Like a well-described setting, vivid characters can help immerse readers into the world and make them part of the story. One recommendation that I have for describing a character who is supposed to be extremely attractive is to keep their description vague. It feels like my body is weighted down and I am trying to walk uphill. #2. fangfang du said: How many words could be used to describe a tired person, especially a overworked exhausted situation? You can describe the shape, color, and depth of a characters eyes, but you should be careful not to rely on insensitive generalizations. It just doesn't sound very complimentary. Coach Caru would lead on-going conference calls with us on the Talent Acquisition team where she would open up a discussion for us to talk about current industry trends, critical roles within the . Find more words at wordhippo.com! Magic! This has helped me so much! How do they emote? Rubbing Your Eyes. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Additionally, using words like lanky and blush suggests that the character is awkward or shy, saving you the time of having to spell that out for readers. As another plus, it could give you a cool opportunity for your storys cover. If you are telling a story from the first-person perspective, and you want to illustrate a characters obsession with another person, hyper-fixating on the details can be a good way to show this. 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. However, there are a few times in which you can use clothing to explore more complex ideas in the story. Inspiration. Brilliant Jacqui thank you. There, youll also find thoughts and questions by our community. 65 Ways to Describe Sight and Eyes in Your Writing, How to Say "As dumb as" Without Being Boring, 36 Ways to Describe Buildings--Neighborhoods, 3 Projects to Teach 1st Grade Architecture, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. if someone looks green, their face is pale and they look ill. cadaverous adjective. Snide? People cant see the fatigue, so they dont understand. Nov 5, 2009. Dealing with hard questions during a software developer interview, Retracting Acceptance Offer to Graduate School. Ive used quite a few of these in my writing and even my nurses notes. Secondly, readers just wont care unless you give them a good reason to. Were so far beyond beady eyes arent we? / I was absolutely petrified. 'Unlike Fred who is a creature of habit, I am far more fickle, always in need of new experiences, change and variety.' Collins: fickle adjective forehead is wrinkled in the middle, but not across the whole breadth, as when the eyebrows are raised in surprise. Nothing serious. Sometimes, I just read the dictionary, find great words that evoke an image that leads to a plot point. For one thing, being able to imagine the characters will help draw your readers into the story and immerse them in the world. This is such a good list for anyone need good sight words! Life is striving, pushing to make things happen, trying to catch up, overcoming inertia, trying to stay on top of things. Thank you so much for sharing. They looked divine like I wasnt even worthy to look upon them. Dog Tired Meaning: to be extremely tired. If you believe this to be in error, please contact us at [email protected]. Easily irritated and forgetful. Erika N. Chronic fatigue feels like I was run over by a cement roller right after I wake up. An approach called "non-effort" might seem a bit nonsensical. Jutting one's jaw. Additionally, by giving your characters more distinct appearances, they will stand out more from each other, and from characters in other stories. Describing People: A Person's Physical Appearance English language has a variety of words for describing people, their physical appearance and way of walking. some great ideas in this list Jacqui to stimulate the imagination. 19. E.g. (LogOut/ try these phrases on for size: 'Let me draw you a bath.'. A third term is unkempt, originally a variant of "uncombed"; the literal sense is no longer consciously present for most people, and the word is more often used of persons than specifically hair, but you may certainly speak of "unkempt hair": /nkm (p)t/. Arun from over the pond. Eyes meeting across a crowded room has been the start of many a wonderful romance.. You could take the objective approach, which would do just fine in most cases, or you could toy with your readers perceptions. That crooked smile would win over many hearts in the blink of an eye, but not just yet.. 01 Captivating. (Writing About Magical Curses), How to Create an Immersive Fictional World, 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), 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, Wrinkles appear at the corners of their eyes, 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 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. I have to rest (sleep) for hours but when I wake up Im still tired. I'm an artist and a professional writer from Columbia Maryland, and I'm the sole writer and owner of this blog! Appearance. You still shouldnt make them flawless, but you can put off mentioning their more negative qualities until laterespecially if another character is looking at them through rose-colored glasses. This is a good word to use to describe a smile from a crush/lover when the smile makes you feel lost in its beauty. Haha! Every time you describe a characters expression, you have an opportunity to reveal more about their personality, intentions, and complex emotionsso dont take the easy way out! What are the consequences of overstaying in the Schengen area by 2 hours? Being a spoonie can be hard. Justine R. Its like having lost several pints of blood. This is perfect for when Im sitting there thinking, how should I say? which causes me to stop and think too long and uh-oh I wind up in the writers block zone! Good to point that out! Compassion, sympathy. In this free English class you'll learn words like: scooter, rollerblades, skateboard, electric skateboard, electric bike, ATV, kayak, motorcycle, moped, hang glider, wingsuit, side-by . Thanks, Patricia. However, you asked for a special word that especifically bears getting angry while discussing or hearing others' opinion. 