· Squeezing a shoulder or hand
· Crying with the person
· Using clichés (this too will pass, keep your chin up)
· Giving comfort through gifts
· Clumsy attempts to comfort (a weak smile, an awkward hug)
· Fumbling for words, not sure what to say
· Overt patience—sitting and listening intently, ignoring discomforts (cold, rain, heat) just to be there for someone
Commiseration between guys:
· Saying, Yeah, I hear you, or I feel you man
· A one-shoulder shrug
· Bending closer or leaning in with hands in pockets, asking if he’s all right, if he needs to talk
· A heavy nod
· Listening while participating in another activity
· Offering to take him somewhere—a walk, a car ride, a party
· Offering to avenge the offended party
Good news! This sample has been expanded and streamlined into book form! The full list of physical, internal, and mental cues for this and 74 other emotions can be found in The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Smashwords. The PDF is also downloadable via the Paypal button in the sidebar.
7 comments:
Nicely done! I love reading these.
Thanks, Susan!
I soooo enjoy these posts! I know EXACTLY where to come if I'm having a brain freeze! Thank you, thank you! :)
Hugs,
Donna
I agree, I enjoy reading these. The critique posts are great too. If you don't mind, I would like to add a link to your blog from mine.
Glad it's helping. Both Becca and I were so frustrated that there was nothing like this on the net that we finally decided to start one.
Please by all means, link! We love links. The more writers we reach, the better.
Thank you for these wonderful lists. :)
Your emotional thesaurus is a winner. What a wonderful way to help us all to *show* not tell.
Thank you.
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