Avatar

penelope

@niehuiisang

16 , she/he , ace librafem , bpdtism
i mostly rb about my intrests. pm for disc where i am more active
i will post art SOMETIMES & PLEASE TALK TO ME ab my ocs

50 WORDS TO USE INSTEAD OF “SAID”

Do you ever find yourself over-using the word “said” in your writing? Try using these words/phrases instead:

  • stated
  • commented
  • declared
  • spoke
  • responded
  • voiced
  • noted
  • uttered
  • iterated
  • explained
  • remarked
  • acknowledged
  • mentioned
  • announced
  • shouted
  • expressed
  • articulated
  • exclaimed
  • proclaimed
  • whispered
  • babbled
  • observed
  • deadpanned
  • joked
  • hinted
  • informed
  • coaxed
  • offered
  • cried
  • affirmed
  • vocalized
  • laughed
  • ordered
  • suggested
  • admitted
  • verbalized
  • indicated
  • confirmed
  • apologized
  • muttered
  • proposed
  • chatted
  • lied
  • rambled
  • talked
  • pointed out
  • blurted out
  • chimed in
  • brought up
  • wondered aloud

(NOTE: Keep in mind that all of these words have slightly different meanings and are associated with different emotions/scenarios.)

Avatar

show, don't tell:

anticipation - bouncing legs - darting eyes - breathing deeply - useless / mindless tasks - eyes on the clock - checking and re-checking

frustration - grumbling - heavy footsteps - hot flush - narrowed eyes - pointing fingers - pacing / stomping

sadness - eyes filling up with tears - blinking quickly - hiccuped breaths - face turned away - red / burning cheeks - short sentences with gulps

happiness - smiling / cheeks hurting - animated - chest hurts from laughing - rapid movements - eye contact - quick speaking

boredom - complaining - sighing - grumbling - pacing - leg bouncing - picking at nails

fear - quick heartbeat - shaking / clammy hands - pinching self - tuck away - closing eyes - clenched hands

disappointment - no eye contact - hard swallow - clenched hands - tears, occasionally - mhm-hmm

tiredness - spacing out - eyes closing - nodding head absently - long sighs - no eye contact - grim smile

confidence - prolonged eye contact - appreciates instead of apologizing - active listening - shoulders back - micro reactions

DESCRIBING THE PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES OF CHARACTERS:

