Las palabras de Nim

How to create an atmosphere: Coffee Shop

How to create an atmosphere: Library

How to create an atmosphere: Supermarket

How to create an atmosphere: Train Station

How to create an atmosphere: Club

How to create an atmosphere: Forest

How to create an atmosphere: Beach

How to create an atmosphere: Haunted House

How to create an atmosphere: Christmas Market

How to create an atmosphere: Airport

Part X

How to show pleasure

dilated pupils

mouth half opened

increased heart rate

increased breath rate

increased blood flow

heightened sensitivity

body parts turning warm and flushed

body parts becoming engorged or wet

tension in the entire body

trembling

involuntary contractions

hard to speak, but incapable to be quiet

How to show tenderness

sincere, warm, and open smile

slow and soft movements

leaning in towards what they feel tender about

listening carefully, head held towards them

gentle tone of voice

softening of facial expressions

relaxed eyebrows

soft and relaxed eyes

a hint of a tear appearing

relaxed mouth with a little smile

gently touching or stroking who or what they feel tender about

calm breathing, not too shallow, not too deep

How to show guilt

avoiding eye contact or looking down

tightness in the shoulders, neck, and jaw

being hunched over, slumped shoulders, making themself small

turning their body away from who they feel guilty towards

sweaty palms

trembling hands

heart racing

fidgeting with their entire body

crossing and uncrossing one’s legs

shifting from one foot to the other

pacing around

knot in the stomache, not being able to eat or eating too much to compensate

a feeling of heaviness in their body

How to show curiosity

open, dilated eyes

holding eye contact

raised eyebrows

tilting of the head

leaning towards what they find curious

mouth slightly open

uncrossed arms

actively listening

holding still, so they don't miss anything

More: How to write emotions Masterpost

List of various terms of endearment that can be used in different languages. A lot of them are gender neutral.

English

Dear

Pet

Baby

Babe

Honey

Darling

My love

Sunshine

Sweetheart

Sweet cheeks

Prince/Princess

Arabic

Habibi حبيبي (m) (my lover)

Ya hayati يا حياتي (my life)

Ya qalbi يا قلبي (my heart)

Ya ruhi يا روحي (my soul)

Hubbi/hobbi حبي (my love)

German

Liebling (beloved/favourite)

Schatz (treasure)

Hase / Hasi (bunny)

Maus (mouse)

Spatz (sparrow)

Bär / Bärchen (bear)

Engel / Engelchen (angel)

French

Mon amour (my love)

Mon cœur (my heart)

Chéri (m) / Chérie (f) (darling)

Italian

Tesoro (treasure)

Amore mio (my love)

Cuore (heart)

Vita mia (my life)

Cucciola (puppy/cub) (mostly used for women, but you could say "cucciolo" for men)

Piccola (little one) (mostly for women, "piccolo" would be the male version)

Cara/caro (dear) (now mostly used by grandmas for grandkids but perfect for couples in the past or old couples nowadays

Bimba (f) (child)

Patata/patatina (potato/little potato) (again mostly women when used romantically, "patato/patatino" for men, but they can also be used for pets, babies, your kids or anyone that you find cute)

Tata/tato (short version of papata/patato)

Polpetta/polpettina (meatball/little meatball) (very uncommon, but I've heard it used for girls)

Topolina (little mouse) (very uncommon, but could be used for girls)

Spanish

Cariño (m/n) (darling)

Cariña (f) (darling)

Bebé (baby)

Corazón (heart)

Mi amor (my love)

Mi vida (my life)

Cielo (sky)

Amor (love)

Romanian

Iubi (Sweet heart/darling)

Iubirea mea (my love)

Draga mea (f) / Dragul meu (m) (my dear)

Dulceața mea (jam/honey)

Hungarian

Kedvesem (my dear)

Szerelmem (my love)

Drága (precious)

Édesem (my sweetie)

Kicsim (my little one)

Babám (my baby)

Kincsem (my treasure)

Turkish

Aşkım (my loved one)

Canım (my love/soul)

Hayatım (my life)

Dutch

Schatje (treasure)

Liefje (loved one)

Lieverd (loved one)

Hebrew

Chaim sheli חיים שלי (my life)

Neshama sheli נשמה שלי (my soul)

Lev sheli לב שלי (my heart)

Welsh

Cariad (love)

Hindi

Meri jaan मेरी जान (my life)

Malay

Sayang (dear/darling)

Afrikaans

Lief (love)

Liefie (lovey)

Farsi

Joon/Jaan جان (life)

Azizam عزیزم (my dear)

Asalam عسلم (my honey)

Golam گلم (flower)

Urdu

Meri jaan میری جان (my life)

Pyaari پیاری (sweetheart)

Shahzadi شہزادی (f) (princess)

Polish

Kochanie (my beloved)

Korean

Jagiya 자기야 (honey/baby)

