Emotional Beats
Page 9
sighted
ogled
cast a glance
his eyes begged her to amplify
gazed
gaped
spotted
surveyed
turned an eye on
looked upon
fixed her gaze on
noted
recognized
identified
took a look
took a glance
stared
leered
scowled
scanned
peered
squinted
gaped
noticed
observed
considered
watched
viewed
took in
studied
examined
inspected
scrutinized
perused
sized up
took stock of
skimmed
glanced through
flipped through
perceived
discerned
beheld
watched for
looked on
eyed
detected
contemplated
kept in sight
held in view
stood guard
kept watch
monitored
distinguished
For “pulled”
pulled out
removed
drew
took out
extracted
produced
tugged
yanked
extricated
lugged
dragged
fished out
For “pushed”
propelled
ballasted
set in motion
drove
trundled
shoved
thrust
pressed forward
made one's way
squeezed through
roused
prompted
forged ahead
For “put”
stashed
placed
posed
posited
plunked down
mounted
positioned
stationed
set before
dropped
crammed
stuffed
stuck
lodged
plopped
plunked
parked
stationed
planted
perched
inserted
lay
set
set upright
stood on end
upended
deposited
consigned
relegated
strapped
tossed
threw
flung
lobbed
hurled
heaved
cast
slapped onto
draped
dunked
eased
shifted
interposed
installed
For “reacted”
reeled back
rocked back
flushed
blanched
blushed
scowled
nodded her consent
nodded an agreement
smiled
grinned
grimaced
shrugged and said
admitted with a nod
shook his head
beamed
smirked
simpered
listed
tilted
swayed
keeled over
flinched
shivered
sniffed
blinked
retracted
sighed
exhaled
inhaled
flicked
flung
reclined
shifted
relaxed
swallowed
pouted
looked + adj.
yielded
hesitated
made no attempt to
frowned
made no answer
fell silent
paused
stared
gasped
started
startled
slackened
reclined
drew back
stepped back
stiffened
resisted
retreated
raised an eyebrow
cocked her head to one side
put her head to one side
tilted her head
chuckled
yawned
laughed
snickered
giggled
stifled a yawn
stifled a laugh
took a deep breath
glanced off
glared
shrugged
devoid of emotion
grinned
sneered
For “smelled”
got scent of
sensed
sniffed
detected
snuffled
snorted
inhaled
scented
snuffed
breathed in
savored
perceived
caught a whiff of
discerned
reeked
stunk
assaulted the nostrils
For “stood”
got to his feet
jumped up
rose
rose to his feet
got up
remained upright
held herself erect
stationed herself
For “tasted”, “drank”
savored
relished
nibbled at
tried
sipped
gulped
took a deep swallow
chewed
ingested
ruminated
sampled
sank his teeth into
bit into
melted
licked
slurped
chugged
smacked
suckled
sucked
swigged
swilled
chomped
ground
munched
gnawed
quaffed
imbibed
tippled
nipped
supped
drained
washed down
swilled down
guzzled down
lapped up
soused
quenched
crunched
For “thought, remembered”
wondered
asked herself
pondered
noticed
reflected
struck her as
entertained a notion
held in one's mind
It occurred to her
It came to her
realized
knew
she considered.
she considered this.
he was tempted to
brought to mind
he was taken with the idea that
she reasoned
understood
considered
went over
turned it over in her mind
flirted with the idea
recollected
bore in mind
deduced
reviewed
pictured
featured
imagined
pretended
hoped
feared
envisioned
deliberated
envisaged
called up
conjured up
conceived of
fancied
allowed the conceit
judged
suspected
intended
expected
planned
concentrated
inferred
thought back to
put her in mind of
called to mind
reminded her of
mused
ruminated
recalled
mulled over
brooded over
projected
anticipated
concluded
esteemed
took heed
kept in mind
guessed
supposed
formed an image of
conjured
hatched
fabricated
fashioned
formulated
concocted
reasoned that
acknowledged
weighed
reconsidered
thought better of
For “took”
drew
withdrew
pulled out a
picked
selected
chose
plucked
removed
snatched out
scooped up
rooted out
snatched
trapped
took up
raised
picked up
hoisted
set upright
elevated
seized
prized open
wrenched
wrested
produced
extracted
extricated
accepted
fetched
grabbed
snitched
took hold of
jimmied
gathered
grasped
gripped
fingered
nabbed
packed
ransacked
appropriated
swiped
snared
dragged
acquired
obtained
gained
procured
garnered
gleaned
pilfered
lowered
took down
tore down
swapped
For “touched”
clutched
pawed
gripped
grasped
took hold of
adjusted
felt
manipulated
maneuvered
twiddled
palpated
palmed
handled
thumbed
rummaged through
caressed
fondled
stroked
grazed
rubbed
tugged
squeezed
scratched
pinched
handled
held
knifed
mauled
patted
tapped
tamped
rapped
brushed
bedaubed
dappled
dabbed
swept across
scraped
glanced
alighted
pressed
wrung
kneaded
shoved
gouged
grazed
prodded
ticked
trapped
jabbed
poked
pressed
tapped
drummed
wiggled