Body
  • descriptors; ample, athletic, barrel-chested, beefy, blocky, bony, brawny, buff, burly, chubby, chiseled, coltish, curvy, fat, fit, herculean, hulking, lanky, lean, long, long-legged, lush, medium build, muscular, narrow, overweight, plump, pot-bellied, pudgy, round, skeletal, skinny, slender, slim, stocky, strong, stout, strong, taut, toned, wide.
Eyebrows
  • descriptors; bushy, dark, faint, furry, long, plucked, raised, seductive, shaved, short, sleek, sparse, thin, unruly.
  • shape; arched, diagonal, peaked, round, s-shaped, straight.
Ears
  • shape; attached lobe, broad lobe, narrow, pointed, round, square, sticking-out.
Eyes
  • colour; albino, blue (azure, baby blue, caribbean blue, cobalt, ice blue, light blue, midnight, ocean blue, sky blue, steel blue, storm blue,) brown (amber, dark brown, chestnut, chocolate, ebony, gold, hazel, honey, light brown, mocha, pale gold, sable, sepia, teakwood, topaz, whiskey,) gray (concrete gray, marble, misty gray, raincloud, satin gray, smoky, sterling, sugar gray), green (aquamarine, emerald, evergreen, forest green, jade green, leaf green, olive, moss green, sea green, teal, vale).
  • descriptors; bedroom, bright, cat-like, dull, glittering, red-rimmed, sharp, small, squinty, sunken, sparkling, teary.
  • positioning/shape; almond, close-set, cross, deep-set, downturned, heavy-lidded, hooded, monolid, round, slanted, upturned, wide-set.
Face
  • descriptors; angular, cat-like, hallow, sculpted, sharp, wolfish.
  • shape; chubby, diamond, heart-shaped, long, narrow, oblong, oval, rectangle, round, square, thin, triangle.
Facial Hair
  • beard; chin curtain, classic, circle, ducktail, dutch, french fork, garibaldi, goatee, hipster, neckbeard, old dutch, spade, stubble, verdi, winter.
  • clean-shaven
  • moustache; anchor, brush, english, fu manchu, handlebar, hooked, horseshoe, imperial, lampshade, mistletoe, pencil, toothbrush, walrus.
  • sideburns; chin strap, mutton chops.
Hair
  • colour; blonde (ash blonde, golden blonde, beige, honey, platinum blonde, reddish blonde, strawberry-blonde, sunflower blonde,) brown (amber, butterscotch, caramel, champagne, cool brown, golden brown, chocolate, cinnamon, mahogany,) red (apricot, auburn, copper, ginger, titain-haired,), black (expresso, inky-black, jet black, raven, soft black) grey (charcoal gray, salt-and-pepper, silver, steel gray,), white (bleached, snow-white).
  • descriptors; bedhead, dull, dry, fine, full, layered, limp, messy, neat, oily, shaggy, shinny, slick, smooth, spiky, tangled, thick, thin, thinning, tousled, wispy, wild, windblown.
  • length; ankle length, bald, buzzed, collar length, ear length, floor length, hip length, mid-back length, neck length, shaved, shoulder length, waist length.
  • type; beach waves, bushy, curly, frizzy, natural, permed, puffy, ringlets, spiral, straight, thick, thin, wavy.
Hands; calloused, clammy, delicate, elegant, large, plump, rough, small, smooth, square, sturdy, strong.
Fingernails; acrylic, bitten, chipped, curved, claw-like, dirty, fake, grimy, long, manicured, painted, peeling, pointed, ragged, short, uneven.
Fingers; arthritic, cold, elegant, fat, greasy, knobby, slender, stubby.
Lips/Mouth
  • colour (lipstick); brown (caramel, coffee, nude, nutmeg,) pink (deep rose, fuchsia, magenta, pale peach, raspberry, rose, ) purple (black cherry, plum, violet, wine,) red (deep red, ruby.)
  • descriptors; chapped, cracked, dry, full, glossy, lush, narrow, pierced, scabby, small, soft, split, swollen, thin, uneven, wide, wrinkled.
  • shape; bottom-heavy, bow-turned, cupid’s bow, downturned, oval, pouty, rosebud, sharp, top-heavy.
Nose
  • descriptors; broad, broken, crooked, dainty, droopy, hooked, long, narrow, pointed, raised, round, short, strong, stubby, thin, turned-up, wide.
  • shape; button, flared, grecian, hawk, roman.
Skin
  • descriptors; blemished, bruised, chalky, clear, dewy, dimpled, dirty, dry, flaky, flawless, freckled, glowing, hairy, itchy, lined, oily, pimply, rashy, rough, sagging, satiny, scarred, scratched, smooth, splotchy, spotted, tattooed, uneven, wrinkly.
  • complexion; black, bronzed, brown, dark, fair, ivory, light, medium, olive, pale, peach, porcelain, rosy, tan, white.

