAL IMBALANCE

HYPERACTIVITY

INSTABILITY

INTOXICATION

MALNUTRITION

MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION

MORTAL PERIL

PANIC ATTACK

PHYSICAL DISORIENTATION

PHYSICAL HEALTH CONDITION

SENSORY OVERLOAD

SLEEP DEPRIVATION

SUBSTANCE WITHDRAWAL

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How To Show Character Development Through Body Language

Writers Write is a comprehensive resource for writers. In this post, we discuss how you can show character development through body language.

Amy Cuddy, a social scientist, presented a Body Language TED talk in 2012. She speaks about how your posture can change your mindset. When I wrote this, it had already been viewed more than 27 million times. Clearly she has something to say.

We give so much of ourselves away by how we move. I found it fascinating and it made me think of how I can apply it to character development. I want to use her examples of poses to help me show my character’s emotional state through his or her body language.

She refers to High Power Poses and Low Power Poses. High Power Poses are used by people who are typically confident and dominant in a situation. The Low Power Poses are used by people who feel uncomfortable and insecure. Below are examples of the ten poses:

She also says that we complement each other’s body language. If a person assumes a dominant pose we usually assume a submissive pose. Try to use this to show how your character changes.

List your scenes and make a brief note of your character’s emotional state. In the beginning, for example, your protagonist will assume a submissive pose when confronted by your antagonist. At the end of the novel they should be able to assume a more dominant pose. We don’t say ‘stand up to him’ for nothing. [Recommended read: Cheat Sheets For Writing Body Language ]

You can use this awesome infographic as a quick reference.

How To Show Character Development Through Body Language

Happy writing and strike a pose. It’ll be good for you and your character.

[Use our Character Creation Kit to create great characters for your stories.]

TOP TIP: If you want to learn how to write a book, sign up for our online course .

If you enjoyed this post, you will love:

Protagonist vs Antagonist Worksheet
First Draft Checklist
Five Incredibly Simple Ways to Help Writers Show and Not Tell
Body Language , Creating Characters , Mia Botha , Show Don't Tell

1 thought on “How To Show Character Development Through Body Language”

I’m going to practice standing tall with my arms up!

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KathySteinemann.com: Free Resources for Writers

Word lists, cheat sheets, and sometimes irreverent reviews of writing rules. kathy steinemann is the author of the writer's lexicon series..

75 Ways to Replace “Sigh of Relief”: A Word List for Writers

Writers can show sighs of relief with body language and alternative phrasing.

When Is a Sigh More Than a Sigh?

Answer: When it’s a sigh of relief.

Do your protagonists sigh in relief or breathe sighs of relief on every second page? Maybe it’s time for a rewrite.

Consider the following example.

Ted breathed a sigh of relief .

A writer might try the following simple changes.

Ted was relieved .

Ted stopped worrying .

Ted calmed down .

Ted regained his composure .

The edited examples represent subtle differences in meaning, and they’re pure tell. We could do better.

Consider Alternative Body Language

We already know that Ted is relieved. We could show with body language such as:

a tentative smile
fist-pumping
a huge exhalation of pent-up breath
thin laughter
holding a hand over the chest
thanking God
making the sign of the cross
collapsing into a chair or onto a sofa
staggering back a step to lean on something
looking up in silent prayer
eyes brightening and/or widening
mopping away perspiration that has developed while waiting
dropping to knees and clasping hands together
raising chin and cupping back of head in hands
making a face-palm
closing the eyes and tilting the head back
squaring shoulders and making a positive remark
widening the eyes and leaning forward
reaching for or running toward a missing person or pet
leaning forward to hold head in hands
raising palms toward sky or ceiling
shedding joyful tears
making a thumbs-up gesture
offering a hand for a high-five
raising one hand in a V-for-victory signal
hugging anyone within reach

If you need additional beats, consult a body language dictionary . (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Dialogue to the Rescue

Sometimes a single word will show relief. An exclamation point can reinforce it.

Showing Instead of Telling Usually Increases Word Count

In the midst of an action scene, sentences should be short and concise. Showing might not be your best choice. However, well-chosen phrases elsewhere can energize your writing.

Ready for a Few Examples?

#1. Ted breathed a sigh of relief . Susan blushed with embarrassment when she noticed his concern.

