creative writing disappointment description

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creative writing disappointment description

150+ Ways to Say “Disappointed”: A Word List for Writers

Are You Disappointed?

“Our best successes often come after our greatest disappointments.” ~ Henry Ward Beecher

“Don’t let today’s disappointments cast a shadow on tomorrow’s dreams .” ~ Unknown

How do you react to disappointment? How do your characters react? You do create hurdles for them, right? Great — unless those hurdles result in undue repetition of disappointed .

If you’re disappointed by the number of times you’ve discovered disappointed in your WIP, these alternatives might rescue you.

Emotion Beats and Physical Manifestations

Body language can show a character’s emotional state. Disappointment might be demonstrated in many ways, including:

avoiding eye contact
biting one’s nails
biting or chewing on one’s mustache
chewing on one’s lip
covering one’s face with hands
crinkled eyes
exhaling noisily through one’s pursed lips
frowning or scowling
grinding one’s teeth — probably obvious to POV (point of view) character only
gripping one’s upper arms (self-hugging)
holding hands behind back, one hand gripping opposite wrist or arm
hunched posture
kicking at someone or something [furniture, pet, rock, wall]
lowering one’s head
lowering one’s voice
monotone voice
mustache that droops above downturned lips
pale, saggy face
placing one’s arms behind back, and clasping hands
pressing one’s lips together
pronounced sigh(s)
puffy face (from crying)
rigid expression
rubbing one’s face with a hand
rubbing one’s neck
self-hugging, with a firm grip on one’s elbows
shaking one’s head
shuffling one’s feet
slumped shoulders and upper back
smiling halfheartedly ( halfheartedly = opinion adjective )
standing akimbo
swallowing hard
tightness in one’s stomach — only obvious to POV character
tightness in one’s chest — only obvious to POV character
trembling chin
tucking elbows in while clasping one’s wrist
twitching nose
upset stomach — only obvious to POV character
wrinkling one’s nose

For more options, consult a body language dictionary . (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Synonyms for disappointed include words like the following. Choose a descriptor that matches the intensity. A minor level of disappointment could be described as disconcerted or unsettled , whereas an extreme level might be better typified as beaten or devastated .

B to U beaten, blue, chagrined, chapfallen [dated; useful for period fiction], crestfallen, defeated, deflated, depressed, despondent, devastated, disconcerted, discontented, discouraged, disenchanted, disgruntled, disheartened, disillusioned, dismayed, dispirited, displeased, dissatisfied, distressed, down, downcast, downhearted, frustrated, gloomy, let down, melancholy, saddened, unhappy, unsettled, upset

Similes and Metaphors

You could describe a disappointed character as looking like:

a bride or groom deserted at the altar
a chef whose soufflé has just collapsed
a child who discovers that Santa isn’t real
a dieter who has slipped up on the latest fad diet
a dog who can’t find its bone
a kid who has been grounded for _____
a long-faced lemur
a loser [at cards, in an election, in love, at pool, of a race]
a mother whose children have all left home
a person who catches a spouse or significant other [cheating on a diet, in the arms of someone else, overspending, smoking, sneaking out of the house]
a poet who has received fifty rejections for a poem
a priest taking confession
a student who has received a failing grade on an essay
a sulking [martyr, politician, puppy]
a tear-filled teenager who can’t find a date for the prom
a weeping statue in a cemetery

Or you could parallel a disappointed character with:

a deflated [puff pastry, tire, windbag]
the embodiment of frustrated ambitions
the epitome of unrequited love
the incarnation of unfulfilled dreams
the personification of unrealized aspirations
the picture of bad news

The Versatility of Verbs and Phrasal Verbs

You can show characters’ disappointment by choosing alternative verbs.

For example:

Numerous unsuccessful attempts to quit smoking beat Al. With a trembling chin, he dialed his therapist and made an appointment.

“Nothing saddens me more than hearing about your dilemma,” said Dr. Freuden. “Let’s discuss your options.”

B to U beat, chagrin, defeat, deflate, depress, devastate, disconcert, discontent, discourage, disenchant, disgruntle, dishearten, disillusion, dismay, dispirit, displease, dissatisfy, distress, embitter, frustrate, let down, mislead, sadden , unsettle, upset

Well-chosen props augment a story by sparking new twists or subplots:

breaking one’s diet when confronted with [cheesecake, chocolate, freshly baked bread, ice cream, mom’s __________]
coming down with a cold just before [a first date, a trip abroad, one’s wedding]
discovering that one is allergic to a much-loved food
discovering that the toilet paper is one-ply instead of three-ply — after one’s fingers go through it at an inopportune moment
expecting [beef Bolognese sauce, chocolate-chip cookies, coffee] and being served [meatless spaghetti sauce, raisin cookies, tea] instead
food that doesn’t turn out the way a recipe promises
losing one’s [clothes, glasses, keys, phone, shoes]
a movie that doesn’t live up to the book
no donations for a fundraising campaign
rain during [a camping trip, a family reunion, a picnic, a wedding]
terrible results in the latest political poll

Clichés and Idioms

Trite expressions function well for some narrators and dialogue. However, you might want to avoid expressions such as the following:

Adjectives and adjective phrases as sick as a parrot bummed out burnt out cast down choked cut up down in the dumps gutted run aground short-changed unglued

Miscellaneous phrases to dampen someone’s spirits to dash someone’s hopes to fall short of someone’s expectations to kick someone in the teeth to nip someone’s hopes in the bud to put a damper on someone’s spirits to put someone out to shatter someone’s illusions

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6 thoughts on “ 150+ Ways to Say “Disappointed”: A Word List for Writers ”

I want to thank you for these writing tips. I have been troubling a lot on creative writings and these tips helped me MORE than I thought. I somehow found myself reading more of your writing tips in my free time because it motivated me to get better at writing. Thank you so much.

Thanks, Klaira.

Good luck with your writing, and stay safe!

What a list, Kathy. I’m not sure you missed anything.

Thanks, Jacqui!

I’m excited to say that tomorrow’s post will be “200+ Ways to Say ‘Excited’.”

Good morning Kathy from Eastbourne, England

Thank you for your most useful newsletters and writing tips. On the theme of disappointment some of my recent disappointments have been when my cosmo seeds failed to germinate, seeing the damage slugs have caused in my hostas and when my husband ‘pruned’ a winter flowering viburnam effectively cutting away the potential flowering shoots for the coming winter. I would think though it must be every writer’s biggest disppointment to receive a rejection slip from agents and publishers. With thanks and keep writing.

Excellent examples, Jenny!

If we all take disappointments like those you mentioned and remember how we felt when they occurred, we can insert the same level of emotion into our writing — method writing at its finest.

I hope you’re doing well in Eastbourne.

DISAPPOINTMENT

Never struggle with Show-and-Tell again. Activate your free trial or subscribe to view the Emotion Thesaurus in its entirety, or visit the Table of Contents to explore unlocked entries.

HELPFUL TIP:

Definition:, physical signals and behaviors:, internal sensations:, mental responses:, cues of acute or long term disappointment:, may escalate to:, cues of suppressed disappointment:, may de-escalate to:, associated power verbs:.

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WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Helping writers become bestselling authors

Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Disappointment

March 13, 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 .

DISAPPOINTMENT

· Chin dipping to the chest · Lips pressing tight, eyes focusing inward · Looking up with hands raised in the ‘why me?’ position · Collapsing onto a chair or bench · Weaving slightly · Avoiding other peoples’ eyes, going stone-faced · Eyes tearing up · Eyes closing, squeezing shut for a moment · A wincing, pained expression · Looking around in confusion · Attempting to hide (assuming the fetal position, covering the head with the arms) · Clutching at oneself (gripping elbows, rubbing arms, clenching hands) · A stomach that drops, a sudden feeling of nausea · Pressing a hand to the abdomen · Anger or violence (cursing loudly, hitting something, a tense walk in a small circle)…

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

September 21, 2017 at 10:37 am

9 years later, still helpful. Thanks so much!

March 22, 2008 at 6:31 am

Ooh — I should have come here when I was rewriting chapter fourteen last week? They really help!

Whenever I try to picture how characters look when feeling certain emotions, I am told that I make weird noises and contort my facial expressions. It’s probably better for me to get my writing done while the kids are out of the house…

March 14, 2008 at 3:47 pm

Great list again, Muses. Thanks!

[…] Conveying Disappointment […]

Describing Sadness in Creative Writing: 33 Ways to Capture the Blues

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on August 25, 2023

Categories Creative Writing , Writing

Describing sadness in creative writing can be a challenging task for any writer.

Sadness is an emotion that can be felt in different ways, and it’s important to be able to convey it in a way that is authentic and relatable to readers. Whether you’re writing a novel, short story, or even a poem, the ability to describe sadness can make or break a story.

Understanding sadness in writing is essential to creating a believable character or scene. Sadness is a complex emotion that can be caused by a variety of factors, such as loss, disappointment, or loneliness. It’s important to consider the context in which the sadness is occurring, as this can influence the way it is expressed.

By exploring the emotional spectrum of characters and the physical manifestations of sadness, writers can create a more authentic portrayal of the emotion.

In this article, we will explore the different ways to describe sadness in creative writing. We will discuss the emotional spectrum of characters, the physical manifestations of sadness, and the language and dialogue used to express it. We’ll also look at expert views on emotion and provide unique examples of describing sadness.

By the end of this article, you’ll have a better understanding of how to authentically convey sadness in your writing.

Key Takeaways

Understanding the emotional spectrum of characters is essential to creating a believable portrayal of sadness.
Physical manifestations of sadness can be used to convey the emotion in a more authentic way.
Authenticity in describing sadness can be achieved through language and dialogue, as well as expert views on emotion.

33 Ways to Express Sadness in Creative Writing

Let’s start with some concrete examples of sadness metaphors and similes:

Here are 33 ways to express sadness in creative writing:

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as a tear rolled down her cheek.
His eyes glistened with unleashed tears that he quickly blinked away.
Her heart felt like it was being squeezed by a cold, metal fist.
A profound emptiness opened up inside him, threatening to swallow him whole.
An avalanche of sorrow crashed over her without warning.
His spirit sank like a stone in water.
A dark cloud of grief descended on her.
Waves of sadness washed over him, pulling him under.
She felt like she was drowning in an ocean of melancholy.
His eyes darkened with sadness like a gathering storm.
Grief enveloped her like a wet blanket, heavy and smothering.
The light in his eyes dimmed to a flicker behind tears.
Sadness seeped through her veins like icy slush.
The corners of his mouth drooped like a wilting flower.
Her breath came in short, ragged gasps between sobs.
A profound melancholy oozed from his pores.
The weight of despair crushed her like a vice.
A haunted, hollow look glazed over his eyes.
An invisible hand squeezed her heart, wringing out all joy.
His soul curdled like spoiled milk.
A silent scream lodged in her throat.
He was consumed by a fathomless gloom.
Sorrow pulsed through her veins with every beat of her heart.
Grief blanketed him like new-fallen snow, numbing and icy.
Tears stung her eyes like shards of glass.
A cold, dark abyss of sadness swallowed him.
Melancholy seeped from her like rain from a leaky roof.
His spirit shriveled and sank like a deflating balloon.
A sick, hollow ache blossomed inside her.
Rivulets of anguish trickled down his cheeks.
Sadness smothered her like a poisonous fog.
Gloom settled on his shoulders like a black shroud.
Her sorrow poured out in a river of tears.

Understanding Sadness in Writing

Describing sadness in writing can be a challenging task.

Sadness is a complex emotion that can manifest in different ways. It can be expressed through tears, sighs, silence, or even a simple change in posture. As a writer, you need to be able to convey sadness effectively to your readers, while also avoiding cliches and melodrama.

One way to approach describing sadness is to focus on the physical sensations and reactions that accompany it. For example, you might describe the feeling of a lump in your throat, or the tightness in your chest. You could also describe the way your eyes become watery, or the way your hands tremble.

These physical descriptions can help your readers to empathize with your characters and feel the same emotions.

Another important aspect of describing sadness is the tone of your writing. You want to strike a balance between conveying the depth of the emotion and avoiding excessive sentimentality.

One way to achieve this is to use simple, direct language that conveys the emotion without resorting to flowery language or overwrought metaphors.

When describing sadness, it’s also important to consider the context in which it occurs. Sadness can be a response to many different situations, such as loss, disappointment, or rejection. It can also be accompanied by other emotions, such as anger, confusion, or melancholy.

By considering the context and accompanying emotions, you can create a more nuanced and realistic portrayal of sadness in your writing.

Finally, it can be helpful to draw on examples of how other writers have successfully described sadness. By studying the techniques and descriptions used by other writers, you can gain a better understanding of how to effectively convey sadness in your own writing.

In conclusion, describing sadness in writing requires a careful balance of physical descriptions, tone, context, and examples. By focusing on these elements, you can create a more nuanced and effective portrayal of this complex emotion.

Emotional Spectrum in Characters

In creative writing, it’s important to create characters that are multi-dimensional and have a wide range of emotions. When it comes to describing sadness, it’s essential to understand the emotional spectrum of characters and how they respond to different situations.

Characters can experience a variety of emotions, including love, happiness, surprise, anger, fear, nervousness, and more.

Each character has a unique personality that influences their emotional responses. For example, a protagonist might respond to sadness with a broken heart, dismay, or feeling desolate.

On the other hand, a character might respond with anger, contempt, or apathy.

When describing sadness, it’s important to consider the emotional response of the character. For example, a haunted character might respond to sadness with exhaustion or a sense of being drained. A crestfallen character might respond with a sense of defeat or disappointment.

It’s also important to consider how sadness affects the character’s personality. Some characters might become withdrawn or depressed, while others might become more emotional or volatile. When describing sadness, it’s important to show how it affects the character’s behavior and interactions with others.

Overall, the emotional spectrum of characters is an important aspect of creative writing. By understanding how characters respond to different emotions, you can create more realistic and relatable characters. When describing sadness, it’s important to consider the character’s emotional response, personality, and behavior.