Aegiya 애기야 (baby/little one)

Gongjunim 공주님 (f) (princess)

Wangjanim 왕자님 (m) (prince)

Nae Sarang 내 사랑 (my love)

Gwiyomi 귀요미 (cutie)

Czech

Zlato (gold, my precious)

Lásko (love)

Miláčku (dearest, little dear)

Russian

lyubov' moya / любовь моя (my love)

radost' moya / радость моя (joy of mine)

dusha moya / душа моя (my soul)

schast'e moyo / счастье моё (my happiness)

sokrovishche moyo / сокровище моё (my treasure)

solnyshko / солнышко (sunny)

zolotce / золотце (golden)

lyubimyj (m) + lyubimaya (f) / любимый + любимая (beloved)

dorogoj (m) + dorogaya (f) / дорогой + дорогая (darling, dear)

milyj (m) + milaya (f) / милый + милая (dear but in more informal way)

kotik / котик (kitty) malysh / малыш (baby)

zajchik (m) + zajka (f) / зайчик + зайка (bunny)

ptenchik / птенчик (little bird, hatchling)

rybka moya (f) / рыбка моя (my fish)

Portuguese

Meu querido (m)/ minha querida (f) (my darling)

Meu amor (my love)

Princesa (f) (princess)

Meu docinho (my sweetheart)

Coração (heart)

Amado (m)/Amada (f) (my love)

Meu (m)/ minha (f) mais que tudo (my above overall) Meu tesouro (my treasure)

Paixão (passion)

Meu bem/ meu benzinho (my goodness)

Meu doce/meu docinho (my sweet/ my little sweet)

Meu xodó (my crush)

Brazilian Portuguese

Amor (love)

Querido (m) / Querida (f) (darling)

Bebê (baby)

Meu bem (untraslatable; something between "my dear" and "my treasure")

Meu docinho de coco (my coconut candy - really old slang, nowadays used only for fun)

Patroa (f) (it means a female boss; not ironic not aggressive, but used by men to describe their wives affectionately, eg. "I can't go today, my patroa is waiting for me at home")

Gato/gatinho (m) / gata/gatinha (f) (cat/little cat; if a person is pretty, they are called a "cat")

Minha vida (my life)

Filipino (from various local languages, all gender neutral)

Mahal, sinta (tagalog) (love)

alternatively add "ko" or "aking" to turn it into "my love" (e.g. mahal ko, sinta ko; aking mahal, aking sinta) with "aking" being used more often when talking about the one you love to a 3rd party;

or turn it into a verb (e.g. aking minamahal, kasintahan) to make it "lover"

Paraluman, irog, liyag, giliw (tagalog) (darling) these are older terms though, you won't hear or see them being used unless you're lovers with someone 🌟Extra🌟

Tangi (tagalog) (only one)

Tinatangi (tagalog) (the one i hold dear/the only one for me)

Tinadhana - fated (from the root word "tadhana" meaning fate, which in and of itself should also be a term of endearment and I stand by that)

Hinigugma (bisaya) (beloved) (very old)

Palangga/pangga/langga or "ga" for short and sometimes pagingging (ilonggo) (love) (can also be used platonically or between family members)

Kalasahan (tausug) (beloved) (this is pronounced with an emphasis in the SA syllable (as in kalaSAhan) instead of the LA like in the tagalog word LAsa (which means taste)

Jowa (filipino slang) (significant other/boyfriend/girlfriend)

Bebe, bebe ko, beh, bhe, bhie, bih (filipino slang) (babe)

Lablabs (filipino slang) (literally "love-love" in a heavy filipino accent)

Slovak

Zlato / zlatko (gold)

Láska (love)

Miláčik (bit cheesy, but means my lovely)

Greek

Αγάπη /Αγάπη μου (love /my love) (the first can also be used among friends, usually between women, but both are very often used in romantic relationships)

Ψυχή μου (my soul) (mostly romantic but can be used by a parent to their kid)

Swedish

Sötnos (cute nose)

Älskling (darling)

Let me know more terms of endearment in your languages! And please correct me if I'm wrong somewhere.

I made these as a way to compile all the geographical vocabulary that I thought was useful and interesting for writers. Some descriptors share categories, and some are simplified, but for the most part everything is in its proper place. Not all the words are as useable as others, and some might take tricky wording to pull off, but I hope these prove useful to all you writers out there!

So, let me guess– you just started a new book, right? And you’re stumped. You have no idea how much an AK47 goes for nowadays. I get ya, cousin. Tough world we live in. A writer’s gotta know, but them NSA hounds are after ya 24/7. I know, cousin, I know. If there was only a way to find out all of this rather edgy information without getting yourself in trouble…

You’re in luck, cousin. I have just the thing for ya.

