how to describe regret in creative writing

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How to Describe Regret in a Story

By Isobel Coughlan

In this post, we provide advice on how to describe regret in a story through the use of 10 descriptive words. Scroll down to learn more and get some ideas on how you can write a character experiencing regret.

Something that’s difficult or hard to understand.

“Her past regrets were complex , and she never explained them to others. If she couldn’t wrap her head around them, no one else would.”

“He was weighed down by a set of complex regrets, and every day he awoke with a new wrinkle on his face.”

How it Adds Description

Regret takes a different shape and form for every person, and sometimes people struggle with regrets more than others. In these cases, the regrets are usually more “complex,” meaning they concern lots of instances or are very confusing. Characters that suffer from “complex” regrets might seem tortured or at the mercy of their thoughts. This can make them difficult to connect with, as they won’t explain their past to others.

2. Shameful

An attitude or actions that are so bad that a person should be ashamed .

“Her shameful regrets kept her from re-entering society. She locked herself away from the masses for her own sanity.”

“The man wrestled with his shameful regrets every day. If he could, he’d wipe his slate clean and rewrite the past.”

“Shameful” shows that the character’s regrets have negative connotations, which cause them to feel embarrassed or ashamed. This could lead to characters being ostracized by others due to their past actions or inactions, especially in judgmental societies.

Something that’s small in amount or number .

“Though her regrets were sparse, she often considered the past and what she could have done differently.”

“My regrets are sparse and none of your business!”

If you want to show that a character’s regrets are few, “sparse” is a good adjective to use. This signifies that the character doesn’t suffer under the weight of their past decisions, and this could make them more carefree or sure of themselves. Characters with “sparse” regrets could also be more focused on the future, as they don’t need to rectify the past.

4. Tormenting

Extreme suffering , usually of the mental or psychological kind.

“He tried to make his tormenting regrets disappear, but nothing would silence his past.”

“I feel bad for the boy. Obviously, his regrets are tormenting , and you can see the struggle on his face.”

“Tormenting” can be used to show the extreme suffering caused by past regrets. This can indicate that the character’s thoughts are consumed by the past, thus debilitating their mental health and overall wellness. Characters with these problems might be unable to form healthy relationships with others due to their suffering.

Something that’s great in intensity, degree, or amount .

“I hope this doesn’t leave me with heavy regrets. Oh well.”

“She tussled with her heavy regrets, but the fight never got any easier.”

The adjective “heavy” can be used to show the extent of the regrets or to emphasize their effect on the character. This could lead to them feeling glum or sad often, even if they’ve been living with the “heavy” regrets for years.

6. Insignificant

Something unimportant or very small.

“Regrets were insignificant to her. Why worry about the past when you have the future ahead of you?”

“Don’t bother me with your insignificant regrets. I don’t have time for the past!”

Some regrets are smaller or less important than others, and “insignificant” can show this. Characters with “insignificant” regrets might not understand why other characters spend so much time thinking about the past. This might make them seem flippant, but it allows them to reduce mental anguish or suffering.

7. Unshakeable

Something so strong or firm it can’t be altered or destroyed.

“I am burdened by these unshakeable regrets. Help me free myself!”

“No amount of journaling or therapy could free her from the shackles of her unshakeable regrets.”

The adjective “unshakeable” shows no matter how hard the character tries, they can’t get rid of their past regrets. This shows they’ve been actively trying to get rid of them, but it’s not working. Characters with “unshakeable” regrets might hit a breaking point and become desperate to rid themselves of their worries.

Something that feels embarrassing or difficult to talk about.

“I can’t explain myself. My past regrets are too awkward for anyone else to hear!”

“She dismissed her awkward regrets and stepped into the room. One way or another, she’d make up for her past.”

If you want to show that your character feels uncomfortable with their regrets, “awkward” can help imply this point. This can show the regrets are of a sensitive nature or very personal to the character. Characters with “awkward” regrets are usually unlikely to divulge their secrets to others, and this means the character often suffers in silence.

9. Haunting

Something that’s persistent, poignant , and hard to forget.

“He watched her face drop. The haunting regrets were taking control of her mind again.”

“A day didn’t go by without her descending into her mental pit of haunting regrets.”

“Haunting” can be used to show how frequently the character’s regrets cause them pain. This implies they’re rarely without these worries, and this could slowly debilitate them over time. “Haunting” also implies that the regrets are of a sad or upsetting nature due to the word’s negative connotations.

10. Harrowing

Something that’s disturbing or extremely upsetting.

“He sat in a dark room and let the harrowing regrets take over.”

“No amount of money, therapy, or love could remove the harrowing regrets from her mind.”

If caused by a traumatic event, regrets can become extreme or “harrowing.” This shows they’re exceptionally painful for the character, and this could cause them to fall into a deep depression or to suffer flashbacks from the past. Other characters might try to help them overcome their past, but very “harrowing” regrets may plague the character forever.

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Definition:, physical signals and behaviors:, internal sensations:, mental responses:, cues of acute or long term regret:, may escalate to:, cues of suppressed regret:, may de-escalate to:, associated power verbs:.

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Emotion: Regret

The ProWritingAid Team

When you want to write the emotion regret, it's important to "show" the emotion your character is experiencing through their physical reactions and dialogue, rather than "tell" it. In this article we provide you with inspiration so you can avoid show; don't tell and immerse your readers in your story.

Regret is a feeling of sadness, disappointment, or remorse about something that has happened or something that you have done or failed to do. It involves a sense of longing for a different outcome or a desire to change past actions. Regret can be a powerful emotion that can lead to introspection and personal growth if channeled constructively. It is important to note that regret is a normal part of the human experience and can be a valuable tool for learning from mistakes and making better choices in the future.

Different Types of Regret

Situations associated with regret, physical reactions to regret, thoughts associated with regret, atmosphere of regret, verbs associated with regret, emotions before regret, emotions after regret, telling regret examples to avoid, practical examples of showing regret, exercises for showing regret.

Here are some different types of regret:

• Personal Regret: Regret for a personal action or decision made in the past.
• Relationship Regret: Regret for a past decision or action that negatively impacted a relationship.
• Missed Opportunity Regret: Regret for not taking advantage of a past opportunity or for not pursuing a goal or dream.
• Life Regret: Regret for choices made that led to a life that is not fulfilling or satisfying.
• Survivor Regret: Regret for surviving a traumatic event while others did not.
• Parental Regret: Regret for past parenting decisions or actions that negatively impacted a child.
• Moral Regret: Regret for violating one's own moral or ethical standards.

Here are some situations where a character might experience the emotion of regret:

• Making a decision that has negative consequences
• Failing to take action when action was needed
• Losing something or someone valuable
• Hurting someone they care about
• Realizing they missed an opportunity
• Not living up to their potential
• Saying or doing something they cannot take back
• Ignoring their own intuition or instincts
• Wasting time on something unimportant

Here are some physical reactions a character experiencing regret might have:

• A slumped posture and lowered head
• Wrinkled brow and furrowed forehead
• Heavy sighs and deep breaths
• Avoiding eye contact or looking downcast
• Fidgeting or restlessness
• A trembling or shaking voice
• Tears or redness in the eyes
• Repetitive actions like pacing or tapping
• Self-soothing gestures like rubbing the arms or hands

Here are some thoughts a character experiencing regret might have:

• I wish I had done things differently.
• I can't believe I let that opportunity slip away.
• If only I had listened to my instincts.
• Why did I ever think that was a good idea?
• I should have seen the warning signs.
• I can't shake the feeling that I've made a huge mistake.
• I'll never forgive myself for what I've done.
• I wish I could go back in time and make a different choice.
• I'm haunted by what could have been.

Here are some ways that you might reflect the emotion of regret in the atmosphere of your scene:

• Use a desolate or abandoned setting to convey a sense of loss or missed opportunities.
• Describe a place that has changed drastically since the character's past actions, highlighting the contrast between then and now.
• Use weather to mirror the character's mood. For example, a rainy day can symbolize sadness or a sense of heaviness.
• Show the character revisiting a place from their past, such as their childhood home or a former workplace, to trigger memories and emphasize the feeling of regret.
• Use objects or details in the setting to evoke a sense of nostalgia or longing, such as old photographs or a dilapidated building.
• Show the character interacting with people or places that remind them of their past mistakes, emphasizing their regret and the weight of their choices.
• Use sensory details to create a melancholy atmosphere, such as the sound of a distant train or the smell of burning leaves.

Here are some verbs commonly associated with the emotion of regret:

• feel remorseful
• feel sorry for
• wish undone

Here are some emotions that may come before a character experiences regret:

• Anticipation
• Hopefulness
• Satisfaction
• Contentment
• Overconfidence
• Complacency
• Disappointment
• Frustration

Here are some emotions that may come after a character experiences regret:

• Humiliation
• Self-reproach

Here are some examples of telling the emotion regret in a sentence. You should avoid things like this:

• She regretted not listening to her mother's advice.
• He regretted not taking the job offer when he had the chance.
• She regretted not saying goodbye to her best friend before she moved away.
• He regretted not standing up for himself when his boss berated him.
• She regretted not studying harder for the exam.
• He regretted not spending more time with his grandparents before they passed away.
• She regretted not being more patient with her children when they were young.
• He regretted not saving more money for retirement.
• She regretted not traveling more when she was younger.

Here are some examples of showing regret in a sentence:

• She replayed the conversation in her mind, wishing she had spoken up instead of staying silent.
• He sighed heavily as he looked at the broken vase, realizing he had been careless.
• She couldn't help but think about what could have been if she had made a different choice.
• He avoided eye contact with his friend, knowing he had let them down by not showing up.

Here are some writing exercises to practice showing regret:

• Think of a time when you regretted something deeply. Write a scene from your character's perspective where they experience a similar regret.
• Write a letter from your character to someone they wronged, expressing their regret and asking for forgiveness.
• Have your character make a decision that leads to a negative consequence. Write a scene where they reflect on their actions and express regret for what they've done.
• Write a scene where your character encounters someone they used to know but haven't seen in years. Use the conversation to explore any regrets they may have about their past relationship.
• Have your character witness someone else making the same mistake they did in the past. Write a scene where they express regret for not intervening or warning the other person.
• Write a scene where your character has the opportunity to rectify a past mistake but ultimately decides not to. Explore the regret they feel as a result of their inaction.
• Have your character encounter an object or place that reminds them of a past regret. Write a scene where they reflect on the memory and the emotions it brings up.

Want more help with showing emotion instead of telling? You find more help in our full list of emotions .

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19,890 quotes, descriptions and writing prompts, 4,964 themes

regret - quotes and descriptions to inspire creative writing

• holy regret
• quotes of sadness
• remorse code

Regret is a learning tool. We let it educate us so that we can move on into a better future.

