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“They felt sick.” — Vague. “They threw up.” — Sometimes, but not always.

Illness isn’t a switch you flip. Fever and nausea creep, spike, ebb, lie to you, then come back worse. They live in the body first, and that’s where your writing should live too.

Below, I've written a lil' cheat sheet for you. Reblog so you can come back later.

Ways That Fear Can Show Up (Without Saying “Fear”)

When it creeps: • Foreboding — the air feels wrong before anything actually happens. • Ominousness — silence that feels almost... purposeful. • Misgiving — your instincts tugging at your sleeve, whispering, "Don't."

When it hits fast: • Shock — your brain blanks • Startled— your heart slams, you inhale • Panic — thoughts fracture; your instincts beg for escape

When it lingers: • Tension — jaw locked, shoulders up near your ears. • Anxiety — background noise that lingers in every thought • Dread — knowing something bad is coming and having to wait for it.

When it turns physical: • Shivers — cold crawling up the spine. • Sweat, dilated pupils, skin gone pale — your own body betrays you. • Weakness — knees like jelly, grip unreliable.

When it overwhelms: • Terror — too big to think around. • Horror — something has gone wrong. • Paralysis — body refusing orders.

When it distorts reality: • Paranoia — patterns where there are none. • Suspicion — every sound feels intentional. • Unease — the sense of being watched without proof.

I'm hoping to do as many of these as I can, but if anybody wants to see a specific prompt, maybe with a specific character then feel free to send an ask! Also anyone's free to reblog this to do themselves, of course.

I was looking at writing prompts and noticing that a lot of them are just lines of dialogue, which I personally don't find helpful, but I like flowers and I think something thematic might be a bit more open ended and easier to work with. sooooo. yeah. Some flowers have pretty disparate meanings, so I'm thinking of this as a Pick, Choose and Combine The Themes In Whatever Way Fits Your Characters thing.

Primrose: Young love, firsts, unfaithfulness, sorrow & optimism

Bleeding Heart: Unconditional love, heartbreak & unrequited love

Moonflower: Hidden love, ephemerality, secrets & phantasmagoria

Dahlia: Inner strength, creativity, dignity & steadfastness

Mock Orange: Deceit, innocence, nostalgia & sibling bonds

Hyacinth: Sorrow, constancy, regret, renewal & pride

Honeysuckle: Devotion, suggestive dreams & a sweet disposition

Alyssum: Worth beyond beauty, calming force, & patience

Snowdrop: Consolation, new beginnings, hope & mourning

Foxglove: Pharmakon, delirium, protection & insincerity

Bougainvillea: Persistence, passion, hospitality & resiliance

Hydrangea: Vanity, longing to be understood, regret & frigidity

Anemone: Loss, fragility, anticipation & estrangement

Tuberose: Insatiability, obsession, awakenings & the forbidden

Tenna art by @9Aaaalt29 on twt

Only to get told that 'oh, it's a tragic little story that's supposed to remind you to be grateful for what you have and also to show you the horrors of poverty. At least she's in a happier place now.'

And none of that ever sat quite right with me.

But Pratchett calls this out. He has Death ask the question of why no one came to help, about the reasoning behind letting this little girl die just for a sad story. It's poverty porn and also complacency in a systemic issue.

He doesn't leave you there though. Something is done to save her. Something is done to help. She is given a future. And no one knows who did it except for Death. She is given hope.

And this is something that I've found to be a through line on many of Pratchett's works, hope.

Yes things are fucked up. Yes things are awful. But there is always hope. There is always something that can be done.

And in just turning up your nose at an issue and saying, oh dear, that's very sad, you fail to take action and continue on with the problem year after year after year.