It’s called Havocscope. It’s got information and prices for all sorts of edgy information. Ever wondered how much cocaine costs by the gram, or how much a kidney sells for, or (worst of all) how much it costs to hire an assassin?

I got your back, cousin. Just head over to Havocscope.

((PS: In case you’re wondering, Havocscope is a database full of information regarding the criminal underworld. The information you will find there has been taken from newspapers and police reports. It’s perfectly legal, no need to worry about the NSA hounds, cousin ;p))

“Below are selected prices that are paid to professional assassins by criminal organizations and drug cartels for a contract hit.

In Australia, the median price to hire a hit man is $13,610 (9,800 Euros), with the price going up to $83,000 (60,000 Euros) based on the task.

In Mexico, the cost for a low level assassin is $208 (150 Euros), and up to $20,832 (15,000 Euros) for a higher profile target like a police chief.

The prices paid in Argentina are between $3,749 (2,700 Euros) to $5,555 (4,000 Euros) per hit.

Government statistics in Spain state that 40 assassinations take place each year, with prices for the hit ranging between $27 (20 Euros) to $69,000 (50,000 Euros).”

Reflecting on what motivates great writers to write — an enduring question also addressed beautifully by George Orwell, David Foster Wallace, Italo Calvino, and William Faulkner — Baldwin sides with Bukowski and argues that the supreme animating force of the writer is the irrepressible impossibility of not-writing:

Something that irritates you and won’t let you go. That’s the anguish of it. Do this book, or die. You have to go through that. Talent is insignificant. I know a lot of talented ruins. Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck, but most of all, endurance.

Endurance, indeed, is perhaps the sole common denominator among successful authors. Any aspiring writer, he admonishes, should have no illusion about the endurance required but should want to write anyway. A generation after Jack Kerouac considered the vital difference between talent and genius, Baldwin notes:

If you are going to be a writer there is nothing I can say to stop you; if you’re not going to be a writer nothing I can say will help you. What you really need at the beginning is somebody to let you know that the effort is real.

In a sentiment reminiscent of Joan Didion’s observation that she writes in order to gain better access to her own mind, Baldwin speaks to the consciousness-clarifying function of the creative impulse:

When you’re writing, you’re trying to find out something which you don’t know. The whole language of writing for me is finding out what you don’t want to know, what you don’t want to find out. But something forces you to anyway.

Echoing Hemingway’s abiding wisdom on the crucial art of revision, he adds:

Rewriting [is] very painful. You know it’s finished when you can’t do anything more to it, though it’s never exactly the way you want it… The hardest thing in the world is simplicity. And the most fearful thing, too. You have to strip yourself of all your disguises, some of which you didn’t know you had. You want to write a sentence as clean as a bone. That is the goal.

(Decades later, Zadie Smith would observe in her ten rules of writing: “Resign yourself to the lifelong sadness that comes from never ­being satisfied.”) Baldwin offers:

When you’ve finished a novel, it means, “The train stops here, you have to get off here.” You never get the book you wanted, you settle for the book you get. I’ve always felt that when a book ended there was something I didn’t see, and usually when I remark the discovery it’s too late to do anything about it.

Baldwin shares his work habits:

I start working when everyone has gone to bed. I’ve had to do that ever since I was young — I had to wait until the kids were asleep. And then I was working at various jobs during the day. I’ve always had to write at night. But now that I’m established I do it because I’m alone at night.

"I thought you were dead!"

"Didn't stick."

"I kind of was..."

"Just wishful thinking."

"That was just a phase."

"Didn't work out for me."

"Wow, the miracle of life!"

"I thought the same thing."

"I did, but now I'm here again."

"You were supposed to think that."

"I'm so sorry! I'll explain everything to you."

All the Dialogue Responses can be found here.

- He traced the rim of his coffee cup with his finger, lost in thought.

- She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes avoiding direct contact.

- He absentmindedly twisted the ring on his finger, a silent habit he'd had for years.

- She sighed almost imperceptibly, a sign of her hidden frustration.

- He raised an eyebrow, a subtle signal of skepticism.

- She adjusted her glasses, a small gesture that indicated her nervousness.

- He tapped his fingers on the table, creating a quiet rhythm only he understood.

- She let out a soft, barely audible chuckle, a sign of her amusement.

- He folded the corner of a page in the book he was reading, a secret way of marking his favorite passages.

Buying/renting out their first house together.

Having their first serious argument/fight.

Having sex for the first time.

Rescuing/adopting their first pet.

Introducing each other to their parents.

Drinking from the same bottle/cup/etc.

Using pet names.

Getting undressed in front of each other.

Updating their social media relationship status'.

Changing to a joint bank account.

Discussing things that set themselves up to be hurt and trusting that the other won't take advantage of it.

Getting engaged/married.

Using each others' phones without supervision.

Making a joint purchase together.

Caring for the others' nieces/nephews/grandchildren/children, with or without them.