Words to describe facial expressions

  • Absent: preoccupied 
  • Agonized: as if in pain or tormented
  • Alluring: attractive, in the sense of arousing desire
  • Appealing: attractive, in the sense of encouraging goodwill and/or interest
  • Beatific: blissful
  • Black: angry or sad, or hostile
  • Bleak: hopeless
  • Blinking: surprise, or lack of concern
  • Blithe: carefree, lighthearted, or heedlessly indifferent
  • Brooding: anxious and gloomy
  • Bug eyed: frightened or surprised
  • Chagrined: humiliated or disappointed
  • Cheeky: cocky, insolent
  • Cheerless: sad
  • Choleric: hot-tempered, irate
  • Darkly: with depressed or malevolent feelings
  • Deadpan: expressionless, to conceal emotion or heighten humor
  • Despondent: depressed or discouraged
  • Doleful: sad or afflicted
  • Dour: stern or obstinate
  • Dreamy: distracted by daydreaming or fantasizing
  • Ecstatic: delighted or entranced
  • Faint: cowardly, weak, or barely perceptible
  • Fixed: concentrated or immobile
  • Gazing: staring intently
  • Glancing: staring briefly as if curious but evasive
  • Glazed: expressionless due to fatigue or confusion
  • Grim: fatalistic or pessimistic
  • Grave: serious, expressing emotion due to loss or sadness
  • Haunted: frightened, worried, or guilty
  • Hopeless: depressed by a lack of encouragement or optimism
  • Hostile: aggressively angry, intimidating, or resistant
  • Hunted: tense as if worried about pursuit
  • Jeering: insulting or mocking
  • Languid: lazy or weak
  • Leering: sexually suggestive
  • Mild: easygoing
  • Mischievous: annoyingly or maliciously playful
  • Pained: affected with discomfort or pain
  • Peering: with curiosity or suspicion
  • Peeved: annoyed
  • Pleading: seeking apology or assistance
  • Quizzical: questioning or confused
  • Radiant: bright, happy
  • Sanguine: bloodthirsty, confident
  • Sardonic: mocking
  • Sour: unpleasant
  • Sullen: resentful
  • Vacant: blank or stupid looking
  • Wan: pale, sickly
  • Wary: cautious or cunning
  • Wide eyed: frightened or surprised
  • Withering: devastating
  • Wrathful: indignant or vengeful
  • Wry: twisted or crooked to express cleverness or a dark or ironic feeling

Academic Rivals to Lovers:

(feel free to use! tag me when yall writee ;] requested by @field-mouse-queen and @indiansapphic )

  • "i don't agree with you!" "nobody asked you to."
  • arguments in hushed tones during lectures!!!!
  • ^ "with this level of knowledge, i can probably-" "even with that level of whatever, you're still 5 feet 2." "HEY-"
  • sitting together to trash talk a professor you both mutually dislike
  • when they always sit at your spot in library, just so they could see you pissed off
  • "Are you reading?" "Are you blind?" "Heh, apparently you're. You're reading the book upside down, you moron."
  • "you like me now or what?" "i've learnt to bear your presence" *mimics them* "i've learnt to bear your presence"
  • being forced to work on a project together
  • "You're so stupid." "Yeah, I know."
  • "Why did you hurt yourself?" "None of your-" "Yeah, then fuck you. My bad for caring."
  • "hey-" "can you please not rub it in my face and leave?." "i just wanted to ask if you were okay.. "
  • attempting to comfort them when they're upset
  • "why do you care, [name]?" ".. you really don't know?"
  • "never have i ever liked my rival?" you search the room for their eyes, the glass is ALREADY RAISED TO THEIR LIPS.
  • "that mouth of yours does nothing but talk dumb shit?" "you wanna know what else it does?"
  • there's tension between them, sitting close while studying, arms grazing, pulling away of hands at the slightest touch :)
  • ^ flustered, one asks, "what-? you're not interested in biomolecules?" the other whispers, "no, but i seem to be interested in you..," they come closer, "what have you done to me?"
  • "you know, love, I've always liked to win," they pause, "and I'd like to win one more thing--you."

actually broken from shen qingqius “dying together also included a together. it didn’t seem that bad.” it’s just so……. shen qingqiu. that even after everything, trying so desperately and failing every time to keep binghe as safe and healthy as possible, sqq was finally ready to accept what binghe had always wanted most, to be together, even if that meant dying. GOD ,,…,,, and ppl say “sqq never loved binghe he was only doing it bc he felt bad for him” like missing the ENTIRE point of the book 😭

Avatar

me, incorrect: everyone is probably sick of me drawing this character by now...

my inner voice, wise: ah, but this cannot be... because I am part of "everyone"... and until I am sick of drawing them... it will not be everyone

me, opening a new blank canvas: ur so right