Nothing can stop you except maybe the police

Body Language

When someone is...

Disgusted/Sick

Disgust:

Face/Body:

If a character's disgust is visible, the face will be more wrinkly/scrunched up.

Furrowed or lowered brow, wrinkled nose, raised upper lip, grimacing

Hunched over, turning away, and/or covering sensory areas like nose, eyes, mouth. Just trying to block out whatever is triggering their disgust

Voice:

Inflections that give away disapproval/revulsion. Maybe short or clipped speech patterns

Sharp tone/raised pitch. Maybe gagging or choking sounds

Sickness:

This will depend on what illness your character has. Research symptoms/side effects and build off of those.

For example, if the character is experiencing congestion, their voice will be nasally/heavy. If they're coughing or have a sore throat, their voice will be hoarse, or they'll speak quieter to keep from straining.

Look at how their mood/behavior changes if they are feverish, delirious, etc. Some people can go about their everyday lives with a common cold, but many people aren't themselves when bedridden or in pain.

If you are writing a character with a chronic illness, put a lot of research into the symptoms, any medicines and their side effects, how a person's mind is affected, and even look at how it can affect your character's relationship with others.

Hi @ilikeskyyyy!

When building a plot it's important to have a strong idea of your core premise. Some standard ways of forming a clear idea are the three-act-structure or the five stages of plot.

Three-Act Structure:

Act 1 (set up) ~ introduces main characters, goals, and initial problem/conflict

Act 2 (confrontation) ~ conflict escalates, characters encounter obstacles, stakes are raised

Act 3 (Resolution) ~ MC faces the climax, obstacles are overcome, initial conflict is resolved

Five Stages of Plot:

pretty similar to the 3-act-structure in terms of content but more broken up.

1- Exposition: starting up your beginning with setting, characters and the situation

2- Rising Action: narrative builds tension and central conflict is introduced

3- Climax: turning point and highest point of the story, conflict reaches its peak

4- Falling Action: where things start to be resolved and the story moves to its conclusion

5- Resolution: final outcome where loose ends are tied up

So I feel that these structures are helpful in mapping out major plot lines or where you want the story to go, but this isn't the be-all and end-all of plot structure. Sometimes a conflict isn't fully resolved. It can be intriguing to leave some questions unanswered. Maybe you want to introduce certain characters differently. Maybe you want to present certain issues/elements in different places. Either way, this structure is a good way to check off the basics and map out what you want to happen with your story.

In my master list, I have some posts about building characters, writing a character backstory, and more that can add to this.

Continuation of my Character Building post in a brief overview of describing physical traits.

When portraying a character through physical description, it's important to focus on key details. This can include:

Height, hair color or length, build, facial features/eye color, distinctive markings like scars or tattoos, how they dress, and many more.

Ex:

Note: Not everything has to be written at face value. When necessary, physical description can be made interesting with figurative language or when interacting with other elements like setting. If a character’s hair is black, you don't always have to leave it at “their hair is black.”

Ex:

Food for thought: Describing someone through the perspective of another character doesn't have to remain objective. Playing around with perspective/tone can help with characterization or even building an unreliable narrator.

In this case, the narrator could’ve said that the character was too tall (indicating a preference), or that a heavy stack of rings on each finger blinded them (hyperbole can convey the narrator as dramatic)

Body Language

when someone is...

Afraid

Face/Body:

Sweating

Trembling

Shortness of breath/hyperventilating

Frowning/grimacing

Chest pain, tightness, and rapid heartbeat

Hot flashes

Chills

Clenched jaw

Narrowed eyes

Lip biting

Voice:

Shaking/quivering

Strained

Clipped and tightly-drawn

Voice cracks

Whispered/quiet or hushed tone

Timid

Stuttering/blubbering

Speaking faster or slower than normal

Gestures/Posture:

Fidgeting (hands + feet, restless movement)

Rocking/swaying or leaning

Rigid/tense posture

Clenched fists

Convulsive movements

When someone is...

Aroused

!slight nsfw under the cut!

When someone is…

Nervous/Anxious

Face:

Darting eyes/avoiding eye contact

Rapid blinking

Tense jaw

Looking upwards when talking or fixing eyes on a more distant point

Furrowed (or raised) brows

Frowning

Blushing 

Micro-expressions- quick/short facial expressions like suddenly widening their eyes or a brief grimace

Voice:

Shaky or trembling

Higher pitch or thin

Breathy

Wavering

Raspy or slightly cracked

Hesitant

Speaking quickly or stuttering

Choppy (many pauses in speech)

Shorter, clipped words (staccato)

Gestures/Posture:

Tense, closed off stance

Hunched shoulders

Body is stiffened

Crossed arms

Fidgeting

Touching clothes

Cracking knuckles

Bouncing knee

Part 1 Here (Angry)

When someone is…

Happy

Face: 

Smiling

Crinkled skin around eyes

Lifted cheeks

Corners of the lip are raised

Warm eye contact

Smile lines 

Voice: 

Laughter

Squealing

Exited shouts/exclamations

Cheerful tone

Higher pitch

Uplifted inflections

Smooth 

Gestures/Posture:

Relaxed/open posture

Nodding

Open palms

Bouncy movement

When someone is…

Angry

Face: 

Furrowed brow

Clenched jaw

Flared nostrils

Flushed/reddened skin

Intense (or avoiding) eye contact

Narrowed eyes

Tense/pursed lips

Puffed out cheeks

Bare teeth

Voice:

Harsher tone

Lower/deeper tone

Louder volume

Growling

Squeaking

Tight/strained

Forceful 

Gestures/Posture:

Clenched fists

Pointing

Waving hands/fists

Chopping hands

Protruding chest

Crossed arms/legs

Pacing

Leaning away

When someone is...

Sad

Face/Body:

Avoidant/reduced eye contact

Drooping eyelids

Downcast eyes

Frowning

Raised inner ends of eyebrows

Dropped or furrowed eyebrows

Quivering lip/biting lip

Wrinkled nose

Voice:

Soft pitch

Low lone

Pauses/hesitant speech

Quiet/breathy

Slow speech

Voice cracks/breaking voice

Gestures/Posture:

Slouching/lowered head

Rigid/tense posture

Half formed/slow movement

Fidgeting or clasped hands

Sniffing or heavy swallows

When you’re stumped and you don’t know what’s not working for your writing, or you don’t know where to go next, take out a rubber duck (or any equivalent friend/inanimate object, I like to use my dogs) and start explaining every single detail as if the rubber duck knows nothing about writing or about your story. Explain out loud what’s going on, what part you’re up to, why you’re stumped, and what you know you need to get to when you figure out how to get there

Since the ai accusations are still being thrown around, here's how i personally like to use these GASP ai telltales. 🦄✨

Em Dashes (—)

To emphasize a shift / action / thought.

They're accusing us—actually accusing us—of using AI.

To add drama.

They dismissed our skills as AI—didn't even think twice, the dimwits—and believed they were onto something.

To insert a sudden thought. Surely they wouldn't do that to us—would they?

To interrupt someone's speech. "Hey, please don't say that. I honed my craft through years of blood and tears—" "Shut up, prompter."

To interrupt someone's thoughts / insert a sudden event.

We're going to get those kudos. We're going to get those reblogs—

A chronically online Steve commented, “it sounds like ai, idk.”

Semi Colons ( ; )

To join two closely related independent sentences / connect ideas.

Not only ChatGPT is capable of correct punctuation; who do you think it learned from in the first place?

Ultimate pro tip: use them whenever the fudge you want. You don't owe anyone your creative process. 🌈

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.”