In addition to including a sigh of relief, the above paragraph illustrates a classic example of head-hopping. Ted can’t know that Susan is embarrassed , and Susan can’t know that Ted is relieved. A better approach is to pick a point-of-view character and show everything through that character’s eyes.

Let’s pick Ted, since he’s the one who breathed the sigh of relief.

Ted grabbed Susan and pulled her in for a crushing embrace. “Where were you? I was worried.”

She blushed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how late it was.”

Zero head-hopping.

However, POV still isn’t clear. Let’s try another edit to clarify.

Ted grabbed Susan and pulled her in for a hug, but the stench of cigarette smoke made him sneeze. “Where were you? I was worried.”

Now we know that Ted is the POV character, because we experience what he smells; and with a few extra words, we’ve added tension. Has Susan been sneaking cigarettes behind his back?

#2. The entire USA breathed a sigh of relief when everyone realized that President Reagan had survived the assassination attempt.

Exaggeration has its place in fiction, but not in accounts of factual events. A better approach would be to set up a scene in a public place and show the reactions of a few people.

Everyone in the bar stared at the TV next to the jukebox as Frank Reynolds of ABC News announced that President Reagan had survived the assassination attempt.

Thin laughter sounded from one patron. Another made the sign of the cross. A third slammed his fist onto the table and mumbled, “Great, another three years with a stupid actor in charge of the country.”

This is a more realistic scenario. Two people show relief, but one demonstrates dissatisfaction with the outcome.

#3. Ray breathed a sigh of relief . “So, doctor, you’re telling me all the cancer is gone? I’m gonna live?”

A sigh of relief could be an understatement here. Ray might even be incapable of speech for a moment, because his death sentence has been revoked.

Ray’s eyes filled with tears, and he collapsed onto the floor of the doctor’s office. All the cancer was gone. He was going to live!

The second example shows a stronger reaction — appropriate for the situation.

Ray staggered back a step. Two. He held a hand over his chest . All the cancer was gone. He had his life back!

Although too much body language can dilute rather than amplify, a situation like this might warrant it.

#4. Evan stepped onto the scale. He breathed a sigh of relief . Two pounds to go, ten days left. He could do this.

A simple smile might work here, but let’s pick something more dramatic.

Evan stepped onto the scale and released a huge exhalation of pent-up breath. Two pounds to go, ten days left. He could do this.

If those two pounds represent Evan’s goal to fit into a suit for his wedding, he might exhibit even stronger body language.

Even stepped onto the scale. Two pounds to go, ten days left. He pumped his fist. Yes! He could do this.

Isn’t the fist pump more effective than a sigh of relief?

Exercises and Story Prompts

Try to eliminate sighs of relief and similar phrases in the following. If you see an idea you like, you’re welcome to grab it as a story prompt.

#1. Republicans breathed a collective sigh of relief when Trump said he’d stop tweeting. Their relief turned into anxiety at 3 a.m. the next morning.

#2. A gas station — finally. Scott exhaled a sigh of relief . Phew! I’m running on fumes. His car lurched to within a few yards of the pumps, and then coughed to a stop. Attempts to restart the engine failed.

He beat one fist against the steering wheel before climbing out.

A tumbleweed drifted between the station and the pumps. A sun-faded sign in the side window advertised BYE ONE CHOCKLATE BAR GET 1 FREE. Tall grass swayed in the cracks of the cement. Must have been years since anyone painted this dump. “Hello? Is anyone here? Hello?”

A petite blonde stepped into view. Scott heaved a sigh of relief. Curves in all the right places. But those eyes … Opaque blue orbs stared through him as though he didn’t exist. She moved toward him, silent except for the shuffle of her feet over the cement.

Scott turned and ran.

#3. Fourteen days lost in the forest. Now, Fritz faced a lavish meal that his loving wife had prepared. Would he be able to digest it?

He bowed his head in silent prayer, thanking God for the food and showing him the way home to Edwina.

He took a tentative bite and chewed slow ly. Mmm. Ambrosia. A sigh of relief ascended to Heaven. The next mouthful vanished with nary a chew. Within moments the remainder of the food disappeared as Fritz gnawed and growled like a caged bear.

All too soon his plate was bare. He belched. A good belch. A belch tinged with the taste and scent of … No!

