Back in September, I published Emotional Beats: How to Easily Convert your Writing into Palpable Feelings. As promised, I will be posting the book on my blog. So, here is the next installment, featuring Part 2 of the book: Body Parts.
Hands and legs
Read for free with KU
An easy way to show what someone is thinking is through their feet: whatever they’re pointing at, that’s where their attention lies. Other ways to use hands and legs in your beats include:
- Tenting his short fingers…
- With a flourish, she brandished a letter dramatically.
- He brushed a hand under his nose like a child with a cold.
- His hand jutted out over the edge of the bed.
- He lifted his hands.
- He spread his hands.
- He leaned on one elbow.
Nods, head, and back
How about using our characters’ entire head to illustrate a point?
- He let his forehead touch the window.
- He got a crick in his neck looking up at her.
- He shook his head as if clearing cobwebs from his mind.
- She ducked.
- He shook his head.
- His head wagged back and forth.
- Her head twisted left and right atop her shoulder.
- Her head nodded like it rested on a rusty spring.
- His head spun like a top.
- His head lay at a right angle, making him look lopsided, like something inside had come loose.
- She tipped her head in his direction.
- His head wagged side to side, in time with the music.
- Her head bobbed a nervous nod, putting her balance in disarray.
- Her head dipped a quick nod.
- His head did a quick bobble.
- He tossed a nod toward the bushes and narrowed his lazy gaze against hers.
- Her nod tipped real subtle.
- Her nod fell heavy, final.
Next week: Part 3. View all posts on the subject, or buy the book on Amazon – free on KU!
Tweet This
Thanks for another great post, Nicholas. 🙂 — Suzanne
Thank you so much, Suzanne 🙂
I just went to Amazon to look at this book – getting it on my Kindle – excited!
Yay! Thank you so much, Susan! I hope you find it useful 😀
This is so generous of you!
Thanks 😀
Some new ones in there. Thanks!
Yay 😀
You caught me ‘tenting my short fingers’! Where were you hiding?
Great tips as always.
Best wishes, Pete.
(Have a look at my latest post, if you have time.)
https://beetleypete.wordpress.com/2017/03/20/free-books-and-marketing/
Lol – just don’t open the closet behind you.
Thanks for the link! Heading over now 🙂