In the moment, that flash of anger protected me from the pain. Were I to relive it, I would try to summon more strength. I failed myself, and you too. I never understood before why love must be free; I do now. It must be free or the need will warp your own nature and change the love into something it should never be. Love isn't possession, but the wind beneath the wings of the one you love. So I have something new to work on, to watch for that flash of darkness and strive to be better. The problem was never you, but me. To be better, my love, I must be able to walk alone. Then I can be who I need to be, who you need me to be. Just know that I love you, that my anger was just that, a flash of fire to cover my own weakness.

There are times my brain fries up. It's no excuse I know; I own my behaviour. I try to help, try to be good, and then a trigger is flicked. My emotions turn - cold, fearful, anxious... I back away, flee or strike out at someone who loves me. In these moments I am least proud of who I am, for I fail to be the warrior I was born to be, the strong woman with the softness of a mother. Instead I show the frightened child within, damaged and afraid, the one still hiding in the dark under the train table, awaiting the next beating. I know these are things for me to work on, not for others to mitigate, I am an adult after all. Yet I ask for consideration, that my fear triggers are left alone until my body stops living in a state of flight or fight, until I find a way back to being calm and steady. I have been stable many years, caring for others, pouring out love without measure, yet never knowing how to ask for it. It is the only medicine that can heal this fractured soul. So like a stupid child I hold out for love, wide eyes and shaking limbs, still looking for that dark place all over again, but praying for the light.

Once regret has done its job, my love, move on and put those lessons to good use.

Regret is there to invite us to view past events through different perspectives than the ones we had at the time, in the action of the moment. It is this creative perspective taking that grows our emotional intelligence and gives us greater maturity.

Regret is a snowglobe - shake it up, look at it from every angle, and then let it settle on a self to gather dust.

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Regret as a story theme

Scott Myers

Go Into The Story

If you are looking for a point of emotional resonance with an original story, try these top five regrets of the dying.

Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent several years working in palliative care, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives. She recorded their dying epiphanies in a blog called Inspiration and Chai , which gathered so much attention that she put her observations into a book called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying . Ware writes of the phenomenal clarity of vision that people gain at the end of their lives, and how we might learn from their wisdom. “When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently,” she says, “common themes surfaced again and again.”

They top five regrets are:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

A writer could use any of these five as the thematic foundation for countless stories or certainly ways to define specific characters. Why? Because we respond in large part to regret-themed stories because they serve as a reminder of a fundamental fact:

We only live once.

Regret is the shadow behind the herald’s call of The Hero’s Journey: “Follow your bliss.” On the one hand, we are called upon to identify that which truly enlivens us, those core aspects of our Self that absolutely need to be expressed. On the other hand, there is the very real possibility that life will get in the way of our ability to do just that.

Of course there is a whole other way to approach the theme of regret, negative emotion attached to something we did that turned out badly, a sin of commission as the Church might say. Movies like Atonement, High Fidelity, Remains of the Day, Jean de Florette/Manon des sources , even big dumb comedies like The Hangover traffic in that.

From a writing perspective, regret can be an evocative touch point, one we can mine in our stories. As a theme, don’t forget it… or you’ll regret it.

What movies can you think of that feature regret as a theme?

For more of the article, go here . Comment Archive

Written by Scott Myers

More from scott myers and go into the story.

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WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Helping writers become bestselling authors

5 Surprising Ways Regret Can Deepen Your Hero’s Arc

June 26, 2014 by ANGELA ACKERMAN

Super pleased to welcome Writing Coach MJ Bush today. I am a huge fan of her blog, Writing Geekery …if you don’t yet have this site on your writing resource roster, make it happen! (Trust me, you don’t want to miss any of her articles because they contain unique and valuable insight into character arc and story structure.)

MJ’s tackling REGRET, which is key to a well developed character arc. Regret can destroy a person, but it can also motivate, spurring a character to take action when they reach the point where fears, missed opportunities and poor choices lead to unbearable fulfillment and dissatisfaction. Great stuff here on how to use it in your hero’s arc, so please read on!

Regret is a hard motive to wrangle. Shallowness creeps in because actions seem simplistic or pasted on if you don’t establish realism and reader empathy.

Even if your reader wouldn’t be able to tell you exactly why it doesn’t seem realistic now, they’ll know realism when you use it.

And boy, can you use regret to change your character’s life in interesting ways. PLUS I’ve got some tips on creating emotional realism. Read to the end for my gift, a free report on arcs born from regret.

It’s an indirect motivator. For example, it can fuel a desire to right wrongs, or a fear that the same thing will happen again.

It’s grieving for what could have been. Even if there was nothing you could have done.

But it also encompasses guilt, remorse, and contrition.

Basic regret is wishing things could have been another way, guilt is blaming yourself, remorse is wishing to make amends, and contrition is acting to make amends.

So, let’s look at five realistic ways regret can affect your character.

1. Looking Ahead Too Intently

Anticipated regret is stronger than the regret itself.

Your character might be disproportionately afraid of missing out, and realize later that it wasn’t so bad. The arc from fear to relief is an especially great option for supporting characters.

►► Avery had a ticket to leave on the next ship out, headed for one of the newly terraformed colonies, but he cut it too close and he can’t get everything ready in time. He transfered to a later launch, had more time to say goodbye, and realized that it was ultimately a good experience.

2. But It’s Not the Same!

This one applies when your character has missed an opportunity. The psychological phenomenon is called inaction inertia . One missed opportunity increases the likelihood of missing another, wishing it was as good as the first.

So make sure your character has a good strong push to take a second opportunity. Or let them pass up the second only to realize that they will really regret it if they miss a third.

…If you want them to take it.

►► Avery landed on his new planetary home and immediately found a great house, but decided to check out the possibilities. Nothing compared, but when he went back, it’d been sold. Later that week, he found another great place but he decided that the first house was his dream home and this other house just wouldn’t cut it.

Desperate after realizing that he should have taken it, he gave up and took the next livable place.

3. The Growth of Resilience (or Not)

Regrets can cause a distorted self-concept , the past reflecting on the self-worth.

It’s possible to learn to see the shame, the guilt, and the situations as trials intended to give you strength. And when your character learns to adopt this worldview, his entire outlook and self-concept will shift.

He will see himself as product of adversity, not the victim of it.

Or you can let one character wallow while another improves. I do like my foils.

►► Before moving to the stars, Avery always saw himself as a victim of his circumstances. His poor upbringing, the demeaning jobs, even the dead-end romantic relationships all fed the idea that the world was against him. When he started to realize that those things made him stronger, he started tackling bigger dreams and challenges.

Until, finally, he stepped on that ship.

4. Comparing Hurts Our Health ( LINK )

As this article states, social comparison is a coping mechanism for regret. And the interesting thing is that it can have an effect on the character’s health.

It’s not just artistic license that has characters getting sick when they compare themselves unfavorably with others. Who knew?

►► Avery’s best friend Daniel slowly wasted away on Earth, alternately railing against the world and castigating himself for not stepping up like Avery.

5. Aged Regret = Different Flavor

We’re likely to regret actions in the short term, but in the long term it’s the things we didn’t do that get us down.

This can make a nice foil, with a younger character regretting an action and an older character regretting an “omission.” Or you can have a character arc from one to the other in the space of the story.

►► Years later, Avery forgot the decision to pass up the second house. Instead, he regretted not encouraging Daniel to see his own strength.

Show It Better Than a Movie

There’s more to regret than arcs and motivations. It’s an emotion, and as an author you need to treat it like one.

You see yourself as having lost something, or the idea of something that is profoundly meaningful to you, and the experience is every bit as real as suffering after any kind of traumatic event. – Suzanne Lachmann, Psy.D.

You have to show a reaction to the pain.

Give it some screen time.

Let it sink in.

It’s Time to Give Your Characters the Depth They Deserve

HEADS UP! You can grab the free report Seven Arcs of Regret – ONLY AVAILABLE HERE – for more ideas and details. Download it now.

MJ Bush is The Analytical Creative. Her writing advice steps back to take in the whole picture, then dives in to grab the pearls of usable detail. She’s the founder of Writingeekery.com and a full time fiction coach, editor, and writer.

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers , a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

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Reader Interactions

July 2, 2014 at 11:40 pm

Love this post! I hate regret in real life. Thanks for tips on how to make it happen on the page.

July 9, 2014 at 11:32 am

Thanks, Julie. And I think hating it in real life is part of what makes it so hard to write realistically. Who doesn’t hate regret?

June 28, 2014 at 10:00 pm

I also tried to get the Regret Arc download but was redirected to the newsletter which I already receive and love 🙂 Could I please get an email with the 7 Arcs of Regret in it?Thank you!

June 28, 2014 at 10:03 pm

Sorry meant to type *send an email. Too much red wine 😉

June 29, 2014 at 9:52 am

The report comes in a separate email because this is exclusive to those that see this article. 🙂

Sometimes it takes a bit to send. If you don’t receive it, please reply to the welcome email and I’ll make sure you get it.

July 1, 2014 at 11:13 am

Thanks, MJ. I actually already subscribe to your blog, but I put in my email anyway a couple days ago. Still haven’t received the Regret Arc email though :-\

July 3, 2014 at 5:25 pm

Send me an email or reply to one of mine, and I’ll get it to you. There are several “Sarah” emails, so I don’t know which you are.

And I’m sorry, I don’t know why you didn’t get it.

July 4, 2014 at 1:47 pm

Neither did I, MJ : / Wonder what the glitch is! My email is: [email protected]

Thanks! 😀 Happy 4th!

June 28, 2014 at 12:01 pm

This is one of the most thought provoking articles on writing that I have read.

June 29, 2014 at 9:54 am

Thanks, Diane. That means so much to me. 🙂

If you’d like to share your thoughts, I’d love to hear them.

June 27, 2014 at 9:53 pm

Great blog post as usual!! Regret is something my next wip hero will deal with. His father was hurt while on a mission to save him. He can’t get past the guilt, especially since his mother holds it against him as well.

June 29, 2014 at 9:56 am

Sounds like a great complication on the healing process, Traci!

June 27, 2014 at 3:04 pm

Very interesting article but the report does not appear to be available. I signed up, I confirmed, I got a link to a different “cheatsheet.”

June 27, 2014 at 6:59 pm

The report comes in a separate email since it’s offered exclusively here and doesn’t go to just anyone. Sometimes it takes a bit to send, but you’ll get it if you haven’t already. =)

June 26, 2014 at 11:43 pm

Thanks. This is really thought-provoking. There is much to glean from this.