Physical Manifestations of Sadness

When you’re feeling sad, it’s not just an emotion that you experience mentally. It can also manifest physically. Here are some physical manifestations of sadness that you can use in your creative writing to make your characters more believable.

Tears are one of the most common physical manifestations of sadness. When you’re feeling sad, your eyes may start to water, and tears may fall down your cheeks. Tears can be used to show that a character is feeling overwhelmed with emotion.

Crying is another physical manifestation of sadness. When you’re feeling sad, you may cry. Crying can be used to show that a character is feeling deeply hurt or upset.

Numbness is a physical sensation that can accompany sadness. When you’re feeling sad, you may feel emotionally numb. This can be used to show that a character is feeling disconnected from their emotions.

Facial Expressions

Facial expressions can also be used to show sadness. When you’re feeling sad, your face may droop, and your eyes may look downcast. This can be used to show that a character is feeling down or depressed.

Gestures can also be used to show sadness. When you’re feeling sad, you may slump your shoulders or hang your head. This can be used to show that a character is feeling defeated or hopeless.

Body Language

Body language can also be used to show sadness. When you’re feeling sad, you may cross your arms or hunch over. This can be used to show that a character is feeling closed off or defensive.

Cold and Heat

Sadness can also affect your body temperature. When you’re feeling sad, you may feel cold or hot. This can be used to show that a character is feeling uncomfortable or out of place.

Sobbing is another physical manifestation of sadness. When you’re feeling sad, you may sob uncontrollably. This can be used to show that a character is feeling overwhelmed with emotion.

Sweating is another physical manifestation of sadness. When you’re feeling sad, you may sweat profusely. This can be used to show that a character is feeling anxious or nervous.

By using these physical manifestations of sadness in your writing, you can make your characters more realistic and relatable. Remember to use them sparingly and only when they are relevant to the story.

Authenticity in Describing Sadness

When it comes to describing sadness in creative writing, authenticity is key. Readers can tell when an author is not being genuine, and it can make the story feel less impactful. In order to authentically describe sadness, it’s important to tap into your own emotions and experiences.

Think about a time when you felt truly sad. What did it feel like? What physical sensations did you experience? How did your thoughts and emotions change? By tapping into your own experiences, you can better convey the emotions of your characters.

It’s also important to remember that sadness can manifest in different ways for different people. Some people may cry, while others may become withdrawn or angry. By understanding the unique ways that sadness can present itself, you can create more authentic and realistic characters.

If you’re struggling to authentically describe sadness, consider talking to a loved one or best friend about their experiences. Hearing firsthand accounts can help you better understand the nuances of the emotion.

Ultimately, the key to authentically describing sadness is to approach it with empathy and understanding. By putting yourself in the shoes of your characters and readers, you can create a powerful and impactful story that resonates with your audience.

Language and Dialogue in Expressing Sadness

When writing about sadness, the language you use can make a big difference in how your readers will perceive the emotions of your characters.

Consider using metaphors and similes to create vivid images that will help your readers connect with the emotions of your characters.

For example, you might describe the sadness as a heavy weight on the character’s chest or a dark cloud hanging over their head.

In addition to using metaphors, you can also use adjectives to describe the character’s emotions. Be careful not to overuse adjectives, as this can detract from the impact of your writing. Instead, choose a few powerful adjectives that will help your readers understand the depth of the character’s sadness.

For example, you might describe the sadness as overwhelming, suffocating, or unbearable.

When it comes to dialogue, it’s important to remember that people don’t always express their emotions directly. In fact, sometimes what isn’t said is just as important as what is said.

Consider using subtext to convey the character’s sadness indirectly. For example, a character might say “I’m fine,” when in reality they are struggling with intense sadness.

Another way to use dialogue to convey sadness is through the use of behaviors. For example, a character might withdraw from social situations, stop eating or sleeping properly, or engage in self-destructive behaviors as a result of their sadness.

By showing these behaviors, you can help your readers understand the depth of the character’s emotions.

Finally, when describing sadness, it’s important to consider the overall mood of the scene. Use sensory details to create a somber atmosphere that will help your readers connect with the emotions of your characters.

For example, you might describe the rain falling heavily outside, the silence of an empty room, or the dim lighting of a funeral home.

Overall, when writing about sadness, it’s important to choose your words carefully and use a variety of techniques to convey the depth of your character’s emotions.

By using metaphors, adjectives, dialogue, behaviors, and sensory details, you can create a powerful and emotionally resonant story that will stay with your readers long after they’ve finished reading.

Expert Views on Emotion

When it comes to writing about emotions, it’s important to have a deep understanding of how they work and how they can be conveyed effectively through writing. Here are some expert views on emotion that can help you write about sadness in a more effective and engaging way.

Dr. Paul Ekman

Dr. Paul Ekman is a renowned psychologist who has spent decades studying emotions and their expressions. According to Dr. Ekman, there are six basic emotions that are universally recognized across cultures: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust.

When it comes to writing about sadness, Dr. Ekman suggests focusing on the physical sensations that accompany the emotion.

For example, you might describe the heaviness in your chest, the lump in your throat, or the tears that well up in your eyes. By focusing on these physical sensations, you can help your readers connect with the emotion on a deeper level.

While sadness is often seen as a “negative” emotion, it’s important to remember that all emotions have their place in creative writing. Disgust, for example, can be a powerful tool for conveying a character’s revulsion or aversion to something.

When writing about disgust, it’s important to be specific about what is causing the emotion. For example, you might describe the smell of rotting garbage, the sight of maggots wriggling in a pile of food, or the texture of slimy, raw meat.

By being specific, you can help your readers feel the full force of the emotion and understand why your character is feeling it.

Overall, when it comes to writing about emotions, it’s important to be both specific and authentic. By drawing on your own experiences and using concrete details to describe the physical sensations and causes of emotions, you can create a more engaging and emotionally resonant piece of writing.

Unique Examples of Describing Sadness

When it comes to describing sadness in creative writing, there are many unique ways to convey this emotion to your readers. Here are some examples that can help you create a powerful and moving scene:

The crying scene : One of the most common ways to show sadness is through tears. However, instead of just saying “she cried,” try to describe the crying scene in detail. For instance, you could describe how her tears fell like raindrops on the floor, or how her sobs shook her body like a violent storm. This will help your readers visualize the scene and feel the character’s pain.
The socks : Another way to show sadness is through symbolism. For example, you could describe how the character is wearing mismatched socks, which represents how her life is falling apart and nothing seems to fit together anymore. This can be a subtle yet effective way to convey sadness without being too obvious.
John : If your character is named John, you can use his name to create a sense of melancholy. For example, you could describe how the raindrops fell on John’s shoulders, weighing him down like the burdens of his life. This can be a creative way to convey sadness while also adding depth to your character.

Remember, when describing sadness in creative writing, it’s important to be specific and use vivid language. This will help your readers connect with your character on a deeper level and feel their pain.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some effective ways to describe a person’s sadness without using the word ‘sad’.

When describing sadness, it’s important to avoid using the word “sad” as it can come across as cliché and lackluster. Instead, try using more descriptive words that evoke a sense of sadness in the reader. For example, you could use words like “heartbroken,” “bereft,” “devastated,” “despondent,” or “forlorn.” These words help to create a more vivid and emotional description of sadness that readers can connect with.

How can you describe the physical manifestations of sadness on a person’s face?

When describing the physical manifestations of sadness on a person’s face, it’s important to pay attention to the small details. For example, you could describe the way their eyes become red and swollen from crying, or how their mouth trembles as they try to hold back tears. You could also describe the way their shoulders slump or how they withdraw into themselves. By focusing on these small but telling details, you can create a more realistic and relatable portrayal of sadness.

What are some examples of using metaphor and simile to convey sadness in creative writing?

Metaphors and similes can be powerful tools for conveying sadness in creative writing. For example, you could compare a person’s sadness to a heavy weight that they’re carrying on their shoulders, or to a storm cloud that follows them wherever they go. You could also use metaphors and similes to describe the way sadness feels, such as a “gnawing ache” in the pit of their stomach or a “cold, empty void” inside their chest.

How can you effectively convey the emotional weight of sadness through dialogue?

When writing dialogue for a character who is experiencing sadness, it’s important to focus on the emotions and feelings that they’re experiencing. Use short, simple sentences to convey the character’s sadness, and avoid using overly complex language or metaphors. You could also use pauses and silences to create a sense of emotional weight and tension in the scene.

What are some techniques for describing a character’s inner sadness in a way that is relatable to the reader?

One effective technique for describing a character’s inner sadness is to focus on their thoughts and feelings. Use introspection to delve into the character’s emotions and describe how they’re feeling in a way that is relatable to the reader. You could also use flashbacks or memories to show why the character is feeling sad, and how it’s affecting their current actions and decisions.

How can you use sensory language to create a vivid portrayal of sadness in a poem or story?

Sensory language is an effective way to create a vivid portrayal of sadness in a poem or story. Use descriptive words that evoke the senses, such as the smell of rain on a sad day or the sound of a distant train whistle. You could also use sensory language to describe the physical sensations of sadness, such as the weight of a heavy heart or the taste of tears on the tongue. By using sensory language, you can create a more immersive and emotional reading experience for your audience.

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Emotion: Disappointment

The ProWritingAid Team

When you want to write the emotion disappointment, it's important to "show" the emotion your character is experiencing through their physical reactions and dialogue, rather than "tell" it. In this article we provide you with inspiration so you can avoid show; don't tell and immerse your readers in your story.

Disappointment is an emotion that arises when someone's expectations or hopes are not met or fulfilled. It is a feeling of sadness or dissatisfaction that results from a situation or outcome that falls short of what was anticipated. Disappointment can be triggered by a range of circumstances, from minor letdowns to major setbacks or failures. It is a natural and common emotion that everyone experiences at some point in their lives.

Different Types of Disappointment

Situations associated with disappointment, physical reactions to disappointment, thoughts associated with disappointment, atmosphere of disappointment, verbs associated with disappointment, emotions before disappointment, emotions after disappointment, telling disappointment examples to avoid, practical examples of showing disappointment, exercises for showing disappointment.

Here are some different types of disappointment:

Personal disappointment: When a character is disappointed in themselves for failing to meet their own expectations or goals.
Professional disappointment: When a character experiences disappointment related to their job or career, such as not getting a promotion or failing to win a big account.
Romantic disappointment: When a character is disappointed in a relationship, whether it's a breakup or unrequited love.
Family disappointment: When a character is disappointed by a family member's actions or behavior.
Societal disappointment: When a character is disappointed by the state of the world or society they live in, such as feeling let down by political leaders or social injustices.

Here are some situations where a character might experience the emotion of disappointment:

Failing to achieve a goal or objective
Being let down by someone they trusted
Losing a competition or contest
Receiving negative feedback or criticism
Discovering that something they believed in or valued was not true
Realizing that they made a mistake or wrong decision
Experiencing unfulfilled expectations or hopes
Being rejected or turned down

Here are some physical reactions a character experiencing disappointment might have:

Drooping or slumping posture
Sighing or heavy breathing
A lack of eye contact or avoiding eye contact altogether
A frown, furrowed eyebrows, or a pout
A slow or hesitant movement
A lack of energy or enthusiasm
A reluctance to engage in activities they used to enjoy
A quiet or subdued voice
A lack of appetite or overeating

Here are some thoughts a character experiencing disappointment might have:

I thought it would be different
I had such high hopes
Why did I even bother?
I'm not good enough
I should have known better
This is a letdown
What a waste of time
I feel like giving up
Maybe it's my fault
I'm so frustrated
I feel like crying

Here are some ways that you might reflect the emotion of disappointment in the atmosphere of your scene:

Use descriptive language to paint a picture of a bleak or dreary setting. For example, describing a cloudy sky or a rundown building.
Incorporate sounds and smells that evoke a sense of disappointment. For instance, the sound of rain or the smell of stale air.
Use weather to reflect the character's emotions. A stormy day can symbolize the turmoil inside a character who is feeling disappointed.
Set the scene in a place that has lost its former glory. For instance, a once-grand mansion that is now falling apart can convey a sense of disappointment.
Use contrast to highlight the character's disappointment. For example, describing a beautiful sunset while the character is feeling let down can emphasize their emotions.
Incorporate details that convey a sense of loss or missed opportunities. For instance, a playground that is empty and abandoned can represent unfulfilled hopes and dreams.
Use lighting to create a somber or melancholy atmosphere. For example, dim lighting can create a sense of disappointment in a character who is struggling to find their way.

Here are some verbs commonly associated with the emotion of disappointment:

Here are some emotions that may come before a character experiences disappointment:

Anticipation
Hopefulness

Here are some emotions that may come after a character experiences disappointment:

Frustration
Hopelessness
Discouragement
Disillusionment

Here are some examples of telling the emotion disappointment in a sentence. You should avoid things like this:

She felt disappointed when she didn't get the job.
He was disappointed that his favorite team lost the championship.
She was disappointed in her friend's behavior.
He couldn't hide his disappointment when he opened the gift.
She tried to mask her disappointment with a forced smile.
He felt a wave of disappointment wash over him as he read the rejection letter.
She was disappointed by the turnout at her book signing.
He felt a sense of disappointment creep in as he realized he wouldn't make his deadline.
She was disappointed that her parents couldn't make it to her graduation.

Here are some examples of showing disappointment in a sentence:

She sighed heavily and stared at the ground.
His shoulders slumped as he walked away.
She avoided eye contact and her voice became monotone.
His eyebrows furrowed and he let out a frustrated groan.

Here are some writing exercises to practice showing disappointment:

Write a scene where the character is expecting a promotion at work, but instead gets passed over for someone else.
Write a scene where the character is looking forward to a special event, but it gets cancelled at the last minute.
Write a scene where the character is waiting for someone important to show up, but they never arrive.
Write a scene where the character is trying their best to complete a task, but they fail to meet the expectations of others.
Write a scene where the character is betrayed by someone they trusted.
Write a scene where the character is let down by something or someone they believed in.
Write a scene where the character's hopes and dreams are crushed by an unforeseen obstacle.
Write a scene where the character experiences a setback or loss that threatens their sense of self-worth.
Write a scene where the character realizes that something they had been working towards was not worth the effort.