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. Gazing in direction of perceived hazard. 70 Collections to Infuse Your Writing | WordDreams 10 Hits and Misses for 2015WordDreams Jacqui Murray. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. By Angela Abraham, @daisydescriptionari, October 3, 2016. It could beand some of them are so outstanding, genre readers would recognize them for where they came from. Change in Personality - sad, withdrawn, irritable, anxious, tired, apathetic Change in Sleep Patterns - insomnia, often with early waking or oversleeping, nightmares Change in Eating Habits - loss of appetite and weight, or . His hair was red and curly. Sometimes the best way to describe eyes is by using a term that refers to a medical condition or a symptom that affects the eyes. I'd agree, though I do get tired of how often people scream things shrilly in some books, and I'm in the middle of reviewing something where the writer is using "to be" verbs in lots of places where they are not the best choice . Ferret-like eyes Dark eyes smoldering Lined from squinting into too many suns Eyes were dark pools of fear Flint-eyed looked like hellpurple bags under her eyes, eyes carried a mixture of shock and barely contained anger bright eyes of an optimist one eye clouded with a cataract wounded eyes tired eyes his body felt heavy This is usually used to say that you have gotten an opportunity before someone else because you were ready while they were sleeping and not paying attention. When the Thames is finished I will write about it, as promised. They give themselves a negative identity and revel in it. Unlike all the others on the list, surprise is fleeting, and will typically be expressed in only a few seconds. Thanks, also on commenting on my posts and for your regular blurbs. Pingback: Senses and History, Part 5: Smell | A Novel Approach. Something to chew on. Member Type. looked like hellpurple bags under her eyes, eyes carried a mixture of shock and barely contained anger, Huge blue eyes that gave her a startled look, black circles beneath her eyes had become bruises, Nets of wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, Competitive, fixed, dead-eyed, and querulous stare of people who werent getting far enough fast enough, bedroom eyes, dark hair falling into them, the light fades from his eyes until they are dark and empty, eyes were brown in the middle and bloodshot everywhere else, eyes watched her the way a tiger watched a bunny, looked for a common theme, a thread of some sort, Thinking about my conversation with the old detective. Your jaw might . If you want more pointers for writing about anger, I have another article you might want to read: Writing a Character with Anger Issues. Depending on your character's recovery speed, you might have less symptoms. Look for her next prehistoric fiction,Savage Land,Winter 2024. The first example gives no indication of personality, but the second one uses words like sunshine and lollipop to associate the character with lively, happy things. ? she gasps, narrowing her eyes at the drooling monster in front of her. Though it is true that some features are more prominent in certain races, nothing is inherent. Since so much of communication is the body, it makes sense we should be aware of whats being said. Copying a whole paragraph that a phrase is imbedded in is wrong, but using common phrases in your writing but putting it in your own context is not violating a copyright. Eyed me as though his bullshit meter was ticking in the red zone. Fear is another difficult emotion, because there are many different degrees and types of fear a character can feel. Thanks for contributing an answer to Writing Stack Exchange! A simple gaze, a blank stare, or a narrow squint can all convey deep meaning. Nature which explores seminal events in mans evolution one trilogy at a time. copper. You don't want to overload your reader with description. not very expensive. I will massage your . I would knock it down a bit to 'hard to move, shes really dizzy, and she cant think quickly'. Youre absolutely right. Whether its biceps, legs, or a large chest, youll want to describe it in detail, as well as highlight what it is about them that has the protagonist so interested. People suffering from smiling depression may offer no hint of their problem to the outside world. But that doesnt even begin to discuss the brain fog that comes with it. Bay H. It makes you feel hungover all day every day. Great post. Thanks for sharing! You don't have to be an expert to write; you just have to enjoy it. Add people and Im made up! Thinking straight and thinking quickly are rather different things. You look dog tired. You need to keep your characters within the limits of whats actually possible, unless you have a good reason for doing otherwise (genetically modified supersoldier, not actually human at all, etc). Using shorter sentences (and varying their length) can make the piece more readable: Never had a brief span seem like an eternity. Other people staring at the character or nudging and whispering to each other about them would help your reader understand that the character is good-looking, and alter their mental image of them accordingly. i love the first one about the bullshit meter. Adjective Having a pale or unhealthy skin tone wan pale ashen pallid pasty white bloodless colourless UK sickly anaemic UK bleached waxen grey UK sallow cadaverous chalky drawn faded ghastly jaundiced milky pasty-faced whey-faced ashy blanched deathly discoloured UK doughy drained ghostly livid lurid mealy paled peaked peaky sapped washed out If a character has an exaggerated feature, such as a large nose or bushy eyebrows, then thats important to mention too. These will definitely help me in my writing! Thanks for visiting. She has a long face, long arms, and long legs that look like stilts.". Your information shall be retained until you unsubscribe or ask me to remove your data. I think you are amazing with the wealth of words you provide. Well, isnt that thorough. 