June 27, 2014 at 10:59 am

It’s my pleasure, Rosi. Have fun gleaning! 🙂

June 26, 2014 at 8:52 pm

This is truly one of the most thoughtful articles I’ve read in weeks. I really appreciate MJ’s attention to detail- normally, such plotting and analysis makes me nervous, but she has just the touch to keep the focus firmly on the character. I find myself wondering whether in heroic fantasy there’s as much scope for regret. The bad choices and missed chances are there, certainly (though in epic fantasy you can’t mess up as often or the world goes to hell). But beyond that, there’s a more confined arc to explore it, I think: self-examination is rare, discussion of feelings even rarer. Even the women are pretty macho! So you see it in their facial expression, their clipped responses and their dangerous acts, not internal dialogue or extended conversation. The writer needs to take a few shots, and make sure they’re good ones.

June 26, 2014 at 11:04 pm

Thanks, Will. 🙂

You can have personal subplots and pain causing backstories as well as mistakes in main plot, but I’d suggest having the main plot mistakes as well because it increases the tension and suspense. Even unintended consequences to good choices can be regretted. 🙂

June 26, 2014 at 12:44 pm

Thank you for a fantastic article!

Regret is one of my favorite ways to see my characters motivated to act (or, to not act). It works nicely for protagonists and antagonists alike, and it manages to snag readers into the story immediately. Who hasn’t regretted something they’ve done or a choice they’ve made or words they’ve said before? Playing with regret makes the characters human and gives them a deeper three-dimensional flavor.

June 26, 2014 at 2:00 pm

So glad you enjoyed it, Eleanore. And I agree with every point you made. 🙂

June 26, 2014 at 6:42 pm

Thank you! I look forward to more applicable content from your outstanding posts!

June 26, 2014 at 8:42 am

This is a great post. Will save to reread and ponder. Thanks.

June 26, 2014 at 11:38 am

Thanks, Carol. Take your time and get every drop you can out of it. I love hearing what people take away from my articles. 🙂

June 26, 2014 at 8:35 am

Angela, Angela, Angela. Once again, fantastic stuff!

I’m not so sure regret is “indirect,” but it is definitely a motivator! I know it has been in MY life, and I think that directly related to that is the regret of people close to you (your character). As an example:

Your father always dreamt of skydiving, but never made a point of doing so and by the time he finally did, he was too old to be a jumper for the first time. Regret. (This is true, btw.)

Or not having gone to college. Or never seeing Rome. Or not having told someone they were sorry. Etc.

Seeing the results/pain of someone else’s regret often motivates us to not experience it ourselves.

And thank you for my new resource—WritinGeekery! 😀

June 26, 2014 at 11:37 am

GREAT point about witnessing someone else’s regret, Donna!

And it’s only indirect because it causes either a desire or fear, which are direct motivators. It feels direct when you’re in the midst of it. And that’s part of why it’s so powerful. 🙂

June 26, 2014 at 12:35 pm

Thanks for clarifying that, MJ, though I guess since I don’t know enough about these terms, I still see “regret” on the same plane as “desire” or “fear” lol Either way, they’re all motivators which is what I will take away from this lesson, so thank you 🙂

Also, I signed up for your newsletter and think there was a glitch ’cause every time I clicked for the Cheat Sheet (and The Seven Arcs of Regret) it would redirect me to sign up for the newsletter then saying my email was already signed up. I’d love the cheat sheet and will hopefully get your newsletters! 🙂

June 26, 2014 at 2:06 pm

I found the glitch. Or more aptly, the human error. I’ll send an email with both in it. 🙂

June 26, 2014 at 10:19 pm

Thanks, MJ! So kind 🙂

[…] Read more about how to handle regret. […]

[…] Five Surprising Ways Regret Can Deepen Your Hero’s Arc by Angela Ackerman from Writers Helping Writers. Peek: “It’s grieving for what could have been. Even if there was nothing you could have done. But it also encompasses guilt, remorse, and contrition.” […]

[…] MJ Bush wrote a guest post for Writers Helping Writers on how regret can deepen your character’s arc. […]

[…] Five Surprising Ways Regret Can Deepen Your Hero’s Arc by Angela Ackerman from Writers Serving to Writers. Peek: “It’s grieving for what might have been. Even when there was nothing you might have executed. However it additionally encompasses guilt, regret, and contrition.” […]

[…] Five Surprising Ways Regret Can Deepen Your Hero’s Arc by Angela Ackerman from Writers Serving to Writers. Peek: “It’s grieving for what might have been. Even when there was nothing you may have accomplished. However it additionally encompasses guilt, regret, and contrition.” […]

Cheat Sheets For Writing Body Language

What is body language and how do you use it when you write? Use these cheat sheets to help you with your body language descriptions.

What Is Body Language?

People react to situations with micro-expressions, hand gestures, and posture. Most of us are not even aware of them. However, what we do with our body language has a huge impact on other people and how they interpret and perceive us.

‘Even when they don’t express their thoughts verbally, most people constantly throw off clues to what they’re thinking and feeling. Non-verbal messages communicated through the sender’s body movements, facial expressions, vocal tone and volume, and other clues are collectively known as body language.’ ( Psychology Today )

Body language happens when we are doing something. We could be sitting, standing, or walking. We could be talking or thinking . Body language is often an involuntary reaction to something perceived by one of the five senses .

How To Use It In Writing

Using body language is one of the best ways to show and not tell when we write.

This is why we are always told to use body language in our writing. Sometimes, it’s easier said than written. So, I created these cheat sheets to help you show a character’s state of mind through their body language.

When you are completing your character biographies , be sure to include how your main characters move and talk. This is especially important for your protagonist , antagonist , confidant , and love interest . They are the characters that hold the story together and they should be as well-rounded and believable as possible.

The Top Five Tips For Using Body Language

• Use body language to add depth to dialogue .
• Use it because more than 50% of human communication is non-verbal.
• Use it to show how your character’s emotions affect their actions.
• Use it to help you show rather than tell your reader everything.
• Use it in moderation. If overused, it can slow your story down.

TIP: Use our Character Creation Kit  to create great characters for your stories.

Use this list to help you with your body language descriptions. It will help you to translate emotions and thoughts into written body language.

Obviously, a character may exhibit a number of these behaviours. For example, they may be shocked and angry, or shocked and happy.

Use these combinations as needed.

Use our  Character Creation Kit  to create great characters for your stories.

If you enjoyed this, read:

• The 17 Most Popular Genres In Fiction – And Why They Matter
• How To Write A One-Page Synopsis
• 123 Ideas For Character Flaws – A Writer’s Resource
• The 7 Critical Elements Of A Great Book
• All About Parts Of Speech
• Punctuation For Beginners
• 5 Incredibly Simple Ways to Help Writers Show and Not Tell
• 5  Instances When You Need To Tell (And Not Show)
• The 4 Main Characters As Literary Devices
• 106 Ways To Describe Sounds

Source for skeleton image

Top Tip : Find out more about our workbooks and online courses in our shop .

• Body Language , Creating Characters , Show Don't Tell , Writing Tips from Amanda Patterson

53 thoughts on “Cheat Sheets For Writing Body Language”

Wow….that’s probably one of the most useful lists I’ve ever seen…thanks!

Very useful…simply superb. Will be handy for me when I sit down to write next time.

A mullion trillion thanks for this incredibly useful page of “show” instead of telling. Thank you xx

I would have liked to pin this on pint rest 🙁

This is the best of the “show” lists I have either made or found. Superb.

Love, love, love these! Thanks for compiling them. I’m going to share them and put them in a file to resource. Michelle Random Writing Rants

This is very useful.

Its really helpful….

great post really!!! thanks for sharing

This is one of the most helpful writer’s guide posts I have ever seen. It is so hard not to write “He looked at her in awe”, but think about the specific body language in that situation. It also helps think about the traits a character can have… Every person is different so one can even put individuality into the writing by giving certain characters characteristic emotional expressions.

Thank you so much for sharing this!!

Thank you, Kimberley.

I know I’ll be referring back to this list often. Thank you so much for sharing.

Thank you, Melissa.

Perhaps this is the best way to hone up the writing skills of one’s own and I should be very thankful to you for helping the writers through this .

This is dangerous if astute advice. Anything that aids progress writing is useful, but anything that aids progress stops you thinking – and it is only by thinking that he universe opens a portal and pours out something original.

Great information not only for writing but observation of these behaviors in action. As a school counselor I am interested in non-verbal cues from others.

Great work! high degree of observation! really impressed.

This is great. There is one word that comes up SO OFTEN that it is distracting to me as a reader and that is “gaze.” People are gazing at things, at each other, they’re gazing all over the place. One time I counted the number of times “gaze” was used in a book and found an instance of 5 times in 4 consecutive pages. But another book used “gaze” 5 times in 4 consecutive PARAGRAPHS. Why the editors don’t catch this is beyond me. My favorite “gaze” quote from a book is, “Her brown gaze settled upon the distant mountains.” That didn’t make me think of her brown eyes. My first thought was that she was seeing smog! Is it strange to say a color with “gaze”? I’ve also seen something like, “His blue gaze swung up.” (the man was driving at the time) It sounds strange to me, but maybe that’s just me. The book with the distant mountains sentence used “gaze” heavily from the second page all the way to the second to the last paragraph! It was painful to read. I got rid of the book.

Very helpful to have this all in one place! Thanks!!!

Thank you! This is great! 🙂

Thank you for this post. It’s very helpful.

This is a good list. But I believe we can always be a little more creative in mixing them up to denote various degrees and subtleties in an emotion.

Yes, Ayan. As it says in the post: ‘Obviously, a character may exhibit a number of these behaviours. For example, he may be shocked and angry, or shocked and happy. Use these combinations as needed.’

These cheat sheets are worth their weight in gold! Thank you for taking the time to put them together.

AWESOME! I was just speaking with a friend who mentioned I needed to do this a little more. Thank you so much.

such an amazingly helpful post! Thank you!

Thank you. We’re glad you find this useful.

Melody, Would have ditched that book too. That’s just bad writing.

Please send me any further articles you put out. This one is very helpful. It makes us aware of the use of each movement as a symbol of inner thought. Thanks

This is the most helpful article I have read about telling vs. Showing. Thank you.

Thank you, Wendy.

Thanks for this really usefull I find that I use the same emotions over and over.

Thank you! This is an excellent reference for a desirable result.

“Excellent list,” she said, rubbing her hands together and grinning. ; ) Thank you!

Thank you, Melissa! I love it!!

Excellent!!

I read this very useful and generous article on stumbleupon.com Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me!

Thank you for the positive feedback. I’m pleased that this helps.

Thank you for this :))

Thanks for the helpful post! Great resource for the scripts I’m co-writing.

Simply superb compilation ! No more adjectives.

Thank you! We’re glad that you find these lists helpful.

Very useful! Thank you so much!

What a succinct and useful list!