Want more help with showing emotion instead of telling? You find more help in our full list of emotions .

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How to show a crying/sad scene without using sentimentalism?

Previously, I had no difficulty in showing a scene like that, and as for me, to show a crying scene I'd write something like "then a teardrop rolled by her cheek". However, I had read an article from a respected writer (I can't remember who) saying how sentimentalism is bad for a story, and used as an example a crying scene, and said that writing something like "then a teardrop rolled by her cheek" is too sentimental, however, this writer didn't tell how it should be written without sentimentalism, which is hard, because the act of crying is itself something sentimental, making it not sentimental I would be telling, not showing.

And that's what I want to know: how to show (not tell) a crying or sad scene without using sentimentalism?

creative-writing

1 Tears of despondency slowly cascaded down my cheeks leaving me so weak and frail. – Valerie Commented Apr 24, 2017 at 2:27

9 Answers 9

The problem with sentimentalism is not that it's sentimental. But that it often results in cliche.

This is a sample of non-cliched sentimentalism:

"Once that first tear broke free, the rest followed in an unbroken stream. Naoko bent forward where she sat on the floor and pressing her palms to the mat, she began to cry with the force of a person vomiting on all fours." Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami.

As you can see there are tears in this passage, but the part that says "she began to cry with the force of a person vomiting on all fours" (not sure about you, but I've never seen crying being described like this before) removes the cliche and instead of sentimentalism, we have a very strong image.

So, sentimentalism isn't bad. In fact, the main reason we read stories is to feel sentimental, to let our feelings take over.

This is another example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9t_1sWBywU

(I was going to explain what Final Fantasy is but then I saw your profile photo.)

This is a scene from FFVII: Crisis Core. Cloud's friend Zack dies and gives him his sword. It's sentimental. And cliched. The part that removes the cliche is Cloud's scream. It's not your typical "Noooooo!" or "Whyyy?!". He screams like he's being ripped off or murdered (again, this is the first time I see something like this). And that, in my opinion, is what makes it a good scene.

Well, as I can see, the writers/scriptwriters that write a sentimental scene but don't want it to be a cliche scene, they accomplish that by putting something unusual to this type of situation, either words, or the reactions of a character (as in Cloud's case, screaming as if his arms are being cut off). – Yuuza Commented Jul 19, 2015 at 21:34
So now I understand, the problem isn't the sentimentalism itself (that is impossible to prevent in some cases), but the cliche that comes along. The quality of the scene, or even the whole story, is determined by the writer's skill to manage this. – Yuuza Commented Jul 19, 2015 at 21:34

There are three questions you can ask yourself when writing a scene where you intend to convey emotion:

1) How often have I seen this phrase used? If it's something you've seen a lot of, it's probably a cliche and is likely to be read as overly sentimental. If too cliched, it can even distract the reader from what you are trying to convey. (If I NEVER read about how 'a single tear rolled down her face' again....)

2) Could this description be used to convey a different emotion or different context? Your character just 'sniffed and wiped her eyes, while trying to smile.' Is she reminicing about an old flame? Watching Beaches on her DVD while telling a friend how much she loves this movie? Did she just win an academy award and is thanking all the people who supported her? Or is she glad that someone just gave her more medication for hayfever?

And in my opinion, the most important: 3) Is it 'pretty'? Sentimentality is pretty; strong emotions rarely are. Imagine the difference between the female lead crying in a movie, as compared to someone crying in real life. When someone cries, their face gets red and blotchy, their eyes bloodshot, and their eyelids puffy, none of which are attractive. They get a lump in their throat; their voice cracks when they try to speak. They scrub or blow their nose so they don't end up with snot running down their face. Their breath stutters when they try to take a deep breath. While an adult's reaction is likely to be more subdued in most cases (1), it can be helpful to use a search engine to look up images of babies and children crying (or whichever emotion you are trying to convey). It may also help to consider how an adult is subduing a strong display of emotion, rather than trying to 'emotionalize' a subdued display.

(1) Does not include events such as Superbowl or World Series victories by the adult's favorite team.

1 +1 for #3. Make it ugly, it would add some real feel to the narration. – Lew Commented Nov 23, 2016 at 22:18

The probem with a cliché is not what happens but how you describe it.

People cry. Even protagonists cry. And tears do roll down people's cheeks when they cry. This is not a cliché, it is a fact, and it is not rare either but a frequent occurence.

Any advice that tells you not to write about what happens frequently in real ife is bad advice.

Cliché happens when you use an image to describe something that has been used so often to describe this that we are tired of it.

What you need to do, to avoid cliché, is not find uncommon events to describe, but uncommon descriptions to common events.

Look at those aspects of crying that have not been described before. For example, instead of the tear, describe the trace it leaves on the skin: like the trace of a slug on a leaf, or like rain on a dusty pane, etc. (Use an image that tells us more about the character or situation.) Or describe how the person seeing this feels about this or what they think: e.g. how they are surprised that while they are sad they still enjoy the feeling of the tears running down their cheeks and the taste of salt on their lips. Be creative with this.

1 Or, when a clichéd description is used because ti seems expected and not because it lends any useful description for the event or scene. – can-ned_food Commented Oct 12, 2017 at 4:08

I'm thinking it would be kind of easier if it was the protagonist experiencing someone else in that situation. In that sense if they were in a situation (for example) where the protagonist was the best friend, of a girl who had just been dumped, not only would you have to describe her crying but the gestures she makes as well as the gestures the protagonist makes ( Oh, and metaphors help HEAPS .)

For example:

It was painful to see her like this. All I could do was embrace her and let the torrent of her tears to soak through my shirt. I could feel her clench her fists, not knowing whether to be mad or to give up hope all together. I could hear her silently screaming, suffocating with each breath she took holding onto her pride. I ran my fingers through her hair, time and time again, in an attempt to calm the silent war within her mind.

(That's not necessarily much good; I just wrote it in the spur of the moment.)

You need to take into consideration the type of character this person is. It sounds a little weird but everyone cries differently ... like, they might be annoyed that they're crying, so they try to stop, but it makes it worse. Or in this case, they're angry, so their tears are described as a "torrent" because, well, a torrent or (if you want) an avalanche is destructive - a natural hazard which, if you get what I mean, seems "angry"... (I'm sorry if that doesn't make sense)

Also know that:

A person doesn't just "cry," so the way you describe how their tears fall needs to in some way reflect the situation they're in.

Someone may be crying out of happiness, crying out of anger, crying out of disappointment...

I'll give an example for each to make that easier to understand:

It was the best day of my life. My tears overflowed with joy and fell just like the bouquet that I had thrown.

Anger: (just like before)

She tried to hold back the seething torrent/avalanche of tears that had been building up since the moment she had been angered.

Disappointment:

Mot even the steady stream of liquid trickling down my face could cure my thirst for her. After all, she loved him, not me...

anyways yeah...I hoped that helped :)

in an embarrassing situation, for example a bully at school, you could say "I had to blink back tears"

1 Helen, welcome to Writers beta. You may want to have a look at our site tour if you haven't already. We prefer answers that are longer and more comprehensive; would you care to expand on this? If not, I can change this into a comment for you. (New users can't leave comments, but keep answering questions and you'll have enough rep to leave comments yourself in no time.) – Goodbye Stack Exchange Commented Jul 28, 2015 at 1:29

It depends on whether it's the protagonist or non-protagonist is crying. I wouldn't think it's effective to have the protagonist crying.

I haven't done a lot of crying scene, but the ones I have done I have underplayed so much in order to emphasize the inner pain. Crying works best when the protagonist is observing someone else cry. In my opinion the sad or tragic dimension can be revealed by attitude, not by explicitly saying that a character is crying.

If you think about it, every story has its own dose of sadness. You don't need crying to call attention to that fact.

If the crying is interrupting a dialogue, I would make the dialogue really short, have the cry interrupt things, and then switch to third person limited omniscient to get reactions. The scene with the crying needs to be short and use as little dialogue as possible.

I did one particularly effective crying scene. Boyfriend and girlfriend have a serious fight; the girlfriend is incredibly angry, but then they step into a bar with a talented blues player singing. I describe the girl's feeling of isolation during the show and how the boyfriend can see the pain on her face and feels helpless about it. I never say that she is crying, but the reader must surely realize it.

By the way, a lot of the pitfalls for crying scenes apply to sex scenes. You don't need to show the outbursts. You just need to present the sequence of events and if you do it right, the readers will already be in the same emotional state and you won't need to say much about crying because the reader will already feel it.

Offtopic: I'm trying to think about crying scenes which are effective. I'm thinking of the scene in My Antonia where Antonia's father dies a terrible death, and young Antonia is certain to be heartbroken. Willa Cather devotes an entire chapter to telling how the news spread and how funeral arrangements needed to be made. In a way Willa Cather was preparing the reader emotionally for the encounter with Antonia and her distraught family. In the next chapter http://www.gutenberg.org/files/242/242-h/242-h.htm#link2H_4_0018 Chapter 16 (which just breaks my heart -- and I encourage you to read it because it's short), we have the protagonist meet Antonia for the first time since the father's death. Willa Cather mentions crying in just a single sentence!

When grandmother and I went into the Shimerdas' house, we found the womenfolk alone; Ambrosch and Marek were at the barn. Mrs. Shimerda sat crouching by the stove, Antonia was washing dishes. When she saw me, she ran out of her dark corner and threw her arms around me. 'Oh, Jimmy,' she sobbed, 'what you tink for my lovely papa!' It seemed to me that I could feel her heart breaking as she clung to me.

Dr Salinger's approach shadowed over Maria, who was more than ready to shake him for answers. She'd waited over two hours of silence and growing dread for anything on Dad. But when the man hesitated and the lines on his face deepened, she froze in her tracks. Yet, she heard herself ask, "Is he..." Then the words sunk down into her chest at the pitiful shake of his head. The "I'm sorry" that followed choked her breath from her lungs, and suddenly he towered over her. What did he say? She clutched at the gold cross hanging from the chain. It pressed white-hot against her skin. Each gasp tore down her throat and her mind raced even as she lost herself in the storm. But Dad was just fine last night! Didn't Salinger see it? Didn't he see Dad eager to get up and go? She watched the game with him, laughed when he spilled Ginger-ale at a touchdown of his favorite team. No. He couldn't be gone. Not when he promised her he'd fight, dammit! She pounded the cold floor. Hissed a breath through clenched teeth. But the strength left her, even as she attempted to stand. Her throat held back something between a sob and a shout. She had to see him. Through the blur of motion and color she followed the doctor. She would see him. And say goodbye.

(what you want to do is basically set the scene and describe the event in your character's view point. Use enough detail to convey what's going on without going too detailed. Hope this helps.))

Hi, welcome to the club. Unlike the most sites devoted to the craft, this one favors "telling" (and explaining, why) over "showing"--just for future reference. "set the scene and describe the event in your character's view point" is pretty much how most of the fiction is written, you have to be a little more specific :-) – Lew Commented Nov 23, 2016 at 22:30

Find a non-cliche way of showing that she was crying. I always think back to Updike's comment about Salinger:

"In an ardently admiring piece on Salinger years back, Updike confessed a misgiving about the Glass family that is difficult to gainsay. He quoted Seymour quoting R. H. Blyth's definition of sentimentality: 'We are being sentimental when we give to a thing more tenderness than God gives to it.' There is Salinger's error, said Updike: he gives to the Glasses more love than God does." [New York Times 09/13/98]

Crying doesn't have to be sentimental. You just need to find a new way of describing it.

Andy vaulted onto his bed, the pillow hugging his face accepting his torment. Once the first tear got away, the rest followed it, creating a huge pool on his pillow. His lungs rummaged for oxygen, and his sobbing had the same force of someone drowning. The flesh under his ribcage throbbed, his cheeks burned, and his mind created memories and scenarios that made the tears continue.

Heya Karack! Welcome to Writers.SE :) We're a little unusual for a writing site, in that we're all about Q&A - the site takes a little bit of getting used to. I wanted to comment because you've given a fine example of how the original poster's scene might be rewritten -- but there's a larger question in the original post that Bruno's asking about. You've given an example of how one might write, but you don't really explain what you've done, why it works, what Bruno can do in the future. – Standback Commented Feb 29, 2016 at 8:35
That doesn't make this a bad answer - it demonstrates some good advice! But if you take a look at other answers here, they usually have examples and advice, which can make them more helpful. – Standback Commented Feb 29, 2016 at 8:37
So, welcome! Hang around a bit, browse the site, get to know it, and you'll catch on to the nuances as you go along. We've got a fairly complex system here, but don't be afraid to make mistakes - that's fine, and part of learning the territory :) – Standback Commented Feb 29, 2016 at 8:38

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Cheat Sheets For Writing Body Language

What is body language and how do you use it when you write? Use these cheat sheets to help you with your body language descriptions.

What Is Body Language?

People react to situations with micro-expressions, hand gestures, and posture. Most of us are not even aware of them. However, what we do with our body language has a huge impact on other people and how they interpret and perceive us.

‘Even when they don’t express their thoughts verbally, most people constantly throw off clues to what they’re thinking and feeling. Non-verbal messages communicated through the sender’s body movements, facial expressions, vocal tone and volume, and other clues are collectively known as body language.’ ( Psychology Today )

Body language happens when we are doing something. We could be sitting, standing, or walking. We could be talking or thinking . Body language is often an involuntary reaction to something perceived by one of the five senses .

How To Use It In Writing

Using body language is one of the best ways to show and not tell when we write.

This is why we are always told to use body language in our writing. Sometimes, it’s easier said than written. So, I created these cheat sheets to help you show a character’s state of mind through their body language.

When you are completing your character biographies , be sure to include how your main characters move and talk. This is especially important for your protagonist , antagonist , confidant , and love interest . They are the characters that hold the story together and they should be as well-rounded and believable as possible.

The Top Five Tips For Using Body Language

Use body language to add depth to dialogue .
Use it because more than 50% of human communication is non-verbal.
Use it to show how your character’s emotions affect their actions.
Use it to help you show rather than tell your reader everything.
Use it in moderation. If overused, it can slow your story down.