worked
probed
goaded
twisted
wedged
pried
prized open
pry/pried
pulled
pushed
primped
preened
rattled
pumped
mangled
massaged
felt
flattened
smoothed
scooped up
flicked
flipped
flogged
fondled
groped
stubbed
scoured
scrubbed
For “turned”
wheeled around
twisted to one side
whirled about
rotated
spun on her heels
pivoted
revolved
swiveled
reeled
trundled
circled
eddied
swirled
sheered
veered
shifted
divagated
angled off
shunted
For “was, were”
stood
sat
took up
perched
lay
hung
took place
contained
spanned
loomed
occupied
remained
stayed
persisted
befell (happened)
bechanced
occurred
happened
For “walked” or “ran”
paced
shuffled
scuffed
lumbered
plodded
sidled
slinked/slunk
proceeded
wended
went on his way
shuffled
scuffed
scuffled
stumbled
shambled
waddled
wobbled
slouched
minced
strolled
sauntered
ambled
marched
stepped
roamed
roved
meandered
shadowed
pursued
pranced
flitted
flew
hauled off
groped his way
launched across
scaled
lunged
moved
paraded
passed
patrolled
plowed
prowled
propelled
pursued
raced
sailed
trailed after
continued on
drifted past/along
strayed
glided along
tramped
trudged
traipsed
trod/treaded/trodden
limped
hobbled
lurched
crawled
crossed
traversed
inched across
emerged
entered
evacuated
advanced
approached
bushwhacked
climbed
crept along, crept away
sneaked/snuck
tiptoed
stepped lightly
pussyfooted
descended
ascended
rushed
sidestepped
skidded
skipped
stole
steered
swerved
veered
listed
trampled
ushered
waded
wandered
hiked
withdrew
ambulated
absconded
drifted
dodged
edged
eluded
&nb
sp; escaped
evaded
fled
dashed
chased
hurtled
swished
swaggered
trotted
scrambled
scampered
scooted
scuttled
scurried
trekked
strode
stalked
stomped
strutted
stamped
staggered
tripped
galloped
charged
darted
danced
bolted
tore
tore along
made rapid strides
covered ground
sprinted
careered
scudded
hastened
raced
hurried
jogged
cantered
loped
tripped
took flight
decamped
Describing Death
* * *
Author D. Wallace Peach has written many of the beats found in this book. She has kindly allowed me to include here her excellent post on how real people react to death.
Common Physical Reactions to a Death:
Tightness in the forehead, throat, or chest
Dry mouth
Breathlessness
Nausea and/or a hollow feeling in the stomach
Weakness, fatigue
Sleep disturbances, dreams, and nightmares
Appetite disturbances
Disbelief is often a first reaction upon hearing of a death, especially if the death is sudden. Disbelief manifests as an initial numbness, a surreal sense that this can’t be happening, that the world has stopped making sense.
Internal/External Coping: Your characters’ reactions will vary widely. Some will express themselves externally, others internally. This can be a source of misunderstanding – the less emotionally expressive characters accused of coldness or indifference, the more openly expressive characters accused of wallowing in self-pity.
Social Immersion/Withdrawal: Some characters will desire immersion within their social network to gain support or stem loneliness and fear. Other characters may avoid interactions, needing time to process and reflect in solitude. Many will fall somewhere in between, appearing fine until the brittle walls of control collapse at a word or gesture.
The Rollercoaster: Most people will dip in and out of grief, able to handle it in small doses before backing up and regaining emotional control. Your characters will function and grieve, function and grieve.
Reminders: Some characters may avoid reminders of the deceased, finding that places or objects trigger painful feelings. Others may have the opposite reaction—desiring to visit those places and carry keepsakes.
Active/Passive: Death generates a sense of helplessness. Some grieving characters may resort to intense activity (cooking, training, working, painting the house, or shopping). This is a coping mechanism that counters the loss of control. Others will feel lethargic, distracted and forgetful. They’ll have trouble focusing or wander in a fog without the will to complete the simplest tasks.
Spirituality and Religion: For some characters, death may challenge spiritual or religious beliefs and shake faith to its foundations. For others, spiritual or religious beliefs may be or become the lifeline that sees the character through.
Conflicted Relationships: These are relationships shaped by a tangle of positive and negative experiences, wishes, and emotions. Characters are grappling for balance and control, for respect, love, or approval. Death ends all chances for a satisfactory resolution. The feelings left behind are a stew of love, anger, regret, and guilt.