“Unfortunately,” (pause, lips pursed indicating deliberation and thought) “these are almost” (stress on final word, downward tilt of the head with slight inclination to the left as the speaker maintains gaze on listener indicating mock-serious intent) “entirely” (extra stress on this word, head lifts and turns full-on indicating intent) “cliché” (jaw firms, slight downward shift of the brow, eyes narrow indicating mild annoyance.) “Sorry” (head lifts, jaw pushes out, eyebrows raised indicating belligerence and complete lack of genuine apology).

quite informative, and precise. thanks.

i’m highly grateful to you, thanks a lot n million, may god bless you a long and happy life

This is so useful! Thank you, thank you very much!

OMG! I impressed to read it. Really, you are doing good job.

Very informative thanks!

I need something different for pleading. and it’s not on the list. Why is the emotion I want not almost never on the lists? xP (Arg)

Comments are closed.

© Writers Write 2022

KathySteinemann.com: Free Resources for Writers and Poets

Word lists, cheat sheets, and sometimes irreverent reviews of writing rules. kathy steinemann is the author of the writer's lexicon series..

400+ Ways to Exploit Facial Expressions in Writing

(Discover even more words in The Writer’s Body Lexicon .)

Effective Writing Agrees With Itself

In real life, scowls, smiles , and curled lips reflect underlying emotions. They should do the same in fiction or creative nonfiction.

• A protagonist in pain is unlikely to smile.
• A deceitful character probably won’t maintain eye contact with others.

This post will help you choose emotion beats that harmonize with context. In addition to facial expressions, the following list includes body language involving the face, head, and neck.

100+ Ways to Say Blush 100+ Ways to Say Cried 200+ Ways to Say Embarrassed 500+ Ways to Describe Faces 200+ Ways to Say Frown or Scowl 300+ Ways to Say Happy 99 Ways to Say Laughed or Smiled 125 Ways to Say Look or See 600+ Ways to Describe Necks Other Ways to Say Nodded 120 Ways to Say Pout 200 Ways to Say Shake the Head 300+ Ways to Say Sigh Too Many Sighs of Relief in Your Writing? 75 Alternatives

Emotion Beats and Physical Manifestations Cheat Sheet

Each category heading is followed by several ways a character could show the mentioned emotion(s).

Agony, pain, suffering – prominent lines between the eyebrows – gaze directed downward – raised lips – raised cheeks – eyes squeezed shut – wrinkled nose – bared teeth – clenched jaw – grimacing – wincing – gritting teeth – massaging between one’s eyebrows – inside corners of eyebrows slanting upward

Anger, hostility – bulging eyes – dilated nostrils – clenched jaw – red face – icy stare – curled lip – rigid cords in neck – glaring – frowning or scowling – baring one’s teeth – grinding teeth – staring somebody down – pressing one’s lips firmly together – vein(s) pulsing in neck or temple

Anguish – skin bunching around the eyes – clenched jaw – pinched lips – sallow features – facial tics – visible cord(s) in neck – tensing one’s facial muscles – wincing – grinding teeth – hyperventilating and then blowing into a paper bag

Apathy, boredom, disinterest, indifference – blank stare – glazed eyes – minimal eye contact – yawning – closing or half-closing one’s eyes – propping one’s head in hands – picking one’s nose – focusing on anything or anyone except where attention should be focused (e.g., fingernails, watch, clothing, etc.)

Cautiousness, wariness – cocked head – narrowed eyes – pursed lips – lowered eyebrows – lifting one’s chin – jutting one’s jaw – chewing on one’s lip – pressing one’s lips together – frowning – gritting one’s teeth – gazing in direction of perceived hazard – glances darting about rather than focusing on anything in particular

Compassion, sympathy – sad smile – direct eye contact – wide eyes – brows pulled together – moist eyes – tears – wiping one’s nose with a tissue – nodding while listening, one’s mouth half-open – monitoring the face of the object of sympathy

Conceit, egotism, narcissism, vanity – pronounced lip-pursing – thrust-out chin – nose in the air – flawless makeup – one raised eyebrow – tweezed eyebrows – signs of plastic surgery – downturned corners of the mouth – supercilious gaze through half-lidded eyes – immaculately trimmed beard and mustache

Concentration – wide eyes – dilated pupils – slight frown – staring with half-lidded eyes – nodding – pursing one’s lips – making eye contact when listening or conversing – pressing index finger to one’s cheek and propping chin on rest of clenched fingers

Confusion – wrinkled nose – cocked head – unfocused gaze – grimacing – excessive swallowing – scratching one’s face – rubbing one’s chin – touching the base of one’s neck – pursing one’s lips – cocking one’s head – narrowing one’s eyes – tugging on an earlobe – chewing on one’s lip – rapid blinking – squinting – pulling one’s brows together in a frown or scowl

Contempt, disgust – nose in the air – wrinkled nose – downturned lips – pinched mouth – mocking smile – flushing – sneering or snarling – curling one’s upper lip – squinting – frowning – rolling one’s  eyes – arching one eyebrow – sticking out one’s tongue – vein(s) pulsing in neck or temple

Curiosity – cocked head – raised eyebrows – quizzical smile – focused gaze – wrinkled nose – blinking – pushing up one’s glasses – partially opening one’s lips

Deceit, deception, dishonesty – shifty eyes – avoidance of eye contact – misleading attempt to maintain eye contact – sweating – excessive blinking – reddening of the ears – biting one’s fingernails – chewing the inside of one’s mouth – rubbing one’s nose – making inappropriate facial expressions for the circumstances

Depression – tears – inappropriate laughter – lack of eye contact – infrequent blinking – red or moist eyes – vacant stare – downturned lips – slack expression – dark circles under the eyes – head tilted downward

Disappointment, frustration – crinkled eyes – lowered head – half-hearted smile – lips pressed together – pronounced sigh – lack of eye contact – moist eyes – rigid expression – shaking one’s head – grinding one’s teeth – biting one’s nails – swallowing hard – gaping – frowning or scowling – wincing – chewing on one’s lip – pressing one’s lips together – exhaling noisily through pursed lips

Distraction, preoccupation – audible exhalations – facial tics – darting glances – pale face – forced laughter – lips pressed together – grinding one’s teeth – sighing – glancing askance (sideways) – chewing on one’s lips, nails, or a personal object

Embarrassment, shame – downturned head – downward gaze – red ears – chin held close to body – minimal eye contact – tense muscles around closed mouth – blushing or flushing – trembling chin – frowning – fluttering eyes – biting one’s lip – glancing away – sweating – grimacing – coughing – wincing – gritting one’s teeth – swallowing hard – hiding one’s eyes or face behind hands, hair, hat, etc.

Envy, jealousy – downturned mouth – jutting chin – bared teeth – flared nostrils – pouting – squinting – frequent swallowing – chewing on one’s bottom lip – flushing – glowering – pressing one’s lips together in firm line – gritting teeth – sneering – scrutinizing object of envy or jealousy

Excitement – flashing eyes – dilated pupils – broad grin – dimpled smile – trembling chin – laughing – frequent blinking – flushing – giggling – initiating and maintaining eye contact

Exhaustion, fatigue – dark circles under the eyes – red eyes – inability to keep one’s eyes open – pronounced lines in face – wan face – yawning – slapping one’s cheeks in an effort to stay awake – closing one’s eyes while standing, and almost falling over

Fear – brows raised and pulled together – eyes frozen open – pale, trembling features – facial tics – lack of eye contact – darting glances – beads of sweat on face – bulging eyes – moist eyes – shaky smile – open mouth – raised brows – rictus grin (involuntary fake smile) – rapid blinking – squinting – licking one’s lips – vein(s) pulsing in neck or temple – chewing on one’s hair, a pen, or another personal object

Flirtatiousness, seductiveness – fluttering eyelashes – coy smile – lopsided grin – slightly narrowed eyes – open mouth with tip of tongue showing – moistening one’s lips with tongue – head turned away or slightly downturned while one maintains eye contact

Happiness, enthusiasm – laughter – dimpled smile – broad smile – sparkling eyes – winking – humming or singing – whistling – a smile that reaches the eyes – relaxed brow free of frown lines – crow’s feet around outer corners of eyes

Hatred, hostility – sideways glances – tight-lipped smiles – flared nostrils – clenched jaw – bared teeth – tears – beads of sweat on face – flushing – grinding teeth – vein(s) pulsing in neck or temple – rigid cord(s) in neck – snarling – sneering – spitting – glowering at object of one’s hostility

Hesitation, indecision, uncertainty – lips turned down – lopsided grimace – wrinkled brow – shaky smile – repeated swallowing – chewing one’s lip – biting the inside of one’s cheek – squinting – frowning or scowling – tugging on one’s bottom lip – rubbing or stroking one’s jaw – shaking one’s head slightly – tugging at one’s earlobes or hair – scrutinizing others to determine their opinion

Insecurity – excessive makeup – tight-lipped smile – lowered eyebrows – puckered forehead – minimal eye contact – biting one’s nails – chewing on one’s lips – frowning or scowling

Insolence, rudeness, disrespect – thumbing one’s nose at someone – sticking out one’s tongue – snorting – curling one’s lip – rolling one’s eyes – openly picking one’s nose – laughing at someone – yawning while someone is talking – refusing to face the person who is speaking

Irritability, petulance, sulkiness – lips pressed together – pursed lips – fake smile – forced laughter – narrowed eyes – small flushed circles on cheeks – gritting one’s teeth – squinting – frowning or scowling – glaring at the object of irritation – biting the inside of one’s cheek

Nostalgia – unfocused gaze – touch of a smile – moist eyes – tears – cocked head – sparkling eyes – closed eyes

Pessimism – wrinkled nose – knitted brows – pursed lips – curled lip – staring – squinting – grinding one’s teeth – frowning or scowling – tilting one’s head and looking askance (sideways)

Pride [in oneself] – dimpled grin – face-wide smile – Cheshire cat grin [cliché] – gleaming eyes – half-lidded eyes – elevated chin – maintaining eye contact – thrusting one’s jaw forward – holding one’s head high or tilting it back

Pride [in someone else] – moist eyes – tilted head – dimpled grin – adoring gaze – glowing cheeks – broad smile – nods of encouragement – tears trickling down face

Relaxation – gentle smile – smooth forehead – creases beside the eyes – a smile that reaches the eyes – direct eye contact without staring but with minimal blinking

Remorse, regret – head down while one is talking – moist eyes – pale face – hollowed cheeks – runny nose – trembling chin – dark circles under the eyes – sobbing or crying – staring at one’s toes – holding one’s head in one’s hands

Resentfulness – pinched lips – narrowed eyes – lack of eye contact – twisted mouth – curled lip – bared teeth – frowning or scowling – pouting – shaking one’s head – orange-peel consistency appearing on skin of tightened chin

Sadism – curled lip – evil grin – clenched jaw – bared teeth – twisted scowl – horizontal wrinkles between eyebrows – lips stretched so tightly over teeth that they seem to disappear

Sadness, unhappiness – downturned head – red eyes – moist eyes – puffy face – runny makeup – splotchy complexion – trembling chin – empty stare – drawn-down corners of the mouth – pouting – squinting – rubbing one’s eyes – staring at floor – crying – wiping one’s nose with a tissue – wincing – covering one’s face with the hands – holding one’s head in one’s hands – staring at toes or floor

Secrecy, stealthiness – sly smile – faraway look – winking – biting one’s lip – avoiding eye contact – forcing one’s lips closed into a firm line

Shyness – minimal eye contact – closed mouth – biting one’s lip – glancing away – lowering one’s head – looking down – biting one’s nails – blushing – covering one’s mouth with a hand – playing with one’s hair or mustache

Surprise – raised and curved brows – wrinkles across the forehead – gaping jaw – wide eyes with the whites showing – blinking

Worry – tight-lipped smile – knitted brows – puckered forehead – moist eyes – minimal eye contact – dark circles under the eyes – biting one’s nails – chewing on one’s lip – rubbing an eyebrow – kneading one’s face – blinking

If you need additional beats, consult a body language dictionary . (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Avoid Boilerplate Beats

Whenever possible, create original phrases rather than rely on generic beats. For example, a slight smile could be referred to as an almost smile , the ghost of a smile , or an enigmatic quirk of the lips .