#4. Numbers scrolled across the display at the front of the class, cuing a sigh of relief from Acker Space Academy students. Nobody had failed. In fact, they had all graduated with perfect scores.

A buzz of excitement spread through the room.

“All of us? Impossible.”

“How could it be?”

“Is this a joke?”

A grim-faced proctor stomped into view. “Willis, Mellinger, and Einstein, report to Admiral Arquette. Immediately.”

Short Alternatives for Breathe a Sigh of Relief

Most of these are tells , and some are clichés. Others incorporate filter words that distance readers from your narrative.

B to F become encouraged, breathe easy/easily, buck up, calm down, cheer up, chillax, collect oneself, compose oneself, cool down, feel happy , feel optimistic, feel relieved, feel secure, find the answer, find the key, find the solution, forget one’s anxiety

G to P gather one’s wits, get a grip on oneself, get control of one’s anxiety, get hold of oneself, get one’s act together, loosen up, mellow out, perk up, pull oneself together

Q and R quieten, rally, regain one’s composure, regain one’s self-control, regroup, relax, rest easier

S to W see the light at the end of the tunnel, settle down, simmer down, snap out of it, steady oneself, stop being frightened, stop worrying, unwind, wind down

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8 thoughts on “ 75 Ways to Replace “Sigh of Relief”: A Word List for Writers ”

Thanks for your help.

I’m glad you found the article helpful, Rollie. Good luck with your writing!

Great work – Stopped me using the phrase

Fantastic, Michael.

Good luck with your writing!

Extremely helpful and well presented. Very useful for new writers and the more established ones.

Thanks, Charles!

Here’s to a fruitful writing year in 2023.

This post is timely. I’m actually struggling with how to use sigh of relief in my characterization. Thank you.

I’m glad you found it helpful, Clement.

Good luck with your writing.

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WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Helping writers become bestselling authors

Emotion Thesaurus: Relief

January 31, 2008 by ANGELA ACKERMAN

When it comes to emotion, sometimes we need a brainstorming nudge. After all, each character will express their feelings differently depending on their personality, emotional range, and comfort zone. We hope this short, sample list of expressions will help you better imagine how your character might show this emotion!

If you need to go deeper , we have detailed lists of body language, visceral sensations, dialogue cues, and mental responses for 130 emotions in the 2019 expanded second edition of The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression .

body slumping, losing its stiff posture
shaky laughter
a slow smile
falling back into a chair
asking/demanding someone to repeat good news
asking a redundant question to assure that the moment is real
eyes that go up, looking heavenward
letting out a huge breath
rocking back and forth
a slight moan
lips parting
showing emotion/kinship toward others (hugging, reaching for their hands)
pressing a palm to the heart
briefly bowing the head
closed eyes, compulsive nodding…

Win your readers’ hearts by tailoring your character’s emotional responses so they’re compelling, credible, and realistic.

If you struggle with writing emotions, you aren’t alone. The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression has helped writers all over the globe, and it can help you. To find out more about this bestselling book, please visit our bookstore .

Prefer the flexibility of instant online access and greater searchability?

The Emotion Thesaurus is also at our sister site, One Stop for Writers . Visit the Emotion Thesaurus Page to view our complete list of entries.

TIP: While you’re there, check out our hyper-intelligent Character Builder that helps you create deep, memorable characters in half the time !

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers , a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

Reader Interactions

June 20, 2021 at 12:39 am

April 15, 2020 at 9:03 pm

September 16, 2015 at 1:02 pm

This was just what I needed. I don’t like reusing the same body movements more then a couple of times.

February 3, 2008 at 12:01 pm

Thanks for dropping a note to let us know. 🙂

February 3, 2008 at 9:15 am

I like your Emotional Thesaurus, a handy list to have. Thanks for sharing.

February 3, 2008 at 9:13 am

I like your emotional thesaurus, a handy list to have! Thanks for sharing.

February 1, 2008 at 11:21 am

Thanks, Luc! Come back any time. 🙂

February 1, 2008 at 7:41 am

I got here through the Toasted Scimitar, and also saw your post on CC. Great lists, and very nice blog overall.