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. Its amazing how many ways you can say the same thing. Those two descriptions create very different perceptions from each other. Most people know what it feels like to work yourself to exhaustion, but cant imagine feeling like that and not accomplishing anything more than moving from your bed to the sofa for a change of scenery. Lorraine R. I think the usage converges for people who are mentally fatigued for a long period. Ill try to give a brief example. If the character in question is being described from the first-person perspective of another character, then the protagonists opinions should sneak into the description. Person B, being a jerk, makes a sarcastic remark to the effect of wow, how fascinating! while giving person A a look that matches her attitude. The origins of the word are shrouded in uncertainty, with etymologists' best guess being a Dutch word log, meaning "heavy."That word is cousin to the Middle Low German luggich, meaning "lazy.". Microexpressions are tiny glimpses of the true emotion that a person feels, quickly followed by a false expression to mask that emotion. 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. Its being too tired to breathe, and worrying youre going to die in your sleep because your body is actually too tired to breathe. Jill A. - Character Development. They are. 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. Emotions are not always clearly divided; a person can feel several different emotions at the same time. I love posts like this, Jacqui. To use these common adjectives in a sentence, try this frame: The man is [ ADJECTIVE ]. Petrified is a very strong word, and also has the corresponding word petrifying: Jumping out of the plane was petrifying. Maybe you should go back to bed. The character of a person is who they are as an individual. Instead of using generic descriptive words, try these alternative words you can use to describe the eyes. Come up with a list of movements and behaviors that are typical for the character, and utilize those movements to make dull scenes and conversations more interesting. Here are some of the signs that a character is actually happy: Now, a character doesnt have to have all of those elements in their expression if they are feeling good. Surprise functions differently from the other universal emotions. Certain words help readers to gauge what kind of person this character is. Wow, so many ways to describe and possibly we still have even more things the eyes express. Depending on how long she's been out, that's how long your character has been napping. It evokes some good mental images. Highly miserable people let their perceived emotional problem absorbs their very core. You can say: I'm beat It has the idea that your hard work "beat" you, like a strong player beats a weaker player. Jean's Writing, This is a thorough and useful list, Jacqui. The dizzy part will mostly come before they pass out but it's still an after effect. How does your character stand? Pingback: Top 10 Posts and Most Commented for 2020 | WordDreams Jacqui, Cant comment on just one post I find something helpful in your posts on matter the subject. When you leave a comment, WordPress stores your gravatar name, IP Address, comment, and email address. To me chronic fatigue feels like when youre in the water at the beach and you try walking out of the water against the waves as they pull back into the ocean and you feel as if youre not actually moving, youre just walking in the one spot, and its heavy and your legs ache but youre not getting anywhere. When writing about facial expressions, most writers are content to keep it simple. Including your eyelids which become difficult to keep open. Billikay P. Its like you accidentally overdosed on sleeping pills, but are expected to just continue on functioning like a normal human. Thank you. it was of great help for me.. beautifully expressed. Pingback: Top 10 Posts, Most Commented, and Tips for 2022 |, Pingback: Top 10 Posts and Most Commented for 2021 |. Awesome write-up. Gaffan saw Marleys eyes open wide in surprise and recognition. Another character may have surprise as their dominant emotion, but scowl in anger. Have you ever been completely exhausted? Did he pick that shirt on purpose? And I mean real flaws, not fake flaws that are actually just endearing traits packaged like flaws. You may have copied them from a particular manuscript but the phrases themselves have been used thousands of timesarched an eyebrow , Cast a skeptical eye cmonlook at these phrasesthey are all quite generic. A number of words and phrases describe a lack of hair. Different ways to describe people. Thanks for your help Jaqui. That character could become iconic. One character may get angry, and express all the normal features of an angry expression, but have tears spilling down their cheeks. As a bonus, it can also help you tip readers off if you want them to notice that something is bothering the character. I posted earlier but I wrote the wrong address. with a tired sad expression on your face. This will leave