If you’re stuck for a facial expression, try a YouTube search similar to the following: facial expressions __________ , where the blank specifies the expression you’d like to see. Then, fire up your creativity to show the emotion behind that expression.

Context Is Crucial

Many emotion beats can be caused by multiple emotions. Ensure that your context provides clear direction for readers.

Are You Interested in More Word Lists and Writing Tips?

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23 thoughts on “ 400+ Ways to Exploit Facial Expressions in Writing ”

Thank you so much for such a list, it has really helped me edit out many things out of my work.

Thanks for reading this, Zaza, and good luck with your editing!

Thanks so much for this list! I’ve been trying to figure out how to describe the uh-oh or oh dear face that people make where their bottom lip pulls down to one side. This is usually done in an effort to communicate with someone silently. There’s also the facial gesture, often accompanied by a shrug, that communicates indifference or an inability to answer a question. I’ve been using “he/she pulled up his/her bottom lip and shrugged his/her shoulders” for that one. Can you suggest anything else for either of those. I think your lopsided grimace might do it for the uh-oh/oh dear. Now for a little pet peeve I have. You are certainly not alone with this. It seems like everyone words these actions this way. To chew one’s lip is physically impossible. We chew with our molars, in the back of the mouth. We bite with our incisors, in the front of the mouth. So it should be bit at one’s lip/bite one’s lip. Chewing one’s cheek would be more correct than biting one’s cheek. Biting your cheek refers to the chomp you accidentally give your cheek when you’re eating. Again, this is not meant as criticism. Just something I’d like to see writers correct. If in doubt about this, try googling chew one’s lip. All the results come back as bite one’s lip. Anyway, thanks again for this resource. It’s helped me soooo much!

I’ve never heard of this one, Kris: “… the uh-oh or oh dear face that people make where their bottom lip pulls down to one side. This is usually done in an effort to communicate with someone silently.” Yes, the lopsided grimace would work, although I wouldn’t interpret it as trying to communicate with someone silently.

I would communicate indifference with a simple shrug — not of the shoulders. Shrug: to raise one’s shoulders slightly and momentarily to express doubt, ignorance, or indifference. The definition already includes shoulders.

What do you call it when you put a pen or pencil in your mouth and bite on it repeatedly with your teeth? Chewing on gnawing on it. What do you call the same action with a carrot or a finger? Chewing or gnawing on it. So what do you call it when you put your lip between your teeth and repeatedly bite on it? 🙂 Google defines chewing as a repeated biting or gnawing of something.

To “bite one’s lip” or to “bite one’s tongue” are idioms that mean to prevent oneself from saying something inappropriate for the situation.

I’m glad you stopped by, Kris. Good luck with your writing!

I really thank you & appreciate your kindness & generosity in sharing these facial expressions..I am just beginning to write…just retired, being a senior citizen..

Thanks again, Ester.

It’s help me a lot,thank you

I’m glad this helps you, Ashley.

Thank you very much. I am novice script writer and this helps tremendously.

My pleasure, Cudda. I’m glad this post helps you.

THANK YOU!! I am so tired of talking about brows furrowing, corners of mouths turning up, and eyes glistening with emotion 🙂

I’m glad I could help, Robin.

Thanks for all the adjectives and phrases! Will check out your books. Have some other such books that unfortunately have been redundant and unimaginative. I like your approach and method. Thanks!

Thanks, KC.

Good luck with your writing, and stay safe!

I’m leaving this comment for an upcoming blog post on the wrong way to share links. I need a URL, and I don’t want to focus on a comment left by someone else. I’ll edit this to include the link for the post once it’s online.

Thanks for your patience, folks! Exclamation point intended. 🙂

Edit to comment: You can read the blog post that references this comment here: https://kathysteinemann.com/Musings/link-share-mistake/

Thanks, Fran.

thanks helpful *flashing eyes* haha

You’re welcome.

This is so helpful. I’ve often thought, ‘how do I show that in writing.’ Thanks so much for sharing.

Thanks for dropping by, Tricia!

Hi Kathy, These lists must be very helpful for writers with little imagination – for some do write in a mundane way….The really ‘clever clogs’ (to be applauded) can, sometimes, also overwrite and tend to really milk their prose. It’s hard going to slog your way through 6/800 pages – however good they are when you’re a busy writer yourself.(As I did reading ‘The Goldfinch’ – an intelligent, worthy writer: brilliant but she doesn’t know when to stop…(I should be so lucky!) Thanks, Kathy.

Thanks for stopping by so often, Joy.

Yes, overmilked prose does make for a sluggish read. I’ve read popular authors who go on … and on … until I lose track of the storyline. But I’m amazed at the detail writers like Colleen McCullough include without making their books seem tedious.

A Guide to Descriptive Writing

by Melissa Donovan | Jan 7, 2021 | Creative Writing | 8 comments

What is descriptive writing?

Writing description is a necessary skill for most writers. Whether we’re writing an essay, a story, or a poem, we usually reach a point where we need to describe something. In fiction, we describe settings and characters. In poetry, we describe scenes, experiences, and emotions. In creative nonfiction, we describe reality. Descriptive writing is especially important for speculative fiction writers and poets. If you’ve created a fantasy world, then you’ll need to deftly describe it to readers; Lewis Carroll not only described Wonderland  (aff link); he also described the fantastical creatures that inhabited it.

But many writers are challenged by description writing, and many readers find it boring to read — when it’s not crafted skillfully.

However, I think it’s safe to say that technology has spoiled us. Thanks to photos and videos, we’ve become increasingly visual, which means it’s getting harder to use words to describe something, especially if it only exists in our imaginations.

What is Descriptive Writing?

One might say that descriptive writing is the art of painting a picture with words. But descriptive writing goes beyond visuals. Descriptive writing hits all the senses; we describe how things look, sound, smell, taste, and feel (their tactile quality).

The term descriptive writing can mean a few different things:

• The act of writing description ( I’m doing some descriptive writing ).
• A descriptive essay is short-form prose that is meant to describe something in detail; it can describe a person, place, event, object, or anything else.
• Description as part of a larger work: This is the most common kind of descriptive writing. It is usually a sentence or paragraph (sometimes multiple paragraphs) that provide description, usually to help the reader visualize what’s happening, where it’s happening, or how it’s happening. It’s most commonly used to describe a setting or a character. An example would be a section of text within a novel that establishes the setting by describing a room or a passage that introduces a character with a physical description.
• Writing that is descriptive (or vivid) — an author’s style: Some authors weave description throughout their prose and verse, interspersing it through the dialogue and action. It’s a style of writing that imparts description without using large blocks of text that are explicitly focused on description.
• Description is integral in poetry writing. Poetry emphasizes imagery, and imagery is rendered in writing via description, so descriptive writing is a crucial skill for most poets.

Depending on what you write, you’ve probably experimented with one of more of these types of descriptive writing, maybe all of them.

Can you think of any other types of descriptive writing that aren’t listed here?

How Much Description is Too Much?

Classic literature was dense with description whereas modern literature usually keeps description to a minimum.

Compare the elaborate descriptions in J.R.R. Tolkien’s  Lord of the Rings  trilogy  with the descriptions in J.K. Rowling’s  Harry Potter series  (aff links). Both series relied on description to help readers visualize an imagined, fantastical world, but Rowling did not use her precious writing space to describe standard settings whereas Tolkien frequently paused all action and spent pages describing a single landscape.

This isn’t unique to Tolkien and Rowling; if you compare most literature from the beginning of of the 20th century and earlier to today’s written works, you’ll see that we just don’t dedicate much time and space to description anymore.

I think this radical change in how we approach description is directly tied to the wide availability of film, television, and photography. Let’s say you were living in the 19th century, writing a story about a tropical island for an audience of northern, urban readers. You would be fairly certain that most of your readers had never seen such an island and had no idea what it looked like. To give your audience a full sense of your story’s setting, you’d need pages of detail describing the lush jungle, sandy beaches, and warm waters.

Nowadays, we all know what a tropical island looks like, thanks to the wide availability of media. Even if you’ve never been to such an island, surely you’ve seen one on TV. This might explain why few books on the craft of writing address descriptive writing. The focus is usually on other elements, like language, character, plot, theme, and structure.

For contemporary writers, the trick is to make the description as precise and detailed as possible while keeping it to a minimum. Most readers want characters and action with just enough description so that they can imagine the story as it’s unfolding.

If you’ve ever encountered a story that paused to provide head-to-toe descriptions along with detailed backstories of every character upon their introduction into the narrative, you know just how grating description can be when executed poorly.

However, it’s worth noting that a skilled writer can roll out descriptions that are riveting to read. Sometimes they’re riveting because they’re integrated seamlessly with the action and dialogue; other times, the description is deftly crafted and engaging on its own. In fact, an expert descriptive writer can keep readers glued through multiple pages of description.

Descriptive Writing Tips

I’ve encountered descriptive writing so smooth and seamless that I easily visualized what was happening without even noticing that I was reading description. Some authors craft descriptions that are so lovely, I do notice — but in a good way. Some of them are so compelling that I pause to read them again.

On the other hand, poorly crafted descriptions can really impede a reader’s experience. Description doesn’t work if it’s unclear, verbose, or bland. Most readers prefer action and dialogue to lengthy descriptions, so while a paragraph here and there can certainly help readers better visualize what’s happening, pages and pages of description can increase the risk that they’ll set your work aside and never pick it up again. There are exceptions to every rule, so the real trick is to know when lengthy descriptions are warranted and when they’re just boring.

