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"We need to get that time machine fixed ASAP!"

"Wait, why the change of heart? I thought you wanted more time with your Dad."

"..."

"What happened, Jim?"

"He thinks I'm into him."

" Into him as in...?"

"Don't make me say it."

"Oh. Wait, he didn't get violent, did he? I mean, it is 1993, the public perception towards that kind of thing isn't exactly welcoming."

"No, he was surprisingly progressive about it. But now I can't look him in the eye. Ugh."

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[promptsblog]

Ways I Show a Character Is Deeply in Love (and Doesn’t Realize It Yet)

Falling in love doesn’t always come with violins and kissing in the rain. Sometimes it looks like, “Why do I know their coffee order, favorite pen, and dog’s birthday?”

They remember everything. Not because they’re trying to flirt. Just because their brain decided, “This person’s data is important now.”

They get annoyed by other people talking to them. Why are you laughing at their joke? He’s not even funny.

They show up. For dumb things. Things they wouldn’t normally care about. Your cat’s vet appointment? They’re there.

Their body reacts before they do. Smiling before their brain catches up. Leaning closer without realizing. Looking at their mouth while they talk. Oops.

They pretend they’re just "helping out." You know. Just being a good friend. A good friend who stares at your texts like they’re holy scripture.

They get flustered when the other person flirts with anyone else. “I��m not jealous. I just… think they deserve better. Like someone emotionally mature. Who knows their coffee order. Who… wears this hoodie. Okay bye.”

They panic when the other person gets too close. Not because they’re scared of them. Because they’re scared of how much they care.

[promptsblog]

When your character says, "I'm on the run from Johnny Law," everyone assumes they mean the cops, but what if it's not and that's just the guy's name?

[promptsblog]

How to show emotions

Part VIII

How to show helplessness

slightly open mouth

downturned mouth

eyes slightly more open

being hesitant in their movements

shrugging shoulders

wringing their hands

crossed arms to protect themself

buckling of the legs, becoming instable

speaking softly and shaky

How to show optimism

openly smiling

relaxed face

bright, attentice eyes

steady and natural eye contact

open and upright posture

energetic and animated movements

speaking in an upbeat and positive tone

walking with a spring in their step

walking confidently

How to show anticipation

bright and open eyes

looking around

sweaty palms

trembling hands

heart racing

fidgeting with their entire body

crossing and uncrossing one's legs

having restless legs, rocking them

drumming with their fingers

bouncing on one's toes

shifting from one foot to the other

pacing around

fussing with clothes

How to show amusement

eyes twinkling with mirth

chuckling

bursting