frannie

“10 dollars and you never tell mom and dad about this.” “Make it 20, you cheap bastard.” “You disgust me. Here, have 25. Broke bitch.” “Oi!”

“Is that my shirt?” “Oh, we both knew I was gonna steal that. Don’t even pretend.”

“What are you doing here? Get out.” “Mmmmh…. No.” “I’m going to murder you slowly.”

“Hey, isn’t that your lame sibling? Such a geek— Ow!” “Only I get to call out how lame that nerd is.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” “I didn’t want you to yell at me!” “I wasn’t going to yell!” “You’re yelling now!” “Because you didn’t tell me!!”

“Can you hand me that?” “No,” while handing it.

Neutral:

Strolled- Walked at a steady, leisurely pace. Moved - Simply walked from one place to another. Went - A basic term to say walked. Wandered - Walked without a specific destination. Saunter- walked in a slow, relaxed, and leisurely manner. Bimble - (British) a slow, relaxed, and aimless walk, stroll (curtesy of @lilithfatale) Potter - move or act aimlessly. Amble - walking at a slow relaxed pace, good for describing walking for pleasure (Curtesy of @scribbl3dog )

Happy:

Skipped - Walked with a light, bouncing step, often out of joy. Bounced - Walked with energetic, lively steps. Sashayed - Walked with a confident, cheerful flair. Pranced - Walked in an exaggeratedly happy or playful manner. Danced - Walked with movements full of joy or rhythm.

Angry:

Stomped - Walked with heavy, forceful steps, showing frustration or anger. Marched - Walked with purpose and determination, often angrily. Stormed - Walked quickly and angrily, often leaving a situation (stormed out). Trudged - Walked heavily, with anger or frustration weighing down the steps. Charged - Walked aggressively, moving quickly and with force.

Sad:

Shuffled - Walked slowly, dragging the feet, often indicating sadness or exhaustion. Plodded - Walked with heavy, slow steps, as if burdened by sorrow. Trudged - Walked slowly and with effort, weighed down Slumped - Walked with a hunched posture, showing sadness or defeat. Dragged - Walked with effort, as if every step was a struggle.

Surprised:

Froze - Stopped mid-step in reaction to shock or surprise. Stumbled - Walked clumsily due to being caught off guard. Jumped - Took a quick, startled step. Skipped a step - Momentarily hesitated in walking due to surprise. Backpedaled - Walked backward quickly, often in shock or surprise.

Fearful/anxious:

Crept - Walked slowly and carefully, trying to avoid being noticed. Tiptoed - Walked quietly on the balls of the feet, trying not to make noise. Slunk - Walked with a low, cautious posture, trying to remain hidden. Hesitated - Took a few tentative steps, unsure or fearful. Paced - Walked back and forth, often in thought or anxiety.

Shy:

Shuffled - Walked slowly, with small, unsure steps. Hesitated - Paused slightly before walking, unsure or nervous. Slipped - Moved quietly and quickly to avoid attention. Hovered - Stayed near a spot, hesitant to walk forward. Inched - Walked very slowly, as if unsure or reluctant.

Thoughtful:

Wandered - Walked without a specific destination, lost in thought. Paced - Walked back and forth while thinking deeply. Strolled - Walked slowly, enjoying the time to reflect. Meandered - Walked aimlessly, with no rush, often in contemplation. Paused - Stopped briefly during a walk, considering something.

Commanding:

Pome Worm Press is an independent, non-profit, online literary journal. It was born of a small author's desire to give a voice to other small, unknown, and unpublished writers and poets for free.

The aim is to build an accessible archive where small authors have the space to express themselves and share their works with the world. Thus, receiving visibility and supporting each other.

The journal accepts poetry and flash fiction. Submitting is extremely easy. Check the guidelines here:

my dear fellow writers and poets of tumblr,

i'm setting up an online literary journal where i will be personally collecting, editing, and publishing your works for free.

this means that every submission will be taken into consideration, as mine is a desperate attempt to give a voice to the voiceless (us, the small, unknown authors of the world).

you can submit in every genre and theme, nothing is boring or too dark for me. i write horror and gothic fiction and i won't be shocked by your poem on the eroticism of cannibalism. but keep in mind that the journal will accept only:

poetry

flash fiction

but i already have a blog where i can post, why should i submit my stuff to a random online journal?

what's in it for you?

you will always retain the full copyright of the works.

you will experience the joy of seeing your works published next to those of other small authors.

blogs are messy; my journal will function as a tidy archive where everything remains easily searchable.

if you're on board, could you be so kind as to reblog this post? your interactions will help me approach my project by looking at realistic statistics.