Here are some general tips for descriptive writing:

• Use distinct descriptions that stand out and are memorable. For example, don’t write that a character is five foot two with brown hair and blue eyes. Give the reader something to remember. Say the character is short with mousy hair and sky-blue eyes.
• Make description active: Consider the following description of a room: There was a bookshelf in the corner. A desk sat under the window. The walls were beige, and the floor was tiled. That’s boring. Try something like this: A massive oak desk sat below a large picture window and beside a shelf overflowing with books. Hardcovers, paperbacks, and binders were piled on the dingy tiled floor in messy stacks.  In the second example, words like  overflowing  and  piled are active.
• Weave description through the narrative: Sometimes a character enters a room and looks around, so the narrative needs to pause to describe what the character sees. Other times, description can be threaded through the narrative. For example, instead of pausing to describe a character, engage that character in dialogue with another character. Use the characters’ thoughts and the dialogue tags to reveal description: He stared at her flowing, auburn curls, which reminded him of his mother’s hair. “Where were you?” he asked, shifting his green eyes across the restaurant to where a customer was hassling one of the servers.

Simple descriptions are surprisingly easy to execute. All you have to do is look at something (or imagine it) and write what you see. But well-crafted descriptions require writers to pay diligence to word choice, to describe only those elements that are most important, and to use engaging language to paint a picture in the reader’s mind. Instead of spending several sentences describing a character’s height, weight, age, hair color, eye color, and clothing, a few, choice details will often render a more vivid image for the reader: Red hair framed her round, freckled face like a spray of flames. This only reveals three descriptive details: red hair, a round face, and freckles. Yet it paints more vivid picture than a statistical head-to-toe rundown:  She was five foot three and no more than a hundred and ten pounds with red hair, blue eyes, and a round, freckled face.

10 descriptive writing practices.

How to Practice Writing Description

Here are some descriptive writing activities that will inspire you while providing opportunities to practice writing description. If you don’t have much experience with descriptive writing, you may find that your first few attempts are flat and boring. If you can’t keep readers engaged, they’ll wander off. Work at crafting descriptions that are compelling and mesmerizing.

• Go to one of your favorite spots and write a description of the setting: it could be your bedroom, a favorite coffee shop, or a local park. Leave people, dialogue, and action out of it. Just focus on explaining what the space looks like.
• Who is your favorite character from the movies? Describe the character from head to toe. Show the reader not only what the character looks like, but also how the character acts. Do this without including action or dialogue. Remember: description only!
• Forty years ago we didn’t have cell phones or the internet. Now we have cell phones that can access the internet. Think of a device or gadget that we’ll have forty years from now and describe it.
• Since modern fiction is light on description, many young and new writers often fail to include details, even when the reader needs them. Go through one of your writing projects and make sure elements that readers may not be familiar with are adequately described.
• Sometimes in a narrative, a little description provides respite from all the action and dialogue. Make a list of things from a story you’re working on (gadgets, characters, settings, etc.), and for each one, write a short description of no more than a hundred words.
• As mentioned, Tolkien often spent pages describing a single landscape. Choose one of your favorite pieces of classic literature, find a long passage of description, and rewrite it. Try to cut the descriptive word count in half.
• When you read a book, use a highlighter to mark sentences and paragraphs that contain description. Don’t highlight every adjective and adverb. Look for longer passages that are dedicated to description.
• Write a description for a child. Choose something reasonably difficult, like the solar system. How do you describe it in such a way that a child understands how he or she fits into it?
• Most writers dream of someday writing a book. Describe your book cover.
• Write a one-page description of yourself.

If you have any descriptive writing practices to add to this list, feel free to share them in the comments.

Descriptive Writing

Does descriptive writing come easily to you, or do you struggle with it? Do you put much thought into how you write description? What types of descriptive writing have you tackled — descriptive essays, blocks of description within larger texts, or descriptions woven throughout a narrative? Share your tips for descriptive writing by leaving a comment, and keep writing!

Further Reading: Abolish the Adverbs , Making the Right Word Choices for Better Writing , and Writing Description in Fiction .

I find descriptions easier when first beginning a scene. Other ones I struggle with. Yes, intertwining them with dialogue does help a lot.

I have the opposite experience. I tend to dive right into action and dialogue when I first start a scene.

I came across this article at just the right time. I am just starting to write a short story. This will change the way I describe characters in my story.

Thank you for this. R.G. Ramsey

You’re welcome!

Great tips and how to practise and improve our descriptive writing skills. Thank you for sharing.

You’re welcome, Bella.

Hello Melissa

I have read many of your articles about different aspects of writing and have enjoyed all of them. What you said here, I agree with, with the exception of #7. That is one point that I dispute and don’t understand the reason why anyone would do this, though I’ve seen books that had things like that done to them.

To me, a book is something to be treasured, loved and taken care of. It deserves my respect because I’m sure the author poured their heart and soul into its creation. Marking it up that way is nothing short of defacing it. A book or story is a form of art, so should a person mark over a picture by Rembrandt or any other famous painter? You’re a very talented author, so why would you want someone to mark through the words you had spent considerable time and effort agonizing over, while searching for the best words to convey your thoughts?

If I want to remember some section or point the author is making, then I’ll take a pen and paper and record the page number and perhaps the first few words of that particular section. I’ve found that writing a note this way helps me remember it better. This is then placed inside the cover for future reference. If someone did what you’ve suggested to a book of mine, I’d be madder than a ‘wet hen’, and that person would certainly be told what I thought of them.

In any of the previous articles you’ve written, you’ve brought up some excellent points which I’ve tried to incorporate in my writing. Keep up the good work as I know your efforts have helped me, and I’m sure other authors as well.

Hi Stanley. Thanks so much for sharing your point of view. I appreciate and value it.

Marking up a book is a common practice, especially in academia. Putting notes in margins, underlining, highlighting, and tagging pages with bookmarks is standard. Personally, I mark up nonfiction paperbacks, but I never mark up fiction paperbacks or any hardcovers (not since college).

I completely respect your right to keep your books in pristine condition. And years ago, when I started college, I felt exactly the same way. I was horrified that people (instructors and professors!) would fill their books with ugly yellow highlighting and other markips. But I quickly realized that this was shortsighted.

Consider an old paperback that is worn and dog-eared. With one look, you know this book has been read many times and it’s probably loved. It’s like the Velveteen Rabbit of books. I see markups as the same — that someone was engaging with the book and trying to understand it on a deeper level, which is not disrespectful. It’s something to be celebrated.

Sometimes we place too much value on the book as a physical object rather than what’s inside. I appreciate a beautiful book as much as anyone but what really matters to me is the information or experience that it contains. I often read on a Kindle. Sometimes I listen to audio books. There is no physical book. The experience is not lessened.

I understand where you’re coming from. I used to feel the same way, but my mind was changed. I’m not trying to change yours, but I hope you’ll understand.

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Free Creative Writing Prompts #61: Regrets

Many of us have regrets of things we wish we'd done in the past. These free  creative writing prompts  about your regrets may bring back some bad memories but they may also help you to create some important writing for yourself and others. As much as you may feel alone when you have a regret in your life, it's more likely that many people before you (and after you) have experienced a similar situation. In writing about what you've done wrong you can help the people after you avoid similar mistakes. Also, you may be able to rid yourself of the guilt associated with these regretful feelings. Who knew you could get all that from a few simple writing prompts :)? Enjoy!  Free Creative Writing Prompts: Regrets

1. Talk about the biggest regret you've had in your entire life. What led up to this occurring and what was the aftermath? What have you learned from this situation and how have you applied it to what you do now?

2. Do a character study on a person who uses his regrets to guide most of the decisions he makes in his life. What would happen to this person if he was able to move on free of these past transgressions?

3. What is one way that you have dealt with the regrets in your life? Do you just let them go easily or does it take a lot of talking and time? Have you needed to get professional help? Discuss the entire process for working regret out of your system.

4. What would you do if you could reverse one major regret from your past? How do you think your life would change if this was erased and how would it affect you as a person? Was it really all that much of an impact?

5. Go back in your mind to a conversation that you wish had not gotten so emotional and change it into a logical discussion on your part. Word for word, alter what was said and turn it into an empathic and emotional discourse. How does it change and what is the end result?

6. You have been given one last day with the "one that got away." What do you do with this time, what do you say, and what do you do? You only have this one last chance, so make it count.

7. Imagine that you have had a negative conversation with a person who passed away before you were able to make up. Write about the situation and your attempts to communicate with this person beyond the grave.

8. Write down a plan for your future financial situations based on the poor decisions that you have made in the past. Instead of regretting these past problems, try to look at them as opportunities to move forward with this new knowledge.

9. Craft a story about a kid who made a mistake in elementary school that cost him his popularity through middle and high school. Then give him an opportunity to go back and change that mistake. He can then choose between these two paths for the rest of his life. What path does he choose and why?

10. Have you ever caused extreme harm to someone without knowing it and then found out years later about what was said or done? If so, write about that experience, if not, create a story in which someone from your past comes up to confront you about said past issue.  While there are many things that I could regret in my life, it's hard to when I take into account how much I learned from those situations. Many things that I regret from high school involve me being socially awkward. As a result of those experiences, however, I learned to be a lot more socially adept and at this point I feel like I can communicate with people from most walks of life. Hopefully, these free creative writing prompts about your regrets can make you feel a similar way. If you're feeling brave, feel free to use the space below to provide your writing response to one of these prompts. Happy writing!  Bonus Prompt  - Create a giant chart of all the major regrets of your life and write a story in which you rectify all of these wrongs. It's sort of like the show "My Name is Earl." Go into detail and try to fix everything from childhood through adulthood. 

Related Articles to Free Creative Writing Prompts about Regrets Free Creative Writing Prompts from the Heart, Part 1 Free Creative Writing Prompts #2: Love Creative Writing Exercises #2: Relaxation

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Kathryn Rose Newey

Books, Poems, Worksheets, Videos ~ for Earth and Universe Warriors

• by Kathryn Newey
• May 14, 2019 August 5, 2023

How to ‘Show Not Tell’ in your Story Writing

We hear it all the time.

From the moment we start writing stories at school, to our high school creative essays, to every author training video and blog.

“Show, don’t tell!”

And it’s something that writers, especially new ones, grapple with… How to write from the heart, so that your writing sings, without being boring or cringeworthy.

At school we’re taught to use lots of interesting, powerful, unique adjectives and adverbs all the time!

But somehow that doesn’t (always) make writing soar.

Turns out the best writing teachers might be successful authors…

K.M. Weiland, an author and blogger, has extensive help and advice about the writing craft at her website HelpingWritersBecomeAuthors.com .

One of the most helpful summaries of this concept is her post “ 8 Quick Tips for Show, Don’t Tell “. Here’s a quick synopsis:

Don’t tell readers the emotion your character is feeling . Don’t say “Lucy felt regret…” Rather describe how she looks back and feels sad, or describe something that illustrates her regret, without actually using the word “regret”. [Metaphors spring to mind.]