To quote Schwarzenegger: “I’ll be back.” (insert German accent)

[…] More at Writers Helping Writers and even more here by Kathy Steinemann. […]

[…] Relief. And not just relief that his mother’s pain was at an end, but that his own was too. The endless doctor visits, ambulance rides, medications, and sleepless nights listening for her struggling, hitching breaths were finally over. […]

[…] Conveying Relief […]

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Master List of Ways to Describe Fear

People have been asking me for this list for such a long time! If you write horror, suspense, mystery, or any kind of fiction with a scary scenes, you need to know how to describe fear.

This list can get you started. It’s a lot of phrases describing fear, including physical reactions, physical sensations, facial expressions, and other words you can use in your novel or in other creative writing.

I’ve included some that can work for uneasiness or anxiety, but most of these are for real terror. You can alter them to fit your sentence or your story, and they’ll likely inspire you to come up with your own descriptions.

Bookmark or pin this page for your reference—it might save you a lot of time in the future. I’ll probably add to it now and again!

Master List of Ways to Describe Fear #master lists for writers free ebook #master lists for writers free pdf #master lists for writers free kindle #describing fear in a story #description of fear #great fear #how to describe fear #words describing fear

fear paralyzed him

his terror mounted with every step

she fought a rising panic

fear tormented her

her heart was uneasy

her heart leaped into her throat

his heart hammered in his chest

his heart pounded

terror stabbed his heart

his heart jumped

her heart lurched

a fear that almost unmanned him

his body shook with fear

she trembled inside

he suppressed a shiver

panic surged through him

her fear spiked

he was in a complete state of panic

she could feel nothing but blind terror

his legs were wobbly with fear

she sweated with fear

his hands were cold and clammy

she was weighed down by dread

dread twisted in her gut

his stomach clenched

fear fluttered in her stomach

her belly cramped

he felt like he might throw up

she was sick with fear

she was frightened down to the soles of her shoes

he was icy with panic

her body went cold with dread

raw panic was in her voice

her voice was thick with fear

his voice was edged with fear

terror thundered down on him

fear caught her in its jaws

fear clawed up her throat

terror sealed her throat

fear gripped her throat

his throat tightened

then she knew real terror was

he was frantic with fear

she was half mad with terror

the color drained from her face

his face was ashen

she blanched

dread gnawed at his insides

dread had been growing in him all day

fresh terror reared up within her

fear choked him

terror stole her words

he was mute with horror

her voice was numb with shock

his voice was shrill with terror

her defiant words masked her fear

her body felt numb

his blood froze in his veins

terror coursed through her veins

fear throbbed inside her

his panic fueled him

adrenaline pumped through his body

adrenaline crashed through her

fear pulsed through him

her scalp prickled

the hairs on the back of her neck stood up

his mouth went dry

his bones turned to jelly

her bones turned to water

she froze with horror

he didn’t dare to move

terror struck her

he was too frightened to lift her head

she was too frightened to scream

his mouth was open in a silent scream

he cringed with fear

she cowered

he shrank back in fear

she flinched

a bolt of panic hit her

terror streaked through him

her terror swelled

his panic increased

anxiety eclipsed his thoughts

panic flared in her eyes

his eyes were wild with terror

her eyes darted from left to right

she feared to close her eyes

he lay awake in a haze of fear

she walked on in a fog of fear

his eyes widened with alarm

she tried to hide her fear

he struggled to conceal his shock

fear crept up her spine

fear trickled down her spine

panic seized his brain

she felt a flash of terror

fear took hold of him

fear flooded through her being

she ordered a drink to drown the panic

he arranged and re-arranged the items on his desk

a nameless dread engulfed him

Master List of Ways to Describe Fear #describing fear in a story #description of fear #great fear #how to describe fear #words describing fear

I bet you came up with other ideas as you were reading!

For more writing lists, check out my book Master Lists for Writers , if you don’t have it yet! A lot of writers use it to make writing go faster, especially when it comes to descriptions.

And if you’re not following the blog already, sign up below—I share lots of writing resources. Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing!

50 Spooky Writing Prompts and Horror Story Ideas #horror writing ideas #horror writing prompts #scary story prompts #Halloween writing prompts #dark fantasy story ideas #suspense story plots

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Let’s Write Anger

Friends. Writing is difficult. Especially emotions, which are pivotal in crafting realistic characters.

At first, we write super interesting actions for our cast. But then, we slip into easy repetition. He gave a look. She nodded. They shrugged. Or unforgivable redundancies like ‘he glared at her angrily’.