Laughing at something embarrassing to the other person and knowing it's not going to offend/upset them.

Having their first sleepover.

Going on their first roadtrip/vacation.

Opening up about something personal.

Saying "I love you" for the first time.

Discussions of kinks that they're embarrassed/self-conscious of.

"Stay."

"Just go."

"I hate you."

"Because I love you."

"Don't leave me."

"Leave me alone."

"I need space."

"Don't go."

"Talk to me."

"I want only you."

"You need to move on."

"Please, speak to me."

"This will end now."

"I want to forget you."

"Hate me."

"Why?"

"Lie to me."

"I can't do this."

"Tell me."

"I'm just afraid."

"Please, leave."

"You can't leave me."

"I need you."

"Don't do this."

"Just stop."

"It's over."

"Tell me the truth."

"I can't lose you."

"We're done."

comparing hand-sizes to hold their hand against the other's and then just holding hands

leaning against the other one in close spaces

acting like they're cold to have an excuse to cuddle or share clothes or blankets

brushing a strand of hair away

grabbing each other's hands in crowds or when crossing the street to "be safe"

turning their cheek to get the other one to give them a peck

brushing their arm against the other's, hoping the other would finally catch their arm and hold it close

fixing the other's hairstyle to let their hands run through their partner's hair

draping the arm around their shoulder while sitting next to each other

lightly tickling the other one, almost hoping it gets retaliated

reaching out with their hand without saying anything, wanting the other one to grab it

linking arms when walking around together

trying to get the other to dance with them

bumping shoulders into each other

Telling: Sarah was very angry.

Showing: Sarah's face turned red, her fists clenched, and she slammed the door shut.

//////

Telling: The room was messy.

Showing: Clothes were strewn across the floor, books were piled haphazardly on the desk, and dirty dishes filled the sink.

//////

Telling: John was scared of heights.

Showing: John's palms grew sweaty, his heart raced, and he clung tightly to the railing as he looked down from the rooftop.

//////

Telling: The food tasted delicious.

Showing: The flavors exploded on her tongue, a medley of sweet, tangy, and savory notes danced in her mouth, leaving her craving more.

//////

Telling: Emma was sad about the breakup.

Showing: Emma's eyes welled up with tears, her shoulders slumped, and she spent hours curled up in bed, replaying their last conversation in her mind.

//////

Telling: It was a beautiful sunset.

Showing: The sky transformed into a canvas of vibrant hues—pinks, oranges, and purples blending together in a breathtaking display, casting a warm glow across the horizon.

//////

Telling: The car was old and unreliable.

Showing: The engine coughed and sputtered, emitting puffs of smoke. Rust covered the body, and the faded paint revealed years of wear and tear.

//////

Telling: The meeting was tense.

Showing: The participants leaned forward in their seats, their brows furrowed, and their voices became sharp and clipped as they argued back and forth.

//////

Telling: He was a kind person.

Showing: He often went out of his way to help others, offering a comforting smile and lending a listening ear whenever someone needed support.

//////

Telling: The forest was eerie at night.

If someone has something, either an object or an attribute, that your character covets, they may show signs of envy. You can show envy through associated emotions and your characters' behaviours and expressions.

How do they behave?

Compare themselves to others

A dismissive attitude

Downplay the achievements of others

Frustration or disbelief at others’ success

Show signs of longing or desire

Show grudging admiration

Exhibit copycat behaviour

Show signs of low self-esteem

Be excessively competitive

How do they interact?

Mock and belittle the person they envy

Be overly critical

Be passive aggressive

Be insincerely complimentary

Use sarcasm when talking about the achievements of others

Be obsessive or hyperfocused

Use manipulation to get what they want

Forget about personal boundaries

Rude or short in conversation

Describe their body language

Closed off and arms crossed

Frequently roll their eyes

Avoid direct eye contact

Tensed muscles

Biting lips or pouting

Disapproving facial expression

Red cheeks through anger or embarrassment

Leaning closer to the object of their desire

False smiles

Genuine joy when they’re in the presence of what they desire

Positive outcomes

Envious characters can become motivated to improve themselves to make them worthy of what they desire. If their envy becomes uncontrollable, they may also find personal growth in removing themselves from the situation and finding a new direction in life. It also allows characters the chance to develop empathy toward the person whom they envy or who possesses something that they covet, letting them finally appreciate what they already have.

Negative Outcomes

Long-term envy can lead to lots of negative emotions like resentment, anger, and low self-esteem. This will affect relationships with those around them, leading them to break down or require conflict resolution in order to overcome.

Useful Synonyms

Jealous

Covetous

Resentful

Grudging

Begrudging

Green-eyed

Yearning

Desirous

Longing

Grasping

Greedy

Hungering

Thirsting

Avaricious

Craving

Malcontent

Dissatisfied

Lustful

Wistful