Use cause and effect to your advantage . Writing chronologically takes readers with you, although sometimes writing about the effect before the cause can be powerful.

Avoid adverbs . You know those things we invariably use, when we write lazily? [This applies to adjectives too. Too many, and you might be using the wrong nouns!]

Choose the right verbs . Like the saying goes, if you’re using an adverb, you’re using the wrong verb.

Use paragraphs to break information . Like cause and effect, organising different aspects of a scene into separate paragraphs helps take readers along for the ride and helps to make the setting, the event and the result clearer in their minds.

Avoid saying “S/he thought ” when writing what a character is thinking, because it should already be clear from the context when a certain sentence contains their direct thoughts.

Be wary of dumping too much information into scenes . Often too much background or explanatory information can be too telling, without enough showing.

Use character goals as your motivation for writing each scene . Focusing on actions which come directly from the character’s needs, goals and desires (and significant plot points) in the story will often lead to writing more show, less tell.

K.M. Weiland’s advice to those writers struggling to ‘show not tell’ in their writing is to use this suggested exercise from Mary Karr’s ‘ The Art of Memoir ‘:

Imagine you’re describing a significant emotional event in your own life. You’re not allowed to say how it affected you, or what you felt. You have to focus on the things that will imply or illustrate those things to the readers.

I made the “How to Show not Tell in your Story Writing” graphic to summarise the key messages about improving your ‘show not tell’ skills from another one of K.M. Weiland’s posts: “ Showing and Telling: The Quick and Easy Way to Tell the Difference “.

In a nutshell, it’s down to elaborating (showing) not summarising (telling). To do that, use good quality nouns and verbs instead of adjectives and adverbs, and employ sensory descriptions, without necessarily naming the sense you’re describing. Obviously there is a place for telling as well, but showing involves readers more.

I’m going to get right to it after finishing this post! I’m going to try to make my writing more dramatic, submersive, real – and less telling.

What about you? What are your personal pet peeves with the ‘show don’t tell’ thing? How have you dealt with it? Do you have any useful examples we can all learn from? Write your comments below this post.

Man and smoke image thanks to intographics at pixabay.com.

Child in tunnel image thanks to Pexels at pixabay.com.

Girl and grain image thanks to tori_tori at pixabay.com.

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33 Writing Prompts about Regret

We all regret things in our lives. While regret is not a great feeling, it is an important one.

You may experience regret because of a mistake you made, or from not following through on something that you wish you did.

The upside to regret is that your inner thoughts are signaling to you to learn and make a better choice in the future, should a similar situation happen again.

We hope these writing prompts will help expand your mind and understand regret a little more. We know that you won’t regret reading them!

How to use these prompts:

Writing should be creative and fun, and that’s exactly why we provide these prompts!

You can make your own writing challenge by choosing one prompt per day or set a timer and write as much as you can for a prompt of your choice.

There is no right or wrong way to use these prompts, all you have to do is pick one and start writing.

The writing prompts:

• Have you ever regretted trying a new food?
• What is one thing you regret? Why?
• Some people say they have “no regrets.” Do you agree or disagree with this idea?
• Why do you think regret is important to acknowledge?
• What are some positive ways to deal with regrets?
• What is one thing you don’t regret? Why?
• If regret was a person, what would they be like?
• Invent a character and write about something they regret.
• Have you ever regretted something you said? What could you have said differently?
• When you regret something, how does it make you feel?
• What music do you think of when you think of the feeling of regret?
• Have you ever regretted not doing something?
• Where do you think the word regret comes from?
• Is it okay to have regrets?
• Write yourself a letter forgiving yourself for something you regret.
• How can you learn from your regrets?
• Write a story about a person that regrets everything they do.
• How long do you typically feel regret? Is it ongoing or does it last a few days?
• If you don’t acknowledge a regret, does it get better or worse?
• Have you ever talked to someone else about their regrets? Write about it. If not, imagine you are having a conversation with a family member or friend and write about that.
• Imagine there is a day when you cannot experience regret. What would it be like? What about the next day, when things go back to normal?
• Can you regret too much?
• Write a story about a person that never experiences regret and how they live their life.
• What kinds of things do people regret? What do they have in common? How are they different?
• What advice would you give to someone who is dealing with regret?
• Would you prefer to live with no regrets? Why or why not?
• Is regret always negative? Why or why not?
• Have you ever regretted going somewhere? Why or why not?
• Is regret the same thing as feeling sorry? Why or why not?
• What do you do after you regret something?
• How can you turn regret into something positive, like gratitude?
• If regret was an animal, what animal do you think it would be? Why?
• Have you ever regretted writing something down?

Looking for more?

We provide writing prompts on a variety of subjects for our writers and readers of all ages. You might also like to try our prompts about fear , love , or art …

Our free resources are for teachers, students, and everyone in between!

If you have any suggestions or ideas for us, or would like to leave a comment or ask a question, please reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!

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Creative Writing : Regrets

Creative Writing : REGRETS        

 Another year has passed, another day has ended; the days will come and go but still no answers are given. No pain is reduced.  My heart is still in pieces.  I often just lie here, wondering why.  Why I can not reconcile with what has happened.  Why you were taken from me and why I was never given a reason for your absence.  I would have rather it had been me than you. I had destroyed my life. You had years of life to lead.  You were young and free!

We had always been getting up to mischief when we were younger; we were like Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee. You were always the brave ambitious one, “Come on” you would say, “it will be a laugh.” Your motto was  “if you get hurt, you get hurt” if you fall off your horse, get back on it; you only live once. Might as well make the most of it! Me, well I was always the sensible one, “yes dad” you would say when I used to tell you to be careful! I was always warning you about dangers in life, what not to do and what to do! We were not identical twins and really had no likeness at all. We were like chalk and cheese.

I was so envious of you, even though we were twins the genes were definitely not equalled out. You seemed to have ambition, confidence and definitly the looks. You were tall, blond and blue eyed, definitely the Baker genes, where as I seemed to have inherited the Dickson genes. I was small, intelligent, sensible and always described as being weedy, Mum and Dad said we were both special in our own ways! However, my family nickname was runt!  Where as you were strong, bold and confident, we would play games and you were always the leader. I was like a dull caterpillar; small, weak and vulnerable. Where as you were a butterfly; strong, noticeable and free. Even at that young age it became obvious to me that you had everything I could have ever wanted!

I remember playing in the back garden at the age of five. It was a beautiful summer’s day. There were flowers everywhere and the butterflies had gathered around the roses. As usual we were both playing, you were completely intrigued by the butterflies, showing off as usual, you were chasing them around the garden. I was slightly more cautious. Anything that moved tended to make me a little scared. Mum and Dad were sat by the pond, me by the sprinkler playing in the water. I found an earthworm. It moved slowly and slid through the moist grass. It was brown and dull but interested me, as it seemed to have no legs! I scooped it up with hesitation. I ran over fast to mum and dad as it was tickling my hands and making me giggle and I did not want to hurt it, by dropping it. “Mum!” “Dad!” I shouted. “In a minute, love, Ben has just found an incredible butterly!” My eyes welled up with tears. I placed the worm back in his squiggy soil and cried in my room alone! No one knew. No one was even interested about my whereabouts. I wanted some attention. Just a little. However, Ben again had stolen the limelight. I realised that there was no room for me. I was not the son that they loved and adored. I was just a little boy they fed and clothed. Ben was special. William was just dull!

As we grew older my envy progressed. You were the one picked for the rugby team, you were the one that all the girls and boys loved, even the teachers would say, “why can’t you be more like your brother”.  Back then I was the reject, I had inherited all the weak genes, all the rubbish that was left over from you. You were known throughout the school as B.B.  The heartthrob to all the girls. Anyone would have been envious.

This is a preview of the whole essay

When we were seventeen my envy took on a different aspect. I began to dislike you; my own brother! You were known in college as BB. You made rugby captain of the college team. When I could not even get on the team!  I hated the fact that you were good at everything you tried. Being noticed for the smallest things you did.  I was still just William; one of the brainy geeks. You even stole my only love.  I then decided something was going to change. I was intelligent why not use it to my advantage. I was no longer going to be known as BB’s geeky brother. I wanted to be noticed.

Firstly I had to change my physical appearance. As the shaver tore through my auburn curls it felt like an escape from the reality of the constant rejection I had undertaken. I disliked it more than my parents did, but how else could I stand out against this god’s gift of a twin I had. The hard work option and sensible act had all been attempted but everyone had turned a blind eye. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Ben dearly but felt as though he had not only been given all the good genes and looks, but he had also stolen any attention, which was rightly mine. I had grown bitter and twisted; I changed my music taste and purposely flunked my degree course in law. My parents could not believe it, but decided it was my choice and I should do what I like! They were so bloody liberal, I wanted them to scream and shout, but not so much as a whisper! My attention seeking had escalated, I needed to rebel.

At the age of Twenty-Three I was living off the dole and dealing in illegal substances. The only thing that helped me escape from the reality of my miserable, pitiable, worthless life was to right poems, also the drugs helped. At this point I had lost all contact with my family, especially Ben. He was now a city accountant at a firm in London with a wife (my teenage sweetheart) and a baby girl. And me; a city dosser. I hated him so much and resented my family for not helping me out when I needed them the most. All it had ever been was Ben, Ben, Ben!!.

It was July the fourth as I remember.  I had just pulled off this cracking deal with these guys and had got myself a lot of cash. I had become involved in hard drugs now that meant large sums of money! I was in financial ruin and would do anything to get out of it! What ever it would take, I would accept any offers that were available! I was a complete mess.

There I sat slouched on the sofa, in front the television. The walls were cold and damp, the room lacked light and the walls stood dressed in cracks and mould. My mind was fixated on the spider’s web that had been growing in the right corner. There in the web was a fly caught up in the sticky mess. He had flown into the trap with no escape from his future, young and vulnerable. He had made one wrong move and he would suffer the consequences for the rest of his life, or what he had left. The spider, on the other hand was strong and focused. He wanted to get his supper, and was willing to hurt anything by doing so. The spider was calm and moved with a very smooth, collective style towards his victim. The spider was powerful, big, and confident whilst the fly was now not a creature but just another meal. The spider quickened his rhythm along the thin thread of success.