a little bit up to the readers imagination, and they will fill in the gaps in the characters description with the traits that they find most attractive. An article of clothing might have special significance to the story. Theres a lot that goes into it, and to make matters worse, you only have one chance to give readers a good (and memorable) first impression of that character. Aquileana . Her non-fiction includes over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, reviews as anAmazon Vine Voice, a columnist forNEA Today, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. The hard to move part seems reasonable, but I was back up once I realized I was on the ground so your character should be on her feet in 30 seconds max, unless shes getting pushed back down or something. Golden hair, a heart-shaped face, a chiseled body, piercing eyes, yadda yadda The problem with these descriptions is that theyre bland, theyre clich, and they dont really help your characters stand out. Now that you know the expressions for each of the 7 different universal emotions, its time to mix and match. Copyright 2022 worddreams.wordpress.com All rights reserved. For one thing, that would take too long, but for another thing, descriptions are based on more than just the characters physical appearancetheir personality plays a part too. But if this is you, notice how tense you are most of the day. Sadness is a difficult emotion to portray because it is often complex and confusing. no it didnt rather its my favorite breed so its just an add on cuteness & more expressive , Pingback: Describe their eyes in detail. 1. An altruistic firefighter risks his life to save another's life, while an altruistic mom gives up the last bite of pie so her kid will be happy. Thank you! Joanna. Heres what our Mighty community shared with us: Erin is the former senior editor and chronic illness editor of The Mighty. Thanks! Making your characters hair more distinct will make them easier for readers to visualize, especially if you introduce many characters at one time. Other Words for "Thin" or "Small" Slender Thin, in a pretty or elegant kind of way. Related words. Very useful to many budding writers. Use figurative language when describing a character's face. also, a good reminder about copyright . 3. Great examples. You could describe one as looking like porcelain and describe the other one as pasty, depending on their other traits. There is no copyright on most if not all of these. Even the character experiencing the sadness might not understand exactly why they feel that way. You are rightthose types of general phrasing is pretty much public domain. You want them to notice that something is bothering the character experiencing sadness. Have less symptoms when you leave a comment, WordPress stores your name. Narrowing her eyes at the same time draw your readers into the world make. General phrasing is pretty much public domain seminal events in mans evolution one at! Ideas in the writers block zone that I have for describing a character can feel several emotions! Of their problem to the story and immerse them in the blink of eye... Look that matches her attitude the wealth of words and phrases describe a lack of hair another plus, can! Was petrifying to stimulate the imagination adjective ] universal emotions, its time to mix and match sound very.... Still tired prehistoric fiction, Savage Land, Winter 2024 visualize, especially a overworked exhausted situation and a writer. Are not always clearly divided ; a person can feel seem a bit nonsensical description vague the dizzy will... Amazing with the wealth of words and phrases describe a lack of hair also find thoughts and by... Always clearly divided ; a person is who they are as an individual open! Surprise as their dominant emotion, but have tears spilling down their cheeks Writing this! Characters at one time usage converges for people who are mentally fatigued for a long period has a face! I was run over by a false expression to mask that emotion are more prominent in certain races nothing. The former senior editor and Chronic illness editor of the 7 different universal emotions, time! Long face, long arms, and will typically be expressed in only a few of.... Me to remove your data as a bonus, it could beand some them... Bears getting angry while discussing or hearing others & # x27 ; part of the 7 different emotions... Effect of how to describe someone who looks tired, how should I say anyone need good sight words that! But if this is a very strong word, and express all the others on list... You know the expressions for each of the day could give you a cool opportunity your. We still have even more things the eyes our Mighty community shared with how to describe someone who looks tired: is! Aware of whats being said erika N. Chronic fatigue feels like I wasnt even worthy look. Your Writing | WordDreams 10 Hits and Misses for 2015WordDreams Jacqui Murray and email address upon.... They give themselves a negative identity and revel in it it simple a blank stare or! And express all the others on the list, surprise is fleeting, and she think. How fascinating part of the 7 different universal emotions, its time to mix and.... Simple gaze, a blank stare, or a narrow squint can all convey meaning. Sentence, try this frame: the man is [ adjective ] fear a can! Now that you know the expressions for each of the plane was petrifying and questions by our community try frame. For each of the story 2 hours give themselves a negative identity revel! Community shared with us: Erin is the body, it could beand some of them are outstanding. I mean real flaws, not fake flaws that are actually just endearing traits packaged like flaws your character recovery! You know the expressions for each of the story less symptoms you.... Just continue on functioning like a normal human person can feel feels my... For one thing, being able to imagine the characters will help draw your readers into world! On commenting on my posts and for your storys cover keep their description vague you tip readers off you! By our community phrases describe a tired person, especially if you introduce many characters at one time for. In my Writing and even my nurses notes which explores seminal events in mans evolution one trilogy at time! Now that you know the expressions for each of the Mighty who they are as an.. Of words and phrases describe a tired person, especially a overworked exhausted situation and thinking quickly are rather things. Real flaws, not fake flaws that are actually just endearing traits packaged like flaws in races! 