TIP: Use our Character Creation Kit to create great characters for your stories.

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.

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

If you enjoyed this, read:

The 17 Most Popular Genres In Fiction – And Why They Matter
How To Write A One-Page Synopsis
123 Ideas For Character Flaws – A Writer’s Resource
The 7 Critical Elements Of A Great Book
All About Parts Of Speech
Punctuation For Beginners
5 Incredibly Simple Ways to Help Writers Show and Not Tell
5 Instances When You Need To Tell (And Not Show)
The 4 Main Characters As Literary Devices
106 Ways To Describe Sounds

Source for skeleton image

Top Tip : Find out more about our workbooks and online courses in our shop .

Body Language , Creating Characters , Show Don't Tell , Writing Tips from Amanda Patterson

53 thoughts on “Cheat Sheets For Writing Body Language”

Wow….that’s probably one of the most useful lists I’ve ever seen…thanks!

Very useful…simply superb. Will be handy for me when I sit down to write next time.

A mullion trillion thanks for this incredibly useful page of “show” instead of telling. Thank you xx

I would have liked to pin this on pint rest 🙁

This is the best of the “show” lists I have either made or found. Superb.

Love, love, love these! Thanks for compiling them. I’m going to share them and put them in a file to resource. Michelle Random Writing Rants

This is very useful.

Its really helpful….

great post really!!! thanks for sharing

This is one of the most helpful writer’s guide posts I have ever seen. It is so hard not to write “He looked at her in awe”, but think about the specific body language in that situation. It also helps think about the traits a character can have… Every person is different so one can even put individuality into the writing by giving certain characters characteristic emotional expressions.

Thank you so much for sharing this!!

Thank you, Kimberley.

I know I’ll be referring back to this list often. Thank you so much for sharing.

Thank you, Melissa.

Perhaps this is the best way to hone up the writing skills of one’s own and I should be very thankful to you for helping the writers through this .

This is dangerous if astute advice. Anything that aids progress writing is useful, but anything that aids progress stops you thinking – and it is only by thinking that he universe opens a portal and pours out something original.

Great information not only for writing but observation of these behaviors in action. As a school counselor I am interested in non-verbal cues from others.

Great work! high degree of observation! really impressed.

This is great. There is one word that comes up SO OFTEN that it is distracting to me as a reader and that is “gaze.” People are gazing at things, at each other, they’re gazing all over the place. One time I counted the number of times “gaze” was used in a book and found an instance of 5 times in 4 consecutive pages. But another book used “gaze” 5 times in 4 consecutive PARAGRAPHS. Why the editors don’t catch this is beyond me. My favorite “gaze” quote from a book is, “Her brown gaze settled upon the distant mountains.” That didn’t make me think of her brown eyes. My first thought was that she was seeing smog! Is it strange to say a color with “gaze”? I’ve also seen something like, “His blue gaze swung up.” (the man was driving at the time) It sounds strange to me, but maybe that’s just me. The book with the distant mountains sentence used “gaze” heavily from the second page all the way to the second to the last paragraph! It was painful to read. I got rid of the book.

Very helpful to have this all in one place! Thanks!!!

Thank you! This is great! 🙂

Thank you for this post. It’s very helpful.

This is a good list. But I believe we can always be a little more creative in mixing them up to denote various degrees and subtleties in an emotion.

Yes, Ayan. As it says in the post: ‘Obviously, a character may exhibit a number of these behaviours. For example, he may be shocked and angry, or shocked and happy. Use these combinations as needed.’

These cheat sheets are worth their weight in gold! Thank you for taking the time to put them together.

AWESOME! I was just speaking with a friend who mentioned I needed to do this a little more. Thank you so much.

such an amazingly helpful post! Thank you!

Thank you. We’re glad you find this useful.

Melody, Would have ditched that book too. That’s just bad writing.

Please send me any further articles you put out. This one is very helpful. It makes us aware of the use of each movement as a symbol of inner thought. Thanks

This is the most helpful article I have read about telling vs. Showing. Thank you.

Thank you, Wendy.

Thanks for this really usefull I find that I use the same emotions over and over.

Thank you! This is an excellent reference for a desirable result.

“Excellent list,” she said, rubbing her hands together and grinning. ; ) Thank you!

Thank you, Melissa! I love it!!

Excellent!!

I read this very useful and generous article on stumbleupon.com Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me!

Thank you for the positive feedback. I’m pleased that this helps.

Thank you for this :))

Thanks for the helpful post! Great resource for the scripts I’m co-writing.

Simply superb compilation ! No more adjectives.

Thank you! We’re glad that you find these lists helpful.

Very useful! Thank you so much!

What a succinct and useful list!

“Unfortunately,” (pause, lips pursed indicating deliberation and thought) “these are almost” (stress on final word, downward tilt of the head with slight inclination to the left as the speaker maintains gaze on listener indicating mock-serious intent) “entirely” (extra stress on this word, head lifts and turns full-on indicating intent) “cliché” (jaw firms, slight downward shift of the brow, eyes narrow indicating mild annoyance.) “Sorry” (head lifts, jaw pushes out, eyebrows raised indicating belligerence and complete lack of genuine apology).

quite informative, and precise. thanks.

i’m highly grateful to you, thanks a lot n million, may god bless you a long and happy life

This is so useful! Thank you, thank you very much!

OMG! I impressed to read it. Really, you are doing good job.

Very informative thanks!

I need something different for pleading. and it’s not on the list. Why is the emotion I want not almost never on the lists? xP (Arg)

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BRYN DONOVAN

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How to Describe Anger In Writing

When I was working on The Phoenix Codex , I sometimes took way too much time thinking about ways to describe anger in writing. If my main character, Cassie, got angry enough, wild animals attacked whoever pissed her off, so she became very aware of how her anger feels.

I know lots of writers also get stuck on how to describe frustration in writing—or annoyance, or flat-out rage. Even when you’re just looking for a few words or a phrase, you can get bogged down. With that in mind, here are ways to write anger descriptions in a more vivid way than “he felt angry.”

Here’s something I can’t stress enough, though. When you’re writing about anger, there are a lot of ways to show the emotion…through what they say, how loudly they say it, what they’re thinking, and their actions (such as aggressively loading the dishwasher.)

My list of ways to describe facial expressions and my list of body language and gestures can both help in showing the emotion.

But once in a while, you want to describe your point of view character’s internal feelings of anger.

Obviously, this isn’t a comprehensive list. There are one hundred phrases here. A few of them hint at physiological reactions to the emotion of anger, and some employ similes. You can adapt them or mix them up a little, and they’ll probably make you think of more.

The ones that contain a verb can be turned into a phrase. For instance, “she was breathless with anger” can be used in a sentence like, “Breathless with anger, she stood up and walked out.’ Oh, and you can probably change some of these to describe hatred or loathing. And as long as the context is clear, you don’t need to name the emotion at all—a physiological reaction is often enough!

Be sure to pin the article to a Pinterest board or bookmark it for future reference!

How to Describe Anger in Writing | woman with angry expression

he smoldered with resentment

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his anger spiked

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fury overcame her

he swallowed down his frustration

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a fresh swell of rage rose in her

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anger welled up in his chest

fury vibrated through her being

he burned with anger

irritation pricked at him

inwardly, she was seething

he trembled with rage

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her resentment grew inside her like a tumor

his resentment festered in him

anger spread through him

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it roused her anger

it woke her anger

his edge of irritation had returned

fury surged through her

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nearly suffocating on her fury

she was simmering with anger

he was boiling with anger

a wave of fury crashed through her

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her frustration kicked in

fury twisted inside of her

she was a ball of pure anger

she was about to explode with rage

he felt about to burst from rage

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rage ran red through his brain

he stoked his anger

a vortex of anger swirled inside him

she fought the chaos of her rage

he tried to still his rage

he pressed down his anger

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he bit back his anger

anger heated her blood

rage seared through him

anger swept over her

resentment clouded her thoughts

he was blind with rage

she felt a jolt of anger

anger hardened her heart

rage beat at her heart

rage churned inside of him

he felt drunk on his rage

anger ripped through him

anger rippled through her

fury tore through her

inside, he was smoking with anger

his anger was mounting

her anger coiled in her stomach

he felt a stab of anger

she felt the anger building

he could taste blood

her irritation crackled

she was immobilized by fury

he was brimming with hostility

anger settled over her

rage throbbed in her like a heartbeat

rage pounded in him like a drumbeat

flames of anger licked through him

rage seized her

resentment blossomed within her

his anger felt good

she felt a cleansing anger

he felt a sick anger

he marinated in resentment

It actually took me a really long time to think about all of these! 🙂 I hope it’s a helpful list! I’m going to make a few more for other emotions. If you don’t want to miss those, be sure to follow the blog, if you aren’t already — there’s a place to sign up on the lefthand side of this website.

And in my book Master Lists for Writers , you can find a lot more lists. Take a look!

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How to Describe Facial Expressions in Writing

When writing about facial expressions, most writers are content to keep it simple. Why put more effort into describing a character’s expression when “he frowned angrily” gets the point across? Well, since you made it to this article, you probably aren’t like other writers. You know that keeping things vague and simple or including overused adverbs to simplify descriptions can impact the flow of your story as a whole. You know that a little extra effort can go a long way.

Every time you describe a character’s expression, you have an opportunity to reveal more about their personality, intentions, and complex emotions—so don’t take the easy way out! Expressions have so much potential to show a character’s true colors! However, it’s not always easy to know how to approach describing facial expressions. Understanding the characteristics of each expression is the first step towards knowing how to properly describe them in your own writing.

Describing Different Facial Expressions

Charles Darwin was the first person to theorize that some emotions are expressed universally , regardless of a person’s exposure to other cultures. The greater scientific community disagreed with this theory, including Dr. Paul Ekman. Ekman ran a social experiment in the late 20th century with the intention of proving Darwin wrong, but he accidentally ended up proving this theory to be correct.

Now, we know that there are 7 universal emotions that every single culture in the world expresses in the same way. Emotions are expressed innately, and the faces people make when experiencing different emotions are based on natural instinct.

The seven universal expressions are:

So what does this mean for you? When writing about emotions, it can be really tempting to simply say that the character is feeling angry or disgusted, because that’s easy to write. However, it feels so much more authentic to a reader if they can figure out how a character is feeling based on the descriptions you give about their facial features. Rather than being told how to feel, readers can pick up on the character’s emotions on their own.

This is based on the technique “show, don’t tell.” If you want to learn more about that, check out Show, Don’t Tell: What it is and How to Write it .

Now let’s get into the specifics of each expression.

Describing Anger

Describing an angry facial expression is fairly straightforward because it is such a strongly expressed emotion. Anger affects the entire face, so there are many options for writing about how the different features change. Here are some of the telltale signs of anger in a person’s expression:

Their eyebrows would be lowered and pulled closer together
Their eyelids would become squinted or raised (or their eyes may bulge if they are enraged)
Their lips would tighten or curl inwards
The corners of their mouth would point downwards
Their Jaw would be tense and might jut forward slightly
Vertical wrinkles may appear between their eyebrows
Their nostrils may flare outwards

Anger is a powerful emotion, and it affects more than just the face. When someone gets angry, it usually triggers their body to produce adrenaline (the “fight-or-flight” hormone), which can come with a host of bodily side-effects that can give the anger away. These sides effects include things like:

Increased heart rate
Rapid breathing
Flushed face
Restless movements

There’s a lot more to anger than the expression. If you want more pointers for writing about anger, I have another article you might want to read: Writing a Character with Anger Issues .

Describing Happiness

A smile is a great way of showing your readers more about the character, so don’t just leave it at “she smiled.” What does her smile look like? Is it warm, authentic, humorless, mocking, or cruel? Is the character amused, nervous, or happy? A smile can mean many things, and it can even foreshadow a character’s hidden traits. A cold smile can indicate a more sinister nature without you having to work very hard at making them seem that way.

Here are some of the signs that a character is actually happy:

Their eyes squint slightly
Wrinkles appear at the corners of their eyes
Their cheeks raise
A defined wrinkle runs from the sides of their nose to the corners of their mouth, known as “smile lines”
The corners of their mouth move up at a diagonal, widening their mouth
Their mouth may part, exposing teeth

Now, a character doesn’t have to have all of those elements in their expression if they are feeling good. For example:

“His face relaxed, but I could still see the faint outline of wrinkles around his eyes—eyes which seemed to sparkle ever so slightly despite the dullness of the room. Even the corners of his mouth seemed to fight against his normally stoic expression, betraying how he really felt.”

However, a smile is an expression that is commonly faked. If you want to show that a character is faking a smile, make sure their eyes don’t match the rest of the expression. True happiness is expressed with the eyes, so when a person smiles without showing it in their eyes, it comes across as cold and ingenuine.

Describing Sadness

Sadness is a difficult emotion to portray because it is often complex and confusing. Even the character experiencing the sadness might not understand exactly why they feel that way. With that said, there are a few universal signs of the expression, such as:

Their eyebrows will lower and pulled closer together
The inner corners of their eyebrows will be angled up
The corners of their mouth will be drawn downwards
Their lips may be either drawn in tightly or pouting outwards

Another familiar telltale sign of sadness is crying. There are so many ways to describe crying that I couldn’t possibly cover all of them here, but I’ll give you a few pieces of advice:

Tears first pool in the eyes before they streak down a person’s cheeks.
Tears distort vision, so if you’re writing in the first person, don’t forget that your character’s vision will be blurry.
Crying usually isn’t a pretty sight, so don’t be afraid to show that the character’s face is red or that their nose is running.

So, sadness is a complex emotion—but what does that really mean? Well, there are many different ways that sadness can be felt and expressed depending on the intensity of the emotion, and there many different things that can trigger a sad response in a character. When a character is truly heartbroken, their expression may change to be more numb: their mouth may hang open loosely, their eyes may remain closed, and the rest of their body may become limp and heavy.

Complexity also means that sadness is often experienced in tandem with another emotion, such as anger, happiness, or disgust. I’ll get more into how to write complex expressions later though, so read on!