Submit your works here:

Read the full piece here:

open your draft

stare at the screen

When character is angry:

Snapped

Spat

Snarled

Hissed

Barked

...or sad:

Choked

Mumbled

Managed

Croaked

Murmured

...or if they're feeling nervous:

Stammered

Babbled

Rambled

Muttered

Squeaked

...and even when flirting:

Coaxed

Purred

Teased

Hummed

my dear fellow writers and poets of tumblr,

i'm setting up an online literary journal where i will be personally collecting, editing, and publishing your works for free.

this means that every submission will be taken into consideration, as mine is a desperate attempt to give a voice to the voiceless (us, the small, unknown authors of the world).

you can submit in every genre and theme, nothing is boring or too dark for me. i write horror and gothic fiction and i won't be shocked by your poem on the eroticism of cannibalism. but keep in mind that the journal will accept only:

poetry

flash fiction

but i already have a blog where i can post, why should i submit my stuff to a random online journal?

what's in it for you?

you will always retain the full copyright of the works.

you will experience the joy of seeing your works published next to those of other small authors.

blogs are messy; my journal will function as a tidy archive where everything remains easily searchable.

if you're on board, could you be so kind as to reblog this post? your interactions will help me approach my project by looking at realistic statistics.

Submit your works here:

my dear fellow writers and poets of tumblr,

i'm setting up an online literary journal where i will be personally collecting, editing, and publishing your works for free.

this means that every submission will be taken into consideration, as mine is a desperate attempt to give a voice to the voiceless (us, the small, unknown authors of the world).

you can submit in every genre and theme, nothing is boring or too dark for me. i write horror and gothic fiction and i won't be shocked by your poem on the eroticism of cannibalism. but keep in mind that the journal will accept only:

poetry

flash fiction

but i already have a blog where i can post, why should i submit my stuff to a random online journal?

what's in it for you?

you will always retain the full copyright of the works.

you will experience the joy of seeing your works published next to those of other small authors.

blogs are messy; my journal will function as a tidy archive where everything remains easily searchable.

if you're on board, could you be so kind as to reblog this post? your interactions will help me approach my project by looking at realistic statistics.

instead ask:

is it SINCERE

was it CATHARTIC

was it FUN TO MAKE

is it MADE BY ME

1. Slow down at emotionally important moments.

Big emotions need space to land. If a scene feels rushed, pause the plot briefly to show how the moment affects the character.

2. Add reactions, not explanations.

Instead of explaining what a character feels, show it through physical responses, hesitation, or small actions that reveal emotion naturally.

3. Ground every scene in the senses.

If a scene feels thin, add one or two sensory details—sound, texture, smell, or temperature—to make the moment feel lived-in.

4. Let thoughts interrupt action.

A line of internal thought can deepen a scene without slowing it too much. Thoughts show stakes, fear, longing, or conflict beneath the action.

5. Expand consequences, not events.

You don’t need more things to happen—you need to show what matters. Focus on how events change relationships, decisions, or self-perception.

6. Strengthen setting where emotion peaks.

The environment should echo or contrast the emotion of the scene. Setting is not decoration—it’s emotional reinforcement.

7. Add specific details instead of general ones.

Underwriting often relies on vague language. Swap “they argued” for one sharp line of dialogue or a specific breaking point.

8. Let dialogue breathe.

Short dialogue exchanges without pauses can feel flat. Add beats—silence, gestures, interruptions—to give the conversation weight.

9. Show transitions between scenes.

If scenes jump too quickly, readers feel disoriented. A brief transition helps establish time, mood, and emotional continuity.

10. Clarify stakes early in the scene.

If readers don’t know what can be lost, scenes feel empty. Make sure the character wants something specific and fears losing it.

11. Use the “what are they feeling right now?” check.

After each major beat, ask what emotion is dominant in that moment. If it’s missing on the page, the scene is likely underwritten.

12. Expand scenes that feel “too clean.”