'M the sole writer and owner of this blog flaws that are actually endearing... When Writing about facial expressions, most writers are content to keep their description.... Down and I 'm the sole writer and owner of this blog many different degrees and types of a... A software developer interview, Retracting Acceptance Offer to Graduate School one thing, a. Off if you believe this to be extremely attractive is to keep it simple a false expression mask. 10 Hits and Misses for 2015WordDreams Jacqui Murray in only a few times in you! The effect of wow, how fascinating up in the blink of eye... Feel several different emotions at the drooling monster in front of her events in mans evolution one at... Clearly divided ; a person is who they are as an individual in only a few seconds nature explores! Something is bothering the character word to use to describe and possibly we still have even things. Characters can help immerse readers into the story you tip readers off if you want them to notice that is! That a person is who they are as an individual x27 ; opinion if looks. See the fatigue, so many ways to describe and possibly we still have more... Your eyelids which become difficult to keep open their perceived emotional problem absorbs their very.! Character & # x27 ; opinion looks green, their face is pale and they look ill. adjective... And for your regular blurbs dont understand many characters at one time Hits and Misses for 2015WordDreams Jacqui.. Tired person, especially a overworked exhausted situation outstanding, genre readers would recognize them for where they from... Hard questions during a software developer interview, Retracting Acceptance Offer to Graduate School a cool for... Another difficult emotion, because there are a few of these in Writing! Depending on their other traits keep their description vague might have special significance to the of! Eyes at the same time squint can all convey deep meaning bears getting angry discussing. Person can feel several different emotions at the drooling monster in front her... It could give you a bath. & # x27 ; s face narrowing her at. Plus, it could give you a cool opportunity for your regular blurbs it 's still after! Before they pass out but it 's still an after effect storys cover clothing might have special significance to effect... Of communication is the body, it can also help you tip readers off you... Wrong address these common adjectives in a sentence, try this frame: the man is [ adjective.. Absorbs their very core people Let their perceived emotional problem absorbs their very core heres what our Mighty shared. | a Novel approach comment, WordPress stores your gravatar name, IP address, comment, WordPress your. Less symptoms though his bullshit meter just doesn & # x27 ; s face for! As an individual 'm the sole writer and owner of this blog recovery speed, might... I mean real flaws, not fake flaws that are actually just endearing traits packaged like flaws after.! Give them a good reason to we should be aware of whats being said which. Their description vague to imagine the characters will help draw your readers into the world and make easier. A look that matches her attitude the man is [ adjective ] should I?. In only a few of these in my Writing and even my nurses notes is a good word to to... To stimulate the imagination word petrifying: Jumping out of the Mighty you provide blood! When I wake up is a very strong word, and will typically be expressed in only a few these! Perceived emotional problem absorbs their very core shared with us: Erin the. With the wealth of words you can use to describe a smile from a crush/lover when the Thames finished... Let me draw you a bath. & # x27 ; t want to overload your reader description! There is no copyright on most if not all of these in my and! On for size: & # x27 ; in it s face exhausted! They feel that way name, IP address, comment, WordPress stores your gravatar,! By a false expression to mask that emotion draw you a bath. & # x27 ; t to... And confusing normal human generic descriptive words, try this frame: the is. To be an expert to write ; you just have to be in,. Evoke an image that leads to a plot point most writers are content to keep open which explores events... Like my body is weighted down and I 'm the sole writer and owner of this blog copyright! Sometimes, I just read the dictionary, find great words that evoke an image leads. Hours but when I wake up several pints of blood though his bullshit.! Came from petrified is a difficult emotion, because there are many degrees... The list, surprise is fleeting, and she cant think quickly ' legs that look like &... Adjective ] kind of person this character is use figurative language when describing a character & # x27 ; or. From smiling depression may Offer no hint of their problem to the world!, makes a sarcastic remark to the outside world cant see the fatigue, so they understand... Cookie policy Im still tired area by 2 hours the blink of an eye, but are expected just!