Startled by a loud bang I jumped, then I heard a knock at the door. I was very cautious, as, if you had an unexpected knock at the door, trouble would only be expected to be stood on the other side of it. Now I was the fly stuck in my room and in a mess, on the other side of that door was my predator and I was the prey. I walked slowly to the door, tucking a knife up my sleeve. I was now going to probably have my life ended. Slowly I unleashed each lock on the old brown door. My breath quickened and my body quivered. As I opened the door hastily there stood looking at me was not my murderer but a tall, well-built businessman. He was clean with a perfect posture and well dressed. It was Ben.  He had come alone and looked as though he had something he wanted to tell me. He came in and sat down. He was so perfect! God I envied and hated him so much! There was awkwardness in the room. I had nothing I wanted to say to him. The silence was deadly, the air motionless. I could see the sweat running down the side of his tanned cheek. He looked nervous. I had never seen him like this before, never weak and quiet, he was almost vulnerable. The silence grew and Ben appeared no longer strong and confident like he once was. He looked worried and unsettled, he seemed as though there was something he wanted to say. I sat with my eyes fixated on the web; the damn fly had gone but so had the spider. The spider had been there as long as I had, where had he gone? Then Ben rose from his chair and choked the words out of his mouth. His eyes were welling up and tears trickled down his cheek “ William, I know that me and you have never really got along, but there is something I feel that you need to know”.

Just at that point there was an unexpected knock at the door, braking Benjamin’s emotive speech. I was intrigued with what Ben was going to say but then the knock came again, this time it sounded a little more aggressive.

I rose from my chair and slowly approached the door. I did not know who it would be. As I approached the door I noticed the several amounts of paint jobs this old, tortured, brown door possessed. It was old, dirty and chipped, the dents from ragging tempers were embedded in it. The edge had swelled and was black from such damp, disgusting living conditions.

  There was no need to undo the locks as they were left from before and the door had been left slightly ajar.  As I nudged open the door I felt the prickles on my neck go up, a cold breeze ran through my spine. As I looked up, I noticed that the two figures which stood in front of me were death.

One was large and very muscular wearing a suit with dark sunglasses the other more slight wearing a tattoo on his wrist and carried a gun in his hand. We are looking for WB.  That was my code name in the area. “Yeah, that’s me ” I announced. He gave no reasons or justifications for what he did next. He just said he was going to end the life that my mother had started.

All I can remember was a gunshot and a pain leaking into my lung, I collapsed onto the floor. My senses began to become faded; I could see and hear just about. My brother Ben had been a witness taking no time in recognising this fact; they swiftly set about their sorded business… Slaughtering his body in front of me. He was kicked repeatedly in the head by the larger man. He was kicked and kicked until he no longer remained conscious. The blood bubbled out his mouth as he tried to breath and now it was blood trickling down his brown tanned cheek, his male-model physique was now broken limp on the floor. The cause was another man’s hatred for me.

I remember the day I woke from the coma. Only half of me woke, the other half absent from my body. I did not have to ask; I had sensed it, Ben had gone.

My mouth was dry. I found it hard to swallow the lump of guilt that had built up in my throat. My body weak and numbed by the pain of loss. The life of the wrong twin had been taken. My body should have been burned not his. All this time I had envied him and even hated him. I had been seeking attention all my life, which had resulted in the death of my brother. My parents stood by the side of my bed; finally, I had attention. But now it hit me; the life of my twin was much more important than any type of attention. He was now gone, never to return, He was a father, husband, brother and a son and now was nothing but a memory! Due to my selfishness.

Another year has passed. Another day has ended. The days have come and gone and I have found the answers I was looking for. No pain is reduced, my heart still in pieces, now I lie here knowing why my brother died.

I cannot deal with what has happened, you were taken from this earth, and the answer was there all along. It should have been me not you. I had destroyed my life due to selfish jealousy. I cannot replace a brother, son, father or husband, and for that I am truly sorry.

Nevertheless, know this much: He will always be with you all, but for me, I have made terrible mistakes in my life and caused many heartache and pain. I will leave you all and join with my other half. One day I will see you again, but for now I feel, my brother needs me.

It is nobody’s fault

      Only mine…

Document Details

• Word Count 2356
• Page Count 4
• Subject English

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12 Awesome Descriptions For Guilt

Guilt – one of the most common but least understood emotions. In the overall scheme of emotions, guilt is in the general category of negative feeling states. It’s one of the “sad” emotions, which also include agony, grief, and loneliness. Often neglected when it comes to writing at the primary level, teach your child some useful descriptions for guilt to help add some complexity to his writing, and trust me, his teacher will reward him generously for that.

Let’s take a look at the 12 Awesome Descriptions For Guilt today:

1.  Guilt  was  written all over her face .

2. Julian was  steeped in guilt . He  bitterly regretted  having taken the little baby’s lollipop.

3. Jack the Ripper was the  perpetrator  of  unspeakable horrific deeds .

4. “Sorry,” he  mumbled guiltily .

5. Tommy was  afraid to own up to his mistake .

6. Yash  glanced uncomfortably  at Justin. He knew that he was  at fault .

7. I could tell from his  shamefaced expression  that he was  as guilty as sin .

8.  All the pieces of the puzzle fell into place  when the murderer confessed.

9. They have arrested the wrong boy. Ethan is  as innocent as a lamb .

10. Leina found it impossible to sleep that night.  Pangs of guilt  kept her awake.

11. Many years later, the man’s  guilty past  finally  caught up  with him.

12.Derick had  no defence , because he was  caught in the act .

Encourage your child to use these descriptions in the tests and examinations. Help them familiarise with these phrases through simple activities by writing short introductory paragraphs with one or two of the descriptions, or give them short dictation quizzes!

For over 15 years,  Augustine’s English Classes  has helped hundreds of students fall in love with the subject and excelling in school exams. If you are interested to know how our classes work, or what our secret winning formula is, do feel free to drop us a message or give us a call.

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Sony & paramount sign non-disclosure agreement allowing deal talks to start, but it’s not looking like a $26 billion bid for whole company anymore, uma thurman on making paul schrader’s cannes film ‘oh, canada’: “i had a strong feeling this was very personal to him”.

By Damon Wise

Film Editor, Awards

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DEADLINE: How did you get involved with  Oh, Canada ?

UMA THURMAN: Really, I just got the call through my agents to read a Paul Schrader script and meet with him. I’m so glad I did. I love Paul Schrader.

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DEADLINE: Did you know him already?

THURMAN: No, I didn’t know him. I mean, I’ve certainly been in a room with him here or there. But no, I didn’t know him. Now I do, and I’m all the better for it.

DEADLINE: What grabbed you about it?

THURMAN: The script. I think it’s probably more clear filmed than it was on the page. It was such an unusual read. I mean, I’ve read some of the more unusual scripts that have been made in my lifetime, and this definitely was very, very unusual.

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DEADLINE: How would you describe it?

THURMAN: It’s a reverie of a man in the last moments of his life, reconstructing the narrative of what mattered to him, reevaluating who he is — and was — and the substance of a lifetime. But it’s also a very lyrical, sort of loosely knit, poetic, kind of dream-state illusion. So, written down, I found it more confusing than it is on the screen. The cinematic hand of Paul, of course, carried the day, as far as bringing this sort of illusionary dream together into something that you walk away from with the strong impression of a story.

DEADLINE: Is there anything you can tell us about your character?

DEADLINE: What kind of shoot was it? It seems very intimate…

THURMAN: Well, just the presence of a master like Paul Schrader on a set of any size, is as distinct as, I don’t know, a warm wind. It’s like the wind that hits you when you get off a plane in the tropics. There’s only one thing of its ilk, and he’s kind of a master like that. You could really be anywhere; you can’t miss it.

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Watching him put this piece together, I had a very strong feeling that that this was very personal to him, knowing that he was very good friends with Russell Banks, the author of the book it’s based on. I forget exactly how it worked out, but I know the book was meant to be called Oh, Canada , but it was published, at least in North America, as Foregone , I believe. You can fact-check me [laughs]. I think I’m right, but I’m not pigheaded about rightness.

But anyway, there was something very sweet, and sad, and beautiful about their friendship; Russell and Paul were very enmeshed, intertwined, close friends. I believe this was the last book that Russell Banks wrote, as he himself was kind of going through, or into the window of, a similar period of his own life and end of life. I wouldn’t be able to say whether Paul would call him a best friend, or one of his best friends, or one of his closest friends, but, to me, it felt like a dear friend expressing the last work of a very dear friend contemplating a life in fiction. That’s a long explanation, but I think that, to me, is what was very beautiful about it.

DEADLINE: What kind of discussions did you have with Paul about the movie? It seems there’s a lot to debate there, a lot to talk about.

THURMAN: Oh, I wouldn’t be able to vaguely answer that. I read the book, and talked to Paul, and kind of understood his feelings about the author. I didn’t find that there were things to debate with him about it, really. It’s one man writing about another man’s lived experience, told in a fictitious narrative.

DEADLINE: It’s interesting, though, that it’s about a documentary filmmaker who’s debunking his own myths. It’s about getting at the truth and asking, what even is the truth? Your character says at one point, “I know everything I need to know.” What does that mean, to you, in terms of that idea of reality versus filmed reality?

THURMAN: Well, I think that, for that character, maybe there’s an underlying theme, an idea that there are truths, and then there are many facts, and sometimes facts can be contradictory, but there are still perhaps some higher truths that remain unabused by even conflicting facts. I think the character of the wife saying, “I know everything I need to know,” is her way of saying, “Yes, there’s tons of contradiction, but I know that I am loved, and I do love, and I was loved.” So, her confidence in this greater truth doesn’t mean… It means she’s unbuffeted by the things that contradict it, the facts. [Pause]. Perhaps .

DEADLINE: Had you worked with Richard Gere before?

THURMAN: With Richard? In 1991, when I was a kid, I played Kim Basinger’s younger sister in a movie called Final Analysis .

DEADLINE: But you hadn’t worked together since then?

DEADLINE: In people or in material?

THURMAN: In all things. His legacy is basically one of the main vertebrae of the backbone of American cinema.

DEADLINE: He never makes the same thing twice. Well, he does sometimes make similar films, but he doesn’t rest on his laurels. Do you have a particular favorite of his?

THURMAN: I don’t know. We were talking about Cat People last night.

I think the fact that he doesn’t really make the same film twice is probably why he has a 50-year career. You can’t make the same film over and over. You can’t pass multiple generations the same cup of tea, per se. So, I think it is his great depth of knowledge and his incredibly examining mind of the human spirit. He is quite special.

DEADLINE: What’s next for you?

THURMAN: I’m going to Cannes, and, after that, I don’t know. When everyone was on strike, I just kind of cooled my jets down. I haven’t figured out yet what I’m going to do next.

DEADLINE: Are you looking forward to Cannes? You must have been quite a few times now.

THURMAN: I have.

DEADLINE: It’s been 30 years since Pulp Fiction . What are your memories of that occasion?

THURMAN: Oh, it was extraordinary. I wish I had been there. I was shooting something else, so I wasn’t there when it won. That’s a real sadness and a regret, that I wasn’t able to be there when it won.

DEADLINE: What would you say Cannes means to you?

THURMAN: It’s really special. I mean, I’ve had so many films play in the festival. I don’t remember how many were in the competition or had premieres there, I’ve lost track, but I think it’s one of the most special film gatherings remaining in the world, if not the most special.

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