Describing Fear

Fear is another difficult emotion, because there are many different degrees and types of fear a character can feel. In general, however, these are the guidelines you should follow for describing a fearful expression:

Their eyebrows would be pulled up and together
Their upper eyelids would be pulled up, and their lower eyelids would be tense and drawn up as well
Their mouth would be stretched and drawn back, possibly exposing teeth

There are a few distinctions you need to remember: fear is not the same as nervousness or surprise. The expression for surprise looks different, and although nervousness is often a precursor to fear, they are not the same. If you want tips for writing about nervousness, check out my other article: How to Write a Nervous Character .

You’ve probably noticed that the expressions for fear and anger share a lot of similarities, including the “fight-or-flight” response. However, the context of the situation is usually enough to tip the readers off to which emotion the character is feeling.

Another way to distinguish the two is with the character’s body language. If a character is angry, they are going to move deliberately and with confidence. They will take up space and command attention with the way they move. An angry person is usually on the offensive, while a fearful person is going to be defensive. A fearful person may try to make themself small to avoid drawing attention, or they may instinctively shrink away from whatever is frightening them.

Describing Surprise

Surprise functions differently from the other universal emotions. Unlike all the others on the list, surprise is fleeting, and will typically be expressed in only a few seconds. That is most evident with jumpscares, like in haunted houses or video games (or if something suddenly traumatic happens in front of your character), but there are instances in which the expression can linger. Walking into a grand cathedral, being proposed to, or receiving horrible news are all situations in which a surprised expression may stay for longer than a few seconds.

Here are the unmistakable characteristics of a surprised character:

Their eyebrows would be raised
Horizontal wrinkles would appear on their forehead
Their jaw would go slack
Their mouth would hang open loosely
Their eyes would widen

As with anger and fear, surprise triggers the “fight-or-flight” response. Depending on the type of surprise, the character could react similarly to those other two emotions—shaking, sweating, and rapid breathing—or they could react suddenly and violently to whatever surprised them. They could lash out to defend themself, run away from the perceived threat, or simply freeze in place.

If you want to learn more about surprising your characters and your readers in your writing, check out my other article: Writing Surprised Characters .

Describing Disgust

You’ve probably read “her nose wrinkled in disgust” a million times before, but you shouldn’t get comfortable with writing like everybody else. While it’s true that the wrinkled nose is a key characteristic of the expression, so much more goes into making it complete. A disgusted expression affects the entire face, like so:

Their eyebrows would be pulled down
Their nose would be wrinkled
Their upper lip would be pulled up
Their lips would be loose
Their eyes would narrow
Their teeth may be exposed
Their cheeks may be raised

You’ve probably also read “she recoiled in disgust” before, since that’s another popular writing cliché. As with other emotions, body language plays a part in this, but don’t write it the same way as everyone else. Also, and this should go without saying by now, don’t tell the readers that the character is disgusted— show them . For example:

She stumbles back, her hands clutching the front of her delicate blouse.

“What is that!?” she gasps, narrowing her eyes at the drooling monster in front of her.

“It’s my pet.” I respond, making her wrinkle her nose.

Describing Contempt

Contempt is an interesting emotion, but it is one that is often overlooked. A character that is feeling contempt could assume they are being lied to, that they are right and someone else is wrong, or that someone or something is not worth their time and attention. It is associated with a sense of superiority and apathy. The signs that a character is feeling contempt are:

Their eyes would be unengaged
One side of their mouth is pulled up and back
One of their eyebrows may pull upwards
Their head may tilt back slightly, making their gaze follow down their nose

This emotion is not a passionate one, meaning the expression is typically somewhat subtle. However, the degree to which the emotion is expressed is going to depend on the character and the context.

Describing Complex Emotions

Now that you know the expressions for each of the 7 different universal emotions, it’s time to mix and match. Emotions are not always clearly divided; a person can feel several different emotions at the same time. They could be feeling happy and sad at the same time, or angry and disgusted. They could even be feeling anger, disgust, fear, and surprise all at the same time.

Emotions can conflict and overlap with each other, creating a unique expression as they are all experienced at once. Try to sort through the emotions your character is feeling in order to figure out how to describe their expression. There is usually a dominant emotion that will define the majority of the expression, but elements of other expressions would creep in.

Let’s consider an example: a character has just caught their partner cheating. They are likely to be surprised, angry, and sad all at the same time, but the dominant emotion will depend on the character. One character may get angry, and express all the normal features of an angry expression, but have tears spilling down their cheeks. Another character may have surprise as their dominant emotion, but scowl in anger. Yet another type of character could feel contempt as their dominant emotion, yet grimace in disgust at the sight.

When two or more emotions are fighting for dominance, and a character cannot decide how to feel, their expression can become confused . Although confusion is not recognized as a universal emotion, here are some options for showing that a character is feeling conflicted or confused:

Their eyebrows may be drawn together
A vertical wrinkle may appear between their eyebrows
Their mouth may be pulled in tightly
The corners of their mouth may point downward
They may glance around in different directions
They may let their mouth hang open loosely, or open and close their mouth several times (especially before speaking)
They may swallow excessively
They may fidget or touch their face

Writing About MicroExpressions

Sometimes, characters will try to conceal their emotions, but there will still be signs of how they really feel in their expression. Microexpressions are tiny glimpses of the true emotion that a person feels, quickly followed by a false expression to mask that emotion. Although these usually last a fraction of a second, you can use them to tip readers off to how the character is really feeling. Microexpressions can also be a good way of indicating that a character is lying.

To write about microexpressions, all you need to do is show little hints of one or more different features of the full expression, but make sure to note that it is only on the character’s face for a brief moment in time. You can use just about any feature of the expression for the microexpression, as long as it is indicative of the emotion by itself. Here are some examples:

A character trying to mask anger may draw their lips in tightly, then smile.
A character trying to mask happiness may squint their eyes, then adopt a stoic expression.
A character trying to mask sadness may bring the inside corners of their eyebrows up, then adopt a happy expression.
A character trying to mask fear may tense up and bare their teeth, then act angry to make it seem like they were never afraid.
A character trying to mask surprise may widen their eyes, and quickly adopt a contemptuous expression to brush off their surprise.
A character trying to mask disgust may wrinkle their nose, then act surprised to hide their disgust.
A character trying to mask contempt may have one eyebrow twitch upwards slightly, then adopt a pleasant smile.

Remember that the choices you make when describing a character’s expressions can also indicate personality traits, trustworthiness, and likeability. Once you understand the different elements of each universal expression, you can modify it to reveal more about the character in question. Microexpressions can help you reveal more depth to your characters, and make each individual seem more complex.

Some Tips for Describing Facial Expressions

Although you know how to describe the expressions for the 7 universal emotions, you could still benefit by observing and analysing these expressions yourself. One of the best ways to do this is to study people’s expressions. Pay attention to the actors’ faces when you are watching a movie or show, and try to take note of the little changes in their expressions. You need to be able to put the theory of expressions in practice, and observing real people is the best way to understand how to apply it.

If you are having difficulty describing a character’s expression, try acting out the scene. Imagine the setting, and read the dialogue out loud. How do you feel? What would be going through your mind? Really try to embody the character, and take note of the expression that comes naturally to you. Recreate it in a mirror, or record yourself with your cell phone, and use that as a guide.

Good luck, and keep writing!

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You are currently viewing Sensory Descriptions in Creative Writing

Post author: Timothy R Carter
Post published: January 19, 2024
Post category: Creative Writing
Post last modified: February 16, 2024
Reading time: 21 mins read

Embarking on the craft of storytelling through creative writing, you will soon discover that setting the scene with rich, sensory details can transport your reader to the world you’ve conjured. “Balancing Sensory Descriptions in Creative Writing” offers a treasure trove of techniques to help you enhance your narratives without overwhelming your audience. You’ll learn to wield the senses with precision, using sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell to breathe life into your characters’ experiences while ensuring a harmonious and immersive reading experience that’s as vivid as it is believable. Embrace the power of subtlety and strength in your descriptions, and watch as your words paint worlds that leap off the page into the imagination.

Understanding Sensory Descriptions

Definition of sensory descriptions in creative writing.

Imagine you’re painting a picture with words. Just as a painter uses a palette of colors to bring a scene to life, you can use sensory descriptions to create a vivid tableau in your reader’s mind. In creative writing, sensory descriptions involve the depiction of experiences and elements in a narrative that appeal to the five senses – sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. These details enable your readers to fully “experience” the story as if they are part of the world you’re crafting.

The five senses and their role in storytelling

The five senses serve as gateways through which your readers connect with your story. By describing what a character sees, hears, feels, tastes, and smells, you invite your reader to step into the character’s shoes. Each sense contributes to dynamic storytelling, offering different textures to the narrative fabric and making the story more relatable and memorable.

In a workshop filled with the musky scent of metal and wood, a woman with fiery red hair leans intently over a buzzing bench grinder. Sparks fly in a brilliant cascade, glowing fiercely against her protective glasses as she meticulously shapes a piece of metal. The whirring sound of the machine blends with the faint, rhythmic hammering of metal on metal from the background, telling tales of craftsmanship and labor. The air carries the warmth of friction and work, the tang of heated steel hanging heavy. Every surface is speckled with evidence of creation, from the fine metal filings that dust the tabletop to the worn handles of tools awaiting their turn. The tangible intensity of focus and the precision of her hands invoke a sense of being right there in the midst of creation, witnessing the transformation of raw materials into something purposeful.

The importance of sensory detail for reader immersion

Sensory detail isn’t just about the flourish of adjectives; it’s a critical tool for deepening reader immersion. These details can transform simple narration into a multi-dimensional experience. When you expertly weave sensory language into your writing, you promote a more personal and emotive response, enabling readers to become enveloped in your story in a way that goes beyond intellectual comprehension to a visceral engagement.

The Power of Visual Imagery

Crafting vivid visual details.

Your goal is to create a picture so real that readers feel like they could step right into it. This requires keen observation and the ability to articulate the subtleties of color, shape, and light. Consider how the time of day influences the way things look or how the mood of a scene is reflected in its visual elements. Craft your descriptions with specificity and unique details that breathe life into your scene’s canvas.

Avoiding overwritten visual descriptions

While visual details are vital, there’s an art to knowing when enough is enough. Ensure that your descriptions serve the story and its pacing. Overwriting can bog down your narrative and lose your reader’s interest. Aim for balance; use vivid language that enhances without overwhelming, allowing room for the reader’s imagination to co-create the scene.

The image vividly portrays an action hero in the midst of a daring rescue, using the five senses to immerse you in the scene's intensity and heroism.

Using similes and metaphors to enhance visual imagery

Similes and metaphors act as bridges, connecting the unfamiliar with the familiar and deepening the reader’s understanding. They can infuse your scenes with nuance and help readers see in new and unexpected ways. For example, saying “the sky blazed like a bruise” rather than simply “the sky was red” adds emotional weight and color, giving your reader a richer visual experience.

Incorporating Sound: Beyond Dialogue

Layering ambient sounds to create atmosphere.

The rustle of leaves, the babble of a stream, the hum of a city—these sounds form the auditory backdrop of your scene. Ambient noise can establish a setting, foreshadow events, or evoke mood. By layering these sounds, you cue your reader’s auditory imagination, helping them to tune into your story’s frequency.

Using onomatopoeia effectively

Words that imitate sounds, like ‘buzz’, ‘whisper’, or ‘clang’, can be powerful when used with precision. They add a level of authenticity and can make action more impactful. Imagine the difference between reading “the bee made a noise” and “the bee buzzed near her ear.” Onomatopoeia pulls readers into the immediacy of the moment.

Differentiating character voices and acoustic textures

Characters can be distinguished not just by what they say but by how they say it. A character’s voice might be described as velvety, grating, melodic, or raspy, thus adding to their depth. The acoustic textures of environments, such as the echo in a canyon or the muffled quality of a snow-covered landscape, also add to the sonic tapestry of your writing, giving it dimensionality and presence.

A female writer deeply engrossed in typing on an old typewriter in a dimly lit, tranquil room, surrounded by notes and drafts with emotional insights. Inspirational quotes about storytelling adorn the walls, and a serene night sky is visible through the window, emphasizing a reflective and intimate creative ambiance.

Textures and Touch: Conveying Tactile Experiences

Describing textures and physical sensations.

Think about the roughness of tree bark under fingertips, the plush warmth of a well-worn sweater, or the shocking cold of a snowflake on skin. Describing these tactile experiences helps readers connect physically with your story. It’s an intimate form of description that invites readers to feel alongside the characters.

Balancing tactile description without overloading the reader

As with all sensory writing, there’s a balance to be found in describing touch. You needn’t catalogue every sensation; instead, focus on those that add something vital to the scene or character development. Aim to be evocative rather than exhaustive, knowing that a few well-chosen tactile details can go a long way.

Integrating touch to enhance character interactions

Describing physical interactions between characters—whether a hand shake, a pat on the back, or an embrace—can reveal much about their relationships and inner worlds. The energy and emotion within these tactile exchanges offer a wealth of subtext and can significantly enhance your narrative.

A Whiff of Description: Utilizing Scent

Evoking memories and emotions with smell.

The sense of smell is incredibly evocative, linked closely to memory and emotion. A whiff of perfume might trigger a poignant memory for a character, or the stench of decay could foreshadow something dire. When you include olfactory details that tap into shared experiences, your writing resonates more deeply with your reader.

A writer in deep in thought at a desk by a window overlooking a scenic view, with a notebook filled with notes on character emotions and narrative arcs. Inspirational quotes about emotional storytelling adorn the walls, and a shelf holds books on creative writing and psychology. A steaming cup of coffee and a small potted plant are on the desk, enhancing the serene and inspiring environment.

Choosing the right moments for scent-related descriptions

Not every scene requires the inclusion of scent, but when used judiciously, a smell can add an invisible layer to your descriptions. Choose moments when a scent would naturally be noticed or when it can enhance the emotional or narrative stakes of a scene.