The worst part is that we don’t even notice how often our characters repeat actions until a beta reader or editor points it out. Fabulous, right?

Keeping it real and compelling reaction-wise isn’t always simple.

While the internet is littered with posts on writing emotions, they aren’t always comprehensive. Some of them are no more than little teasers for the author’s emotion dictionaries, for sale on Amazon. Free resources are scarce and, honestly, as an indie writer myself, I know that funds can be scarce too.

I’m not working on my novel right now, but I don’t want to stop improving my writing. So, I’ve been researching emotions and plan to do a series of posts on different ways to show them in writing.

Let’s do this.

Anger in Body Language

Actions that make someone seem larger (usually characters with the fight instinct). Puffed out chest, chin lifted, hands on hips, arms raised, feet spread apart, coming to full height, shoulders straightened.
Other characters will make themselves smaller (those with the flight instinct). Crossed arms, ankles or legs, shoulders slumping, retreating, tucking the chin to look or glare upwards at the other character.
Characters with the fawning instinct or otherwise submissive characters may constantly apologise, take the blame for the other party’s anger (even if they’re not guilty) or criticise themselves during the argument. Anything to make it stop. They may even let the other person physically hurt them if they believe it would help.
Characters might also go rigid or seem not to react at all (those with the freeze instinct).
Stoic characters or characters who become quiet when angry can also seem to freeze, or they’ll tightly control their movements.
Some characters will become reckless in anger. Large, rapid movements–the angrier the wilder.
Some will seem to relax when angry, which is a mocking action that translates to ‘you can’t hurt me, bring it on’ and will probably fuel the other party’s rage (unless they’re also the relaxed-angry or quiet-angry type).
Some characters will cry, so lots of flicking or wiping away tears with jerky movements or sobs.
Fists on hips, crossed arms ending in fists, or balled fists by the sides.
Punching or kicking objects or walls, the air or other characters. Slamming doors, throwing, or smashing things.
Raised hands.
Flat hands cutting through the air or slapping things or characters.
Rubbing temples, the neck, or hands running through hair.
Grabbing hands: objects, clothing, or hair (their own or another character’s).
Pointing or shaking fingers. Jabbing or pressing a finger to another character’s chest, or flicking the other character.
Fingers spread like claws.
Palms held forward in a ‘stop’ sign.
Covering their mouth, especially in disbelieving anger, or when the character is trying not to say something.
Advancing or invading personal space.
Characters may show compulsive behaviour, like cleaning, tidying, or checking things to calm the anxiety that comes with anger.
Some people become clumsier when angry, so knocking things over by accident as they retreat, for example.
Nonchalance. Continuing to do something mundane to annoy the other character, not giving them full attention, shrugging at them, looking at them over the shoulder, and waving their words away.
Tensed muscles.
Surging adrenaline can lead to fidgeting (flight instinct kicking in), or sweat.
Mocking actions, like sarcastic laughter, rude hand signs (which totally depend on the character’s nationality, since a rude sign in one country won’t necessarily be rude in another), pointing at the crotch, turning on another character or stepping closer (which are also ‘bring it on’ kinds of actions).

Anger in Speech

Spitting when speaking, shouting, or mumbling. Hissing through teeth.
Repetitions of the same phrases. Many people lose the ability to articulate well when angry, while others speak more concisely. Also, timid characters may be braver when angry, so they’ll say things they wouldn’t normally admit.
Not allowing the other person to speak, interrupting them.
Belittling and provoking phrases, playing on the other party’s weakness.
Sarcasm and sarcastic jokes.
Threats and accusations.

Anger in Expressions

Any kind of refusal to look away, usually with glares. Others will avoid eye contact, especially those who are submissive or disbelieving.
A surge of adrenaline can cause pupils to dilate.
Gaining colour, especially in the face or neck. Other characters lose colour, usually those who are stoic or quiet-angry.
Bulging veins, especially in the neck and face.
Sneers, lips pursed or pressed into thin lines, corners of the mouth pointing downward, showing of teeth.
Some people will also bite down on their lip, tongue or cheeks, as if to contain what they were going to say.
Gaping or open-mouthed groaning.
Eyes widening, bulging, or squinting.
Clenched jaw.
Eyebrows pulling together or raising.
Upturned or crinkled nose.
For stoic characters, micro reactions are the key since they won’t show any big emotions (except in extreme cases). Twitching eyebrows or mouth corners, blinking, sniffing, or snorting.
Mocking smiles.
Children will show the inside of their lower lip and puff out their cheeks.
Shifting the lower jaw forward.

