EMOTION THESAURUS

MISERY



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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:
Suffering acute emotional distress; being deeply unhappy and stuck

SIMILAR EMOTIONS:
DEPRESSED, DESPAIR, DREAD

NOTES:
Misery is caused by the weight of negative circumstances that the character cannot easily or quickly resolve.

PHYSICAL SIGNALS AND BEHAVIORS:
Looking dishevelled, worn-out, sallow, or unhealthy
A downward gaze
Avoiding eye contact
Low energy when speaking (mumbling, saying little, no force behind one's words, etc.)
A voice that cracks
Scrubbing a hand through the hair or over the back of the neck
Swallowing excessively
Eyes that appear red or wet (glistening more than usual)
A pained expression (down turned mouth, a forehead crease, eyebrows pulled low, etc.
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INTERNAL SENSATIONS:
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MENTAL RESPONSES:
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CUES OF ACUTE OR LONG TERM MISERY:
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MAY ESCALATE TO:
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CUES OF SUPPRESSED MISERY:
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MAY DE-ESCALATE TO:
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ASSOCIATED POWER VERBS:
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