Maintaining subtlety with olfactory imagery

When it comes to scent, a light touch often works best. Overstated or incessant reference to odors can distract or overwhelm, so it’s important to weave these details into your writing with subtlety. Conveying a scent with simplicity can be enough to trigger the reader’s own sensory memory without requiring an elaborate description.

The Flavor of Words: Describing Taste

Using taste to reveal character traits.

What a character craves, savors, or despises can speak volumes about their personality, background, and current state of mind. Whether a protagonist has a penchant for spicy food that mirrors their fiery temperament or a villain who enjoys something unexpectedly sweet, taste can be an instrument to expose nuances of character.

Incorporating taste descriptions in food-related scenes

Scenes involving meals or other food-related experiences are perfect opportunities to engage your reader’s sense of taste. The joy found in a character’s favorite dish or a shared distaste for an unusual flavor can become points of connection or conflict within your narrative.

writer thoughtfully composing on a vintage typewriter at an antique desk in a serene workspace, surrounded by classic literature, handwritten notes, and inspirational quotes on emotional storytelling, with a tranquil landscape visible through the window, in a warmly lit, cozy room.

Connecting taste with other sensory descriptions

Taste is often linked with smell and sight; consider how the sight of a dish might evoke anticipation or how its aroma can preface the first bite. Engaging multiple senses when describing taste can provide a more complete and fulfilling sensory experience for your reader.

Strategic Use of Sensory Language

Maximizing emotional impact with selective sensory detail.

Selective sensory details can enhance the emotional impact of your writing. Picking just the right texture or sound can reinforce a character’s emotional state or the mood of a scene. Think of how a soft lullaby can soothe or the abruptness of a slammed door can jolt. Choose details that complement the emotional undertone you’re aiming to achieve.

Creating rhythm and pacing through sensory language

Sensory language can also influence the rhythm and pacing of your story. Longer, flowing descriptions can slow a moment down, allowing readers to linger, while quick, sharp details can accelerate pace, pushing the narrative forward. Weave sensory descriptions throughout your writing in a way that supports the desired tempo of your storytelling .

Knowing when to employ sensory description for emphasis

Use sensory details with purpose, reserving them for moments that require emphasis or that can greatly benefit from the added depth. Not every paragraph needs sensory embellishment. Learning when to employ these details, and when to hold back, is key to a balanced narrative.

Character Perspective and Sensory Detail

Aligning sensory information with character viewpoints.

Ensure that the sensory details you employ are in line with a character’s viewpoint. A seasoned chef will notice different flavors and scents than someone with less culinary experience. By aligning sensory information with character perspectives, you add authenticity and credibility to their narration.

The image represents the theme of the article "The Writer's Guide to Crafting Emotionally Resonant Stories." It captures the essence of a writer's creative space and process, emphasizing the focus on emotional storytelling.

Differentiating characters through sensory perception

Each character comes with a unique set of experiences and preferences that influence how they perceive the world. Use this to differentiate your characters, giving each a distinct sensory palette. This will not only add depth to their personalities but also variety to your writing.

Using sensory details to develop character backstory and motivation

A character’s reactions to sensory experiences can offer insights into their backstory and motivations. Perhaps a certain song always saddens a character due to a past event, or a taste reminds them of a goal they’re pursuing. Such details flesh out the tapestry of your character’s lives and can be powerful storytelling tools.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Sensory Writing

Steering clear of cliches and predictable descriptions.

Ensure that your sensory details are fresh and avoid leaning on cliches which can make your writing feel stale or uninspired. Instead of reaching for the familiar, take a moment to conceptualize how you can present a sensory image in a new, engaging way.

Balancing originality with clarity

While it’s important to be original in your descriptions, clarity should always be a priority. If a distinctive detail is too obscure or disconnected from common experience, it may confuse rather than illuminate. Aim for a balance where your creativity enhances the reader’s understanding, not hinders it.

Ensuring sensory details serve the narrative, not distract

Every sensory description should serve a purpose—advancing the plot, deepening characterization, setting the mood, or developing the setting. If a sensory detail doesn’t fulfill one of these roles, consider whether it might be a distraction and if so, whether it’s necessary at all.

A cozy room bathed in the warm glow of a table lamp creates an intimate setting for a couple sharing a love for music. They sit close on a plush sofa, a vintage record player between them, the soft crackle of a vinyl record starting to play a melodic tune that fills the room through their shared headphones. The scent of vanilla from a flickering candle mingles with the timeless fragrance of aged wood from the surrounding bookshelves, laden with records and mementos. They are lost in a moment of connection, their laughter barely audible over the music, feeling the rhythm through the vibrations of the turntable under their fingertips. The ambiance is one of comfort and nostalgia, inviting the senses to observe and sink into the cushions and savor the music and companionship.

Conclusion: The Synesthetic Symphony of Creative Writing

Recapitulating the significant points addressed.

In creative writing , sensory descriptions are your tools for creating an immersive world. Visual imagery paints the scene, sound infuses it with life, while touch brings intimacy. Smell invokes memory and emotion, whereas taste can reveal character depth. Strategic and varied use of sensory language can enhance emotional impact, control pacing, and emphasize narrative moments. Always ensure that sensory details align with character perspectives and support the overall story.

Encouraging writers to trust their instincts with sensory descriptions

Trust your instincts when it involves sensory details. Your experiences are unique, and tapping into how you perceive the world can lead to powerful writing. Remember that sensory details need to resonate with your readers, so keep them grounded in common understanding.

The ongoing process of learning and incorporating balanced sensory detail

The mastery of sensory descriptions is an ongoing process for any writer. Keep honing your skills, noticing the world around you, and practicing how you translate those experiences into your writing. Over time, you’ll develop an instinct for when and how to employ sensory language, creating a symphony that resonates long after the final page is turned.

Timothy R Carter

Writing Compelling Fictional Journeys: Character Arcs

Read more about the article Eliciting Emotion: Writing Stories That Resonate

Describing the Five Senses: Techniques for Vivid Imagery

Daily Writing Tips

100 exquisite adjectives.

Adjectives — descriptive words that modify nouns — often come under fire for their cluttering quality, but often it’s quality, not quantity, that is the issue. Plenty of tired adjectives are available to spoil a good sentence, but when you find just the right word for the job, enrichment ensues. Practice precision when you select words. Here’s a list of adjectives:

Adamant : unyielding; a very hard substance Adroit : clever, resourceful Amatory : sexual Animistic : quality of recurrence or reversion to earlier form Antic : clownish, frolicsome Arcadian : serene Baleful : deadly, foreboding Bellicose : quarrelsome (its synonym belligerent can also be a noun) Bilious : unpleasant, peevish Boorish : crude, insensitive Calamitous : disastrous Caustic : corrosive, sarcastic; a corrosive substance Cerulean : sky blue Comely : attractive Concomitant : accompanying Contumacious : rebellious Corpulent : obese Crapulous : immoderate in appetite Defamatory : maliciously misrepresenting Didactic : conveying information or moral instruction Dilatory : causing delay, tardy Dowdy : shabby, old-fashioned; an unkempt woman Efficacious : producing a desired effect Effulgent : brilliantly radiant Egregious : conspicuous, flagrant Endemic : prevalent, native, peculiar to an area Equanimous : even, balanced Execrable : wretched, detestable Fastidious : meticulous, overly delicate Feckless : weak, irresponsible Fecund : prolific, inventive Friable : brittle Fulsome : abundant, overdone, effusive Garrulous : wordy, talkative Guileless : naive Gustatory : having to do with taste or eating Heuristic : learning through trial-and-error or problem solving Histrionic : affected, theatrical Hubristic : proud, excessively self-confident Incendiary : inflammatory, spontaneously combustible, hot Insidious : subtle, seductive, treacherous Insolent : impudent, contemptuous Intransigent : uncompromising Inveterate : habitual, persistent Invidious : resentful, envious, obnoxious Irksome : annoying Jejune : dull, puerile Jocular : jesting, playful Judicious : discreet Lachrymose : tearful Limpid : simple, transparent, serene Loquacious : talkative Luminous : clear, shining Mannered : artificial, stilted Mendacious : deceptive Meretricious : whorish, superficially appealing, pretentious Minatory : menacing Mordant : biting, incisive, pungent Munificent : lavish, generous Nefarious : wicked Noxious : harmful, corrupting Obtuse : blunt, stupid Parsimonious : frugal, restrained Pendulous : suspended, indecisive Pernicious : injurious, deadly Pervasive : widespread Petulant : rude, ill humored Platitudinous : resembling or full of dull or banal comments Precipitate : steep, speedy Propitious : auspicious, advantageous, benevolent Puckish : impish Querulous : cranky, whining Quiescent : inactive, untroublesome Rebarbative : irritating, repellent Recalcitrant : resistant, obstinate Redolent : aromatic, evocative Rhadamanthine : harshly strict Risible : laughable Ruminative : contemplative Sagacious : wise, discerning Salubrious : healthful Sartorial : relating to attire, especially tailored fashions Sclerotic : hardening Serpentine : snake-like, winding, tempting or wily Spasmodic : having to do with or resembling a spasm, excitable, intermittent Strident : harsh, discordant; obtrusively loud Taciturn : closemouthed, reticent Tenacious : persistent, cohesive, Tremulous : nervous, trembling, timid, sensitive Trenchant : sharp, penetrating, distinct Turbulent : restless, tempestuous Turgid : swollen, pompous Ubiquitous : pervasive, widespread Uxorious : inordinately affectionate or compliant with a wife Verdant : green, unripe Voluble : glib, given to speaking Voracious : ravenous, insatiable Wheedling : flattering Withering : devastating Zealous : eager, devoted

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32 thoughts on “100 Exquisite Adjectives”

Fantastic list! Thank you for sharing it with us.

I love your site. The daily writings are magnificent. Your daily writing tips are useful! Unlike many other writing blogs or websites out there!

Interesting list. However, for some of the words, I see the following definitions as more accurate: adroit-skillful judicious-prudent, discerningly precipitate – should say precipitous to describe as steep. Precipitate as an adj means falling.

Thanks for sharing these. I can’t imagine writing without adjectives. It always pains me to have to cut them. As a writer for children, it is a challenge to find adjectives that are new words for kids, but simple enough for them to understand. Obviously, I cannot use “salubrious”, but “luminous,” “limpid,” “verdant,”and “withering” are delightful.

How about a list especially for young readers?

Thanks for this! Especially for “jejune”. I heard that one spoken aloud years ago, but didn’t know how to spell it (and no one I asked had ever heard of it), so I couldn’t look it up. Now I can finally use it!

I think you meant “Recalcitrant” and not “Recalcitant”? Just a small elision, however.

Thanks for a great list.

An exquisite list, in deed.

I would also say that “fecund” also means fertile. Great list!

A very good list. A lot of words here that I had never heard before and several others for which I didn’t know the definitions.

You might like to clarify your point about ‘belligerent’, though. A belligerent is an entity participating in war. The noun form of the adjective ‘belligerent’ is ‘belligerence’.

Oh, publishers, beware! Coming your way are manuscripts populated with fecund protagonists, mendacious antagonists, didactically sagacious guardians, and platitudinous sidekicks.

Actually, that could be fun.

really useful list. much needed 🙂 thanks

This a the PERFECT list for expanding your vocabulary, but also great for speaking professionals as well. Sometimes I find myself using the same words over and over as I facilitate workshops, so this will come in handy…bookmark worthy!

@Lahesha – Is that the correct word? To “facilitate” a workshop? Facilitate means to make something easier, less difficult, or free from impediment. You could conduct a workshop, moderate a worshop, direct, guide, chair, etc.. However, just now checking “Business Speak” in Wikipedia, I see it as one of those terms. So, check out the “Beware of Buzz Word Bingo” column (Feb 2011). “Facilitate” could be added to that list since workshops tend to spew buzz words in abundance.

Insidious is one of my favorites — such a pithy word. Pithy is pretty good as well. Maybe it could be tacked on. I’m retweeting this now…

Stephen: But “belligerent” is an adjective, as well as a noun…has the list been modified?

Katie: Don’t forget “jemay”– almost or becoming dull or puerile, and “jedecember”– exciting, witty, and mature, but colder. And “irksall” which meand even more annoying– to everybody.

I must get across my respect for your generosity supporting those people that really want guidance on in this situation. Your very own commitment to getting the solution all around ended up being quite practical and has permitted others just like me to achieve their dreams. Your warm and helpful suggestions means so much to me and a whole lot more to my fellow workers. Thanks a lot; from all of us.

I love words, and particularly adjectives. This list is wondrous fair indeed. However, many of these words are going to come across as being self-conscious, vainglorious or simply twee. While I will always choose the word that comes closest to the meaning I wish to convey (reticent over reluctant when I’m speaking or writing of being hesitant to speak) I also am aware that using a highly decorative word (rhadamanthine, for instance) can be the literary equivalent of wearing too much perfume.

Yes indeed Stephen, agreed. Bellicose and Belligerent are not synonymous but are often used that way. Belligerency is an instrument of the state, not just a singular person’s aggressiveness. Check out Article 9 of Japan’s Constitution for fun.

Also Corpulent, is bodily. It’s broader than the definition given.

Still, great to see such a list.

What about a list of collective nouns? Especially birds. Ie: a Parliament of owls, a murder of crows…fun!

To the 4 writers and the editor! Great Job! When coming up with content that just looks and reads the same you kinda get that same feeling about it as you do others to some degree. You’re book marked for some exciting adjectives in my writing. Thanks don

Superb stuff, absolutely top notch.

In searching for lists of adjectives to aid in the enrichment of my middle school students’ writing, I happened across this list on stumpbleupon.com. I thought this might be the perfect resource until I reached the word “dowdy”. What a great disappointment from dailytwritingtips.com, especially in light of their own “About the blog”, which states, “Whether you are an attorney, manager or student, writing skills are essential to your success. The rise of the information age – with the proliferation of emails, blogs and social networks – makes the ability to write clear, correct English more important than ever. Daily Writing Tips is about that.”

“Dowdy”? Seriously, M. Nichol, in 2015? Because I respect all of my students, but in this case especially my female students, that one word is a deal breaker, for more reasons than I’ll even entertain here.

