EMOTION THESAURUS

ANGUISH



Never struggle with Show-and-Tell again. Activate your free trial or subscribe to view the Emotion Thesaurus in its entirety, or visit the Table of Contents to explore unlocked entries.

CHOOSE MY PLAN

HELPFUL TIP:

The inner landscape of your characters (especially your protagonist) is the lifeblood that runs through your story. Emotions, and how they're expressed, are tied deeply to a character’s personality and which positive traits and negative traits will manifest. To bring your readers in deeper through shared experience, consider filtering the setting descriptions through your character’s emotions while also exploring important colors, textures, and shapes through his or her senses.
DEFINITION:
Emotional or mental distress; acute suffering

PHYSICAL SIGNALS AND BEHAVIORS:
Manic pacing
Muttering
Rubbing the back of one's neck
Rocking back and forth
Tugging one's hair
Not eating or drinking
Visible sweating
Skin bunching around the eyes, a pained stare
Hands clenching into fists
Rubbing the wrists or wringing the hands
Restless fingers
Jumping at sounds
...

INTERNAL SENSATIONS:
...

MENTAL RESPONSES:
...

CUES OF ACUTE OR LONG TERM ANGUISH:
...

MAY ESCALATE TO:
...

CUES OF SUPPRESSED ANGUISH:
...

MAY DE-ESCALATE TO:
...

ASSOCIATED POWER VERBS:
...