What Anger Feels Like

Fast, shallow breathing.
Heart beating fast.
Pain between temples.
Eyes pulsing.
Ears ringing.
Stomach stiffening.
Feeling like heartburn in the throat and diaphragm.
Feeling hot or cold.
Feeling nauseated or dizzy.
Vision swimming or going black/red around the edges.
The urge to hurt someone or themselves.
Tight muscles.
Teeth may hurt with clenching jaw.
Blood rushing to head.
Goosebumps.
The urge to scream or being unable to talk.
Thick tongue.
Hoarseness or cracking voice.
Being unable to move.
Pent up energy and the need to do physical things, like run or destroy.

Now, folks, it’s time to write some conflict. 🙂 Please feel free to comment if you have any more angry actions to add to the list. You can find all of the posts in the writing emotions series here .

Until next time.

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One response to “Let’s Write Anger”

[…] and moral input. Because the sensations and reactions of self-disgust are so close to those of anger or sadness, I’d suggest checking out the posts I dedicated to those […]

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Freshpage Member

Body language: expressing defiance.

Discussion in ' Research ' started by Freshpage , Sep 9, 2020 .

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_0fc36625a9606f124313ff05b9ec8359'); }); I'm been using a cheat sheet to remind me how to use body language and expressions to show certain emotions etc. Unfortunately defiance isn't listed on my cheat sheet. What would defiance look and sound like?

Laurin Kelly Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_0fc36625a9606f124313ff05b9ec8359'); }); Off the top of my head: Tight mouth Narrowed eyes Arms crossed Jaw clenched

Kstaraga Active Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_0fc36625a9606f124313ff05b9ec8359'); }); Some other signs of defiance could be: -Tilting the head back and raising the chin (looking down at a person/sticking your nose up at them) -Sometimes touching their face, adjusting their glasses, rubbing their arms -Raising or clenching fists

Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_0fc36625a9606f124313ff05b9ec8359'); }); Expressing conflicting expression with speech? Like saying something rude, with a smile. Intentionally keeping space between them and other people around them. Aggressive and assertive postures to those that they are subordinate to. Being flippant.

jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_0fc36625a9606f124313ff05b9ec8359'); }); It can work if it's filtered through the POV's perspective. What makes the POV character see a person's action or expression as defiant? (Her friend) shifted his body, to stand with legs planted squarely, shoulders back, chin high. His posture reminded Jessie of a stubborn mustang, facing a halter for the first time. Click to expand...

Lazaares Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_0fc36625a9606f124313ff05b9ec8359'); }); Defiant people tend to look you right between the eyes, refusing to break eye contact. That's something I've noticed - unless their presence falters. Not solely a way to determine defiance, but also the composure they have to back it up.

Maggie May Active Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_0fc36625a9606f124313ff05b9ec8359'); }); Standing upright, they want to be above the other person.

AlyceOfLegend Senior Member Contest Winner 2022

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_0fc36625a9606f124313ff05b9ec8359'); }); I had a character who was kidnapped look down, never at the captor's face. The captor knew it wasn't submissive due to the body language of tensed muscles and stiff posture, though the prisoner tried to pretend otherwise.

Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_0fc36625a9606f124313ff05b9ec8359'); }); Often they'll step up real close—too close, get right inside your space, and tilt their head down so they're looking up from under their eyebrows at you with steely eyes. Something like this (but not exactly): There's often also a hard squinting of the eyes, and a tightening of the flesh around them. The eyes get brighter, or they're said to burn into you.

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Cheat Sheets For Writing Body Language
Cheat Sheets For Writing Body Language. Use this list to help you with your body language descriptions. It will help you to translate emotions and thoughts into written body language. Obviously, a character may exhibit a number of these behaviours. For example, they may be shocked and angry, or shocked and happy. Use these combinations as needed.
Body language master list for writers
Body language master list for writers. "Show, don't tell" is the first lesson of Fiction Writing 101, and one of the easiest and quickest fixes is to replace the emotional adverbs and adjectives with some body language. For example, instead of "He said, sadly," you could write, "He said with tears welling in his eyes.".
MASTER LIST of Gestures and Body Language!
How to describe body language and gestures in writing may seem simple, but I find that when I'm in the middle of writing a scene, sometimes I draw a blank! ... Pingback: Awesome Resources for Creative Writing: Body Cheat Sheets - Andy Peloquin. Anonymous says: October 12, 2019 at 12:48 am . thanks really helpful. Reply.
Body Language for Writers: Your Ultimate Guide
1. Use Body Language Only From Time to Time. If you use body language too much, it will become annoying and obvious and lose its subtle qualities. Instead, only describe characters' facial expressions and postures from time to time. Make them smoothly blend in with the dialogue and the other scenic description!
Writing Body Language: Bringing Your Characters to Life
Mirror the body language of the person they are attracted to. Stand up straight and puff out their chest. Speak with a lighter, softer tone to their voice. Steal glances at the person they are attracted to (especially when the other person isn't looking) Look at the lips of the person they are attracted to.
Effective Body Language in Writing
A Look at Body Language in Writing. by Ellen Buikema. More than half of human communication consists of body language, which we use to communicate feelings, thought, and ideas without speech. Body language impacts other people's perception and conveys our emotions far more than we think it does. Physical descriptions of what our characters ...
Awesome Resources for Creative Writing: Body Cheat Sheets
December 29, 2015By Andy Peloquin. If there is one thing most authors struggle with in creative writing, it's describing body language! Body language is incredibly expressive. You can say a lot just by raising an eyebrow, flipping someone off, or shrugging. But if you add these same expressions into narrative too often, they can seem repetitive ...
9 Simple and Powerful Ways to Write Body Language
8. Actions. Sometimes a character's actions are a kind of body language. How and when he acts in certain ways can be meaningful (it isn't always). Running instead of walking, slamming doors, taking a drink to fill a loaded silence, jumping in a car and driving away…these are all actions that carry emotion. 9.
Body language cheat sheets for writers
☑️ 4,000+ body language and nonverbal prompts that span 21 categories and numerous subcategories, all packaged inside a 100-page downloadable PDF, to guide you as you're writing and editing ☑️ A walk-through video and detailed written instructions outlining how the toolkit works and tips to maximize its usefulness
From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: Body Language
Take a peek at "Body Language" from 101 Creative Writing Exercises. 101 Creative Writing Exercises is a collection of creative writing exercises that takes writers on a journey through different forms and genres while providing writing techniques, practice, and inspiration. Each exercise teaches a specific concept, and each chapter focuses ...
400+ Ways to Exploit Facial Expressions in Writing
400+ Ways to Exploit Facial Expressions in Writing. (Discover even more words in The Writer's Body Lexicon .) Effective Writing Agrees With Itself. In real life, scowls, smiles, and curled lips reflect underlying emotions. They should do the same in fiction or creative nonfiction. A protagonist in pain is unlikely to smile.
How to Describe Body Language in Writing
Books On Writing Body Language. I don't think you can master the art of writing body language by reading a couple of blog posts or by using tips from other authors. There are books that can help you learn and become good at writing body language. Here are some of them: 1. The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression
Using Body Language in Your Novel, Part One—Facial Expressions
Here are some body language "tells" to further enhance your characters' emotions: Part One: Facial Expressions Chin, Neck, and Jaw: ... Posted in Grammar & Style, On Writing Tagged Amazon, Authors, Creative Writing, Indie authors, Self-Publishing, Writers, writing, writing advice, writing tips. Published by S. Katherine Anthony.
Emotion Thesaurus
Start your free trial to access brainstorming lists of body language, thoughts, vocal cues, and sensations for over 130 emotions. Writing can be easier!
Emotion Thesaurus: Shock/Surprise
If you need to go deeper, we have detailed lists of body language, visceral sensations, dialogue cues, and mental responses for 130 emotionsin the 2019 expanded second editionof The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression. SHOCK/SURPRISE. · A small yelp, gasp, squeal, or scream. · Tingling skin.
How To Show Character Development Through Body Language
Writers Write is a comprehensive resource for writers. In this post, we discuss how you can show character development through body language. Amy Cuddy, a social scientist, presented a Body Language TED talk in 2012. She speaks about how your posture can change your mindset. When I wrote this, it had already been viewed more than 27 million times.
75 Ways to Replace "Sigh of Relief": A Word List for Writers
raising chin and cupping back of head in hands. making a face-palm. closing the eyes and tilting the head back. squaring shoulders and making a positive remark. widening the eyes and leaning forward. reaching for or running toward a missing person or pet. leaning forward to hold head in hands. raising palms toward sky or ceiling.
How to Describe Anger In Writing
anger poured through her. her temper sparked. anger stirred within her. his fury sprang to life. rage nearly consumed her. raw anger shot through him. rage pulsed through his veins. anger thrummed through her veins. anger flooded his veins.
Emotion Thesaurus: Relief
If you need to go deeper, we have detailed lists of body language, visceral sensations, dialogue cues, and mental responses for 130 emotions in the 2019 expanded second edition of The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression.. RELIEF. body slumping, losing its stiff posture; shaky laughter; a slow smile; falling back into a chair; asking/demanding someone to repeat good news
I found Cheat Sheets For Writing Body Language : r/writing
VenomQuill. •. Actually, that's the benefit of lists like these. For good writers, it can still help build or modify what they know. For beginners, it lays foundation and helps build up. In building areas like body language, they are forced to build up areas like vocabulary, execution, character traits, and perhaps even dialogue. Reply reply.
Master List of Ways to Describe Fear
A quill still wet with thick black ink rested next to a sheet of parchment filled with writing in a language he couldn't read. Crude drawings made with heavy strokes were set within the words. Some of them were disturbing — a bleeding hand cut open with a knife and a person floating lifeless below a ghoul with black eyes poised to attack.
Let's Write Anger
Anger in Speech. Spitting when speaking, shouting, or mumbling. Hissing through teeth. Repetitions of the same phrases. Many people lose the ability to articulate well when angry, while others speak more concisely. Also, timid characters may be braver when angry, so they'll say things they wouldn't normally admit.
Body language: expressing defiance?
Creative Writing Forums - Writing Help, Writing Workshops, & Writing Community. Home Forums > The Writing Process > Research ... a character who was kidnapped look down, never at the captor's face. The captor knew it wasn't submissive due to the body language of tensed muscles and stiff posture, though the prisoner tried to pretend otherwise. ...

Body language master list for writers

Anticipation

Attentiveness

Defensiveness

Displeasure

Embarrassment

Overwhelmed

Playfulness

Possessiveness

Secretiveness

Thoughtfulness

Threatening

Other Resources

Edited by Charles Hand

Maria Korolov

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Writing Body Language: Bringing Your Characters to Life

Why Body Language is Important in Writing

Using Body Language to Enhance Dialogue

How to Show Body Language for Different Emotions

Excited Body Language

Happy Body Language

Angry Body Language

Nervous Body Language

Scared Body Language

Sad Body Language

Disgusted Body Language

The Body Language of Attraction

Body Language and Personality in Character Creation

Avoid Excessive Use of Characters’ Body Language

Writers in the Storm

A Look at Body Language in Writing

Simple tasks require a surprising amount of movement.

Other Body Language Recommendations

About Ellen

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Awesome Resources for Creative Writing: Body Cheat Sheets

9 Simple and Powerful Ways to Write Body Language

How to use body language effectively in your writing

1. Gestures

2. Facial expression

3. Tone of voice and cadence

6. Proxemics (personal space)

7. Physical appearance

9. Physical sensations

A few other tips

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From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: Body Language

Body Language

The Exercise

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How to Describe Body Language in Writing

What Is Body Language?

Body Language is Important, this is Why

Show, Don’t Tell!

How to Use Body Language in Your Writing

2. Gestures

5. Physical appearance

Tips for Using Body Language

2. Use It to Show Rather Than Tell

3. Don’t Overexploit Body Language

4. Use Body Language to Connect Your Character’s Emotions with Their Actions

Body Language Words and Phrases

Books On Writing Body Language

Final Words

Recommended Reading...

Using Body Language in Your Novel, Part One—Facial Expressions

Part One: Facial Expressions

Smile and laughter:

Coming up next: eyes, posture, arms, shoulders, legs, and feet.

Published by S. Katherine Anthony

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