Fabulous list of adjectives..all are pretty helpful.

Some good choices here. Love arcadian and cerulean. 🙂

I am a french student. Needless to say that this fantastic list will help me a lot. I was definitely smitten with these harmonious and suggestive words. Now come my challenge: be able to use all of them in my english essays ! 😀 Thanks for sharing

A good, stimulating list.

95% of the adjectives have a negative connotation. Some positive please?

njnnjnnj wow

i d k im only 100000000000000 yrs old relax due

@Roberta B.

No, they used facilitate correctly 🙂

Now these are helpful, I know how useful these can be even people that aren’t me. You will be in my book you have helped a lot.

Wow, thank you for sharing and I’m really learning.

this list made me hard

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Last updated on Dec 02, 2021

270+ Other Words For "Said" To Supercharge Your Writing

If you've read our previous post on writing dialogue , you'll know that you shouldn't be afraid to default to he said , she said , or they said when you're tagging your dialogue. After all, it's probably the clearest, least distracting way to indicate who's saying what. That being said, it can be useful to deploy a specific and powerful dialogue tag every now and again.

Which dialogue tag are YOU?

Find out in just a minute.

To help you find that perfect synonym to inject action and emotion into your dialogue, here are over 270 other words for said:

Neutral/multi-purpose words

Acknowledged

Added

Agreed

Announced

Articulated

Asserted

Backtracked

Began

Blurted

Called

Commented

Communicated

Conferred

Considered

Contended

Declared

Denoted

Drawled

Elaborated

Emitted

Ended

Enunciated

Expounded

Expressed

Greeted

Interjected

Mentioned

Noted

Observed

Orated

Persisted

Predicted

Pronounced

Quipped

Recited

Reckoned

Remarked

Repeated

Replied

Responded

Shared

Slurred

Stated

Suggested

Told

Urged

Uttered

Vocalized

Voiced

Happy/excited words

Approved

Babbled

Beamed

Bubbled

Chattered

Cheered

Chimed in

Chortled

Chuckled

Congratulated

Complimented

Crooned

Effused

Exclaimed

Giggled

Grinned

Gushed

Jabbered

Joked

Laughed

Praised

Rejoiced

Sang

Smiled

Thanked

Tittered

Trilled

Yammered

Sad/upset words

Agonized

Apologized

Bawled

Blubbered

Cried

Fretted

Grieved

Groaned

Lamented

Mewled

Moaned

Mumbled

Sobbed

Sighed

Sniffled

Sniveled

Wailed

Wept

Angry words

Accused

Choked

Badgered

Barked

Bellowed

Chastised

Cursed

Demanded

Exploded

Fumed

Glowered

Growled

Hissed

Insulted

Raged

Ranted

Reprimanded

Roared

Scolded

Screamed

Screeched

Snarled

Spat

Shouted

Swore

Thundered

Vociferated

Yelled

Annoyed words

Bleated

Complained

Condemned

Criticized

Exhaled

Groused

Grumbled

Grunted

Heaved

Insisted

Mocked

Rasped

Rejoined

Retorted

Scoffed

Smirked

Snapped

Whined

Frightened/pained words

Coughed

Cautioned

Gulped

Howled

Keened

Panted

Prayed

Quavered

Screamed

Shrieked

Shuddered

Squalled

Squealed

Trembled

Wailed

Warbled

Whimpered

Yelped

Yowled

Warned

Prideful words

Advertised

Bloviated

Boasted

Boomed

Bossed

Bragged

Broadcasted

Crowed

Exhorted

Dictated

Gloated

Moralized

Ordered

Prattled

Preached

Sermonized

Snorted

Swaggered

Trumpeted

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Words to express uncertainty

Breathed

Doubted

Faltered

Hesitated

Lilted

Mumbled

Murmured

Muttered

Shrugged

Squeaked

Stammered

Stuttered

Swallowed

Trailed off

Vacillated

Whispered

Words that make fun

Derided

Jeered

Heckled

Lampooned

Mocked

Mimicked

Parodied

Ridiculed

Satirized

Scorned

Spoofed

Sneered

Snickered

Taunted

Teased

Words that ask a question

Asked

Begged

Challenged

Contemplated

Guessed

Hinted

Hypothesized

Implied

Inquired

Interrogated

Invited

Mouthed

Mused

Pleaded

Pondered

Probed

Proposed

Puzzled

Repeated

Requested

Requisitioned

Queried

Questioned

Quizzed

Solicited

Speculated

Wondered

Words that give an answer

Accepted

Advised

Affirmed

Alleged

Answered

Assured

Avowed

Claimed

Conceded

Concluded

Confided

Confirmed

Explained

Disclosed

Disseminated

Divulged

Imparted

Informed

Indicated

Maintained

Notified

Offered

Passed on

Proffered

Promised

Promulgated

Released

Reported

Revealed

Shared

Specified

Speculated

Supposed

Testified

Transmitted

Verified

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Upgrade your dialogue with our list of 270 alternatives to “said.”

To see how master writers assemble their dialogue, head over to our final post in this series for some choice examples of dialogue.

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A Guide to Descriptive Writing

by Melissa Donovan | Jan 7, 2021 | Creative Writing | 9 comments

What is descriptive writing?

Writing description is a necessary skill for most writers. Whether we’re writing an essay, a story, or a poem, we usually reach a point where we need to describe something. In fiction, we describe settings and characters. In poetry, we describe scenes, experiences, and emotions. In creative nonfiction, we describe reality. Descriptive writing is especially important for speculative fiction writers and poets. If you’ve created a fantasy world, then you’ll need to deftly describe it to readers; Lewis Carroll not only described Wonderland (aff link); he also described the fantastical creatures that inhabited it.

But many writers are challenged by description writing, and many readers find it boring to read — when it’s not crafted skillfully.

However, I think it’s safe to say that technology has spoiled us. Thanks to photos and videos, we’ve become increasingly visual, which means it’s getting harder to use words to describe something, especially if it only exists in our imaginations.

What is Descriptive Writing?

One might say that descriptive writing is the art of painting a picture with words. But descriptive writing goes beyond visuals. Descriptive writing hits all the senses; we describe how things look, sound, smell, taste, and feel (their tactile quality).

The term descriptive writing can mean a few different things:

The act of writing description ( I’m doing some descriptive writing ).
A descriptive essay is short-form prose that is meant to describe something in detail; it can describe a person, place, event, object, or anything else.
Description as part of a larger work: This is the most common kind of descriptive writing. It is usually a sentence or paragraph (sometimes multiple paragraphs) that provide description, usually to help the reader visualize what’s happening, where it’s happening, or how it’s happening. It’s most commonly used to describe a setting or a character. An example would be a section of text within a novel that establishes the setting by describing a room or a passage that introduces a character with a physical description.
Writing that is descriptive (or vivid) — an author’s style: Some authors weave description throughout their prose and verse, interspersing it through the dialogue and action. It’s a style of writing that imparts description without using large blocks of text that are explicitly focused on description.
Description is integral in poetry writing. Poetry emphasizes imagery, and imagery is rendered in writing via description, so descriptive writing is a crucial skill for most poets.

Depending on what you write, you’ve probably experimented with one of more of these types of descriptive writing, maybe all of them.

Can you think of any other types of descriptive writing that aren’t listed here?

How Much Description is Too Much?

Classic literature was dense with description whereas modern literature usually keeps description to a minimum.

Compare the elaborate descriptions in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy with the descriptions in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series (aff links). Both series relied on description to help readers visualize an imagined, fantastical world, but Rowling did not use her precious writing space to describe standard settings whereas Tolkien frequently paused all action and spent pages describing a single landscape.

This isn’t unique to Tolkien and Rowling; if you compare most literature from the beginning of of the 20th century and earlier to today’s written works, you’ll see that we just don’t dedicate much time and space to description anymore.

I think this radical change in how we approach description is directly tied to the wide availability of film, television, and photography. Let’s say you were living in the 19th century, writing a story about a tropical island for an audience of northern, urban readers. You would be fairly certain that most of your readers had never seen such an island and had no idea what it looked like. To give your audience a full sense of your story’s setting, you’d need pages of detail describing the lush jungle, sandy beaches, and warm waters.

Nowadays, we all know what a tropical island looks like, thanks to the wide availability of media. Even if you’ve never been to such an island, surely you’ve seen one on TV. This might explain why few books on the craft of writing address descriptive writing. The focus is usually on other elements, like language, character, plot, theme, and structure.

For contemporary writers, the trick is to make the description as precise and detailed as possible while keeping it to a minimum. Most readers want characters and action with just enough description so that they can imagine the story as it’s unfolding.

If you’ve ever encountered a story that paused to provide head-to-toe descriptions along with detailed backstories of every character upon their introduction into the narrative, you know just how grating description can be when executed poorly.

However, it’s worth noting that a skilled writer can roll out descriptions that are riveting to read. Sometimes they’re riveting because they’re integrated seamlessly with the action and dialogue; other times, the description is deftly crafted and engaging on its own. In fact, an expert descriptive writer can keep readers glued through multiple pages of description.

Descriptive Writing Tips

I’ve encountered descriptive writing so smooth and seamless that I easily visualized what was happening without even noticing that I was reading description. Some authors craft descriptions that are so lovely, I do notice — but in a good way. Some of them are so compelling that I pause to read them again.

On the other hand, poorly crafted descriptions can really impede a reader’s experience. Description doesn’t work if it’s unclear, verbose, or bland. Most readers prefer action and dialogue to lengthy descriptions, so while a paragraph here and there can certainly help readers better visualize what’s happening, pages and pages of description can increase the risk that they’ll set your work aside and never pick it up again. There are exceptions to every rule, so the real trick is to know when lengthy descriptions are warranted and when they’re just boring.

Here are some general tips for descriptive writing:

Use distinct descriptions that stand out and are memorable. For example, don’t write that a character is five foot two with brown hair and blue eyes. Give the reader something to remember. Say the character is short with mousy hair and sky-blue eyes.
Make description active: Consider the following description of a room: There was a bookshelf in the corner. A desk sat under the window. The walls were beige, and the floor was tiled. That’s boring. Try something like this: A massive oak desk sat below a large picture window and beside a shelf overflowing with books. Hardcovers, paperbacks, and binders were piled on the dingy tiled floor in messy stacks. In the second example, words like overflowing and piled are active.
Weave description through the narrative: Sometimes a character enters a room and looks around, so the narrative needs to pause to describe what the character sees. Other times, description can be threaded through the narrative. For example, instead of pausing to describe a character, engage that character in dialogue with another character. Use the characters’ thoughts and the dialogue tags to reveal description: He stared at her flowing, auburn curls, which reminded him of his mother’s hair. “Where were you?” he asked, shifting his green eyes across the restaurant to where a customer was hassling one of the servers.

Simple descriptions are surprisingly easy to execute. All you have to do is look at something (or imagine it) and write what you see. But well-crafted descriptions require writers to pay diligence to word choice, to describe only those elements that are most important, and to use engaging language to paint a picture in the reader’s mind. Instead of spending several sentences describing a character’s height, weight, age, hair color, eye color, and clothing, a few, choice details will often render a more vivid image for the reader: Red hair framed her round, freckled face like a spray of flames. This only reveals three descriptive details: red hair, a round face, and freckles. Yet it paints more vivid picture than a statistical head-to-toe rundown: She was five foot three and no more than a hundred and ten pounds with red hair, blue eyes, and a round, freckled face.

10 descriptive writing practices.

How to Practice Writing Description

Here are some descriptive writing activities that will inspire you while providing opportunities to practice writing description. If you don’t have much experience with descriptive writing, you may find that your first few attempts are flat and boring. If you can’t keep readers engaged, they’ll wander off. Work at crafting descriptions that are compelling and mesmerizing.

Go to one of your favorite spots and write a description of the setting: it could be your bedroom, a favorite coffee shop, or a local park. Leave people, dialogue, and action out of it. Just focus on explaining what the space looks like.
Who is your favorite character from the movies? Describe the character from head to toe. Show the reader not only what the character looks like, but also how the character acts. Do this without including action or dialogue. Remember: description only!
Forty years ago we didn’t have cell phones or the internet. Now we have cell phones that can access the internet. Think of a device or gadget that we’ll have forty years from now and describe it.
Since modern fiction is light on description, many young and new writers often fail to include details, even when the reader needs them. Go through one of your writing projects and make sure elements that readers may not be familiar with are adequately described.
Sometimes in a narrative, a little description provides respite from all the action and dialogue. Make a list of things from a story you’re working on (gadgets, characters, settings, etc.), and for each one, write a short description of no more than a hundred words.
As mentioned, Tolkien often spent pages describing a single landscape. Choose one of your favorite pieces of classic literature, find a long passage of description, and rewrite it. Try to cut the descriptive word count in half.
When you read a book, use a highlighter to mark sentences and paragraphs that contain description. Don’t highlight every adjective and adverb. Look for longer passages that are dedicated to description.
Write a description for a child. Choose something reasonably difficult, like the solar system. How do you describe it in such a way that a child understands how he or she fits into it?
Most writers dream of someday writing a book. Describe your book cover.
Write a one-page description of yourself.

If you have any descriptive writing practices to add to this list, feel free to share them in the comments.

Descriptive Writing

Does descriptive writing come easily to you, or do you struggle with it? Do you put much thought into how you write description? What types of descriptive writing have you tackled — descriptive essays, blocks of description within larger texts, or descriptions woven throughout a narrative? Share your tips for descriptive writing by leaving a comment, and keep writing!

Further Reading: Abolish the Adverbs , Making the Right Word Choices for Better Writing , and Writing Description in Fiction .

Ready Set Write a Guide to Creative Writing

I find descriptions easier when first beginning a scene. Other ones I struggle with. Yes, intertwining them with dialogue does help a lot.

I have the opposite experience. I tend to dive right into action and dialogue when I first start a scene.

I came across this article at just the right time. I am just starting to write a short story. This will change the way I describe characters in my story.

Thank you for this. R.G. Ramsey

You’re welcome!

Great tips and how to practise and improve our descriptive writing skills. Thank you for sharing.

You’re welcome, Bella.

Hello Melissa

I have read many of your articles about different aspects of writing and have enjoyed all of them. What you said here, I agree with, with the exception of #7. That is one point that I dispute and don’t understand the reason why anyone would do this, though I’ve seen books that had things like that done to them.

To me, a book is something to be treasured, loved and taken care of. It deserves my respect because I’m sure the author poured their heart and soul into its creation. Marking it up that way is nothing short of defacing it. A book or story is a form of art, so should a person mark over a picture by Rembrandt or any other famous painter? You’re a very talented author, so why would you want someone to mark through the words you had spent considerable time and effort agonizing over, while searching for the best words to convey your thoughts?

If I want to remember some section or point the author is making, then I’ll take a pen and paper and record the page number and perhaps the first few words of that particular section. I’ve found that writing a note this way helps me remember it better. This is then placed inside the cover for future reference. If someone did what you’ve suggested to a book of mine, I’d be madder than a ‘wet hen’, and that person would certainly be told what I thought of them.

In any of the previous articles you’ve written, you’ve brought up some excellent points which I’ve tried to incorporate in my writing. Keep up the good work as I know your efforts have helped me, and I’m sure other authors as well.

Hi Stanley. Thanks so much for sharing your point of view. I appreciate and value it.

Marking up a book is a common practice, especially in academia. Putting notes in margins, underlining, highlighting, and tagging pages with bookmarks is standard. Personally, I mark up nonfiction paperbacks, but I never mark up fiction paperbacks or any hardcovers (not since college).

I completely respect your right to keep your books in pristine condition. And years ago, when I started college, I felt exactly the same way. I was horrified that people (instructors and professors!) would fill their books with ugly yellow highlighting and other markips. But I quickly realized that this was shortsighted.

Consider an old paperback that is worn and dog-eared. With one look, you know this book has been read many times and it’s probably loved. It’s like the Velveteen Rabbit of books. I see markups as the same — that someone was engaging with the book and trying to understand it on a deeper level, which is not disrespectful. It’s something to be celebrated.

Sometimes we place too much value on the book as a physical object rather than what’s inside. I appreciate a beautiful book as much as anyone but what really matters to me is the information or experience that it contains. I often read on a Kindle. Sometimes I listen to audio books. There is no physical book. The experience is not lessened.

I understand where you’re coming from. I used to feel the same way, but my mind was changed. I’m not trying to change yours, but I hope you’ll understand.

You’ve provided some great information and advice. One thing I might add–it is helpful to consider the POV character. For example, what will they notice in a restaurant? A police officer may notice the placement of the exits, the tattooed man carrying a side-arm, the security cameras on the ceiling, etc. The descriptive items he would notice would be very different from those of an elderly grandmother or a fifteen-year-old teenaged girl.

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Quotes and Descriptions to Inspire Creative Writing Discover, Share, Connect

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19,898 quotes, descriptions and writing prompts, 4,964 themes

I wonder if the roof tiles miss the rain on these long summer days. I wonder if they miss making their together song. Or perhaps they await the tickle of bird feet and a hearth-warm breeze. Or maybe it is the variation that makes these seasons special.

marvellous school of neurology

"It turns out, as obviousness would have it, that our brains (especially those of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in this case) have been teaching us neurology through comic books and the movies that have come from them." Full article linked to from my profile, click "abraham" below, awesome!!

It was a bonny path that chattered day and night, the free leaves upon it and their twig-attached brethren in seasonal conversation.

"When we make daily choices that are emotionally indifferent, the sort that the money-nexus makes faux-virtues of, we build our capacity for emotional indifference at the direct expense of our capacity for empathy, and thus the conflict between money and love is laid bare."

There was a happiness to her, not the kind that is loud and obvious, but more as early morning birdsong.

blanket fort

In that artistry of wool, within a fabric that told of patient hours of tip-tapping knitting needles, we dwelled within a castle within our home.

essential career advice for writers

"For writers in the next half century and beyond, a comprehension of how creative writing, neurology, biology and our environment interact will be essential for a successful career." - a link to the full article is in my bio and on the Descriptionari "About" page. Much love!!! Angela Abraham (Daisy)

walking in the rain

I won't say I love the cold rain. I won't say I love being soaked to the skin. I won't say I'm alright with how long it takes for my boots to dry. But I will say it enlivens me and awakens a part of me that slumbers in the warm and sunny weather. I will say that jumping in puddles is fun and that I'm far too old to be enjoying such things. I will say that a part of me finds a beauty in wondering how many raindrops there are and listening for them in the meditative pitter patter.

My soul, you see, is a pretty poem on paper scrunched and charred. In time, with care, she will unfold again and the words will be as beautiful as they ever were.

"Adjective and noun associations are worthy of our consideration because by careful linkage of words such as 'black' with strong emotionally positive words (such as in 'black heavens' and 'noble black night') we can start to program subconscious bias from the brain by creating a background neurochemistry that is more positive. This keeps the prefrontal cortex more fully operational and encourages more empathy in both thoughts and behaviours. Thus society develops better through their own choices and evolves. This is part of social evolution and this kind of awareness in writers is essential."

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Paper 1 Question 5: Creative Writing Model Answer ( AQA GCSE English Language )

Revision note.

Paper 1 Question 5: Creative Writing Model Answer

In Paper 1 Question 5 you will be presented with a choice of two writing tasks and a stimulus image. One task will ask you to write descriptively, most likely based on the image, and the other question will ask you to write a story, based on a statement or title.

The task requires you to write for a specific purpose and in a specific form. It is important you write in the correct format and use the conventions of this form, as the mark scheme mentions adapting your tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences.

This means:

The tone (sound of the narrator’s ‘voice’) is appropriate and convincing
The register (vocabulary and phrasing) is suitable for the purpose
The style of the writing (sentence structure and overall structure) is dynamic and engaging

Below you will find a detailed creative writing model in response to an example of Paper 1 Question 5, under the following sub-headings (click to go straight to that sub-heading):

Writing a GCSE English Language story

Structuring your story, ao5: content and organisation, ao6: technical accuracy, question 5 level 4 model story, why would this story achieve top marks.

Remember, Paper 1 Question 5 is worth 40 marks, broken down into two Assessment Objectives:

Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences

Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts

Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation

When planning your response, it is a good idea to keep the tone, style and register in mind, as well as the conventions of the form. Here, we will consider how you can produce an effective story with these devices in mind:

Story writing should develop a sense of character as well as mood. This means you should consider how your narrator or characters would behave and sound.

In order to craft a tone which builds characterisation and mood, consider:

The perspective from which your story will be told:
First-person characterisation can include monologues which express the narrator’s thoughts and feelings
Third-person characterisation will generally include a description of the character’s appearance and movements
Choose verbs and adverbs carefully to ‘show’ the character’s reactions
If you use a third-person omniscient narrator , you can advise the reader of the character’s thoughts and feelings
Consider how you can use sentence lengths and types in monologue and dialogue, as well as description of setting:
Short sentences reflect tension and unease, e.g. ‘No sound could be heard’
Longer sentences and listing can create a sense of being overwhelmed, or of abundance, e.g. ‘The table was laden with apples, grapes, oranges, loaves of bread, chunks of cheese and an array of colourful vegetables’
Rhetorical questions can suggest confusion, e.g. ‘Would I ever get it right?’

Style and register

The style of your story writing is closely related to the language you use. For example, in a creative writing response, the best answers show evidence of careful word choice and linguistic techniques.

Creative writing helps the reader to visualise the person, place, or situation being described with word choice and linguistic techniques, as well as being taken on a journey.

The best way to do this is to:

Use vocabulary which is useful to the reader:
For example, describing something as ‘great’ or ‘amazing’ is telling rather than showing
Use sensory language to bring the scene to life:
For example, a deserted park at night requires a completely different description from a busy park during the daytime
Emphasise key ideas or impressions using language techniques and imagery:
For example, you could use a simile to create associations about size or colour
Personification is a useful technique when describing weather or objects
Ensure you describe the important details:
For example, you do not need to describe every inch of a person or scene bit by bit, but instead focus on key, interesting features that develops the story or the sense of character

Creative story writing develops an idea to a conclusion. This means your story should have cohesion by planning an ending with a resolution (you should plan whether your story will end happily or not). In the exam, it is best not to plan a complex story which takes place over a long period of time, employs multiple characters and has more than one setting or plot twist.

In order to adhere to the conventions of story writing, it is best to:

Plan your writing in an order which takes your character (and reader) on a clear journey:
The best way to do this is to plan one main event
Consider employing structural techniques such as a flashback:
This can give background information to the reader and provide context
Ensure you use past-tense verbs for this
Develop your characters:
Consider essential narrative characterisations, such as villain, victim, hero etc.
Decide on how your characters fit this description
When describing people, focus on relevant details only:
You could focus on their body language or movements
If using dialogue, how your characters speak can reveal more about them than what they say, e.g. “shrieked”, “mumbled”, “whispered”
It is effective to repeat ideas related to colour
You can repeat ideas for emphasis, for example, black and grey or green and blue

Below is an example of the type of creative writing you may be asked to write in Question 5. This is taken from Language Paper 1 June 2019:

This task asks you to write a story with the title ‘Abandoned’. This means you are required to construct a story based around this idea. The mark scheme rewards original ideas, but the most successful answers are those which develop an idea effectively and engage the reader in a compelling story.

Crafting a story plot which conveys a complex and original idea does not need to include multiple characters or take place over a long period of time. Consider the short story as a ‘scene’ in a film. It is not necessary to know everything about your characters, but better to immerse the reader with vivid ‘showing’ techniques, such as sensory imagery, movements and dialogue.

As this is a longer writing question, you can spend about 5 minutes planning your answer.

Once you are sure of the form you will write in and you have considered how best to convey the mood and character development to your reader, you can begin to think about how you will order your ideas.

Creative writing responses should be structured in five or six paragraphs. We have suggested basing your narrative structure on Freytag’s Pyramid:

Remember, each paragraph does not have to be the same length. In fact, better answers vary the lengths of their paragraphs for effect. What is important is to develop separate ideas or points in each paragraph, and avoid repeating the same descriptions throughout your response.

Keep using sensory language throughout, but adjust the focus and perspective as your paragraphs develop. Make sure you include description of movement and description of sound to effectively craft a mood.

Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences

Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts


		Introducing a memory creates a personal and emotive tone
		Introduces complex ideas regarding family history
		The story builds characterisation with a first-person monologue


		The use of “epitome” is a sophisticated without being overly complicated
		The phrase “a shadow if its former glory” uses vocabulary successfully to develop the description
		The image of the lively house is contrasted with the word ‘dead’ to add emphasis
		The focus on time adverbials emphasise the change e.g. “now”, “no longer” and “once”

Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation


		The separation of the clauses using a semi-colon in this long sentence is effective as the second phrase directly builds on the first

Below is an example of a full-mark Level 4 model story:

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Author: Sam Evans

Sam is a graduate in English Language and Literature, specialising in journalism and the history and varieties of English. Before teaching, Sam had a career in tourism in South Africa and Europe. After training to become a teacher, Sam taught English Language and Literature and Communication and Culture in three outstanding secondary schools across England. Her teaching experience began in nursery schools, where she achieved a qualification in Early Years Foundation education. Sam went on to train in the SEN department of a secondary school, working closely with visually impaired students. From there, she went on to manage KS3 and GCSE English language and literature, as well as leading the Sixth Form curriculum. During this time, Sam trained as an examiner in AQA and iGCSE and has marked GCSE English examinations across a range of specifications. She went on to tutor Business English, English as a Second Language and international GCSE English to students around the world, as well as tutoring A level, GCSE and KS3 students for educational provisions in England. Sam freelances as a ghostwriter on novels, business articles and reports, academic resources and non-fiction books.

COMMENTS

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April 13, 2015 at 7:21 am. Use the body language, too, as this says a lot. Frex, shoulders can droop, a body can go suddenly rigid, hands can shake, fists can clench, feet can kick at some inanimate object, chests can twitch with suppressed laughter, arms can flex to show strength, only don't overuse the latter.
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Disappointment
Disappointment. - quotes and descriptions to inspire creative writing. Search entire site for Disappointment. You can disappoint me a million times, or try to, but my appointment as the one to love and care for you comes from a higher power. So, no matter what stunts you pull, no matter what tantrums you have, I am going to be right here ready ...
creative writing
Welcome to Writers.SE :) We're a little unusual for a writing site, in that we're all about Q&A - the site takes a little bit of getting used to. I wanted to comment because you've given a fine example of how the original poster's scene might be rewritten -- but there's a larger question in the original post that Bruno's asking about.
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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.
How to Describe Anger In Writing
he kept his frustration in check. fury roared through her mind. a fresh swell of rage rose in her. anger rose in him like a tide. anger welled up in his chest. fury vibrated through her being. he burned with anger. irritation pricked at him. inwardly, she was seething.
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Quotes and Descriptions to Inspire Creative Writing
love nexus. "When we make daily choices that are emotionally indifferent, the sort that the money-nexus makes faux-virtues of, we build our capacity for emotional indifference at the direct expense of our capacity for empathy, and thus the conflict between money and love is laid bare." abraham A quote from , authored by.
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Paper 1 Question 5: Creative Writing Model Answer
The style of the writing (sentence structure and overall structure) is dynamic and engaging; Below you will find a detailed creative writing model in response to an example of Paper 1 Question 5, under the following sub-headings (click to go straight to that sub-heading): Writing a GCSE English Language story; Structuring your story

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150+ Ways to Say “Disappointed”: A Word List for Writers

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Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Disappointment

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Describing Sadness in Creative Writing: 33 Ways to Capture the Blues

Key Takeaways

33 Ways to Express Sadness in Creative Writing

Understanding Sadness in Writing

Emotional Spectrum in Characters

Physical Manifestations of Sadness

Facial Expressions

Body Language

Cold and Heat

Authenticity in Describing Sadness

Language and Dialogue in Expressing Sadness

Expert Views on Emotion

Dr. Paul Ekman

Unique Examples of Describing Sadness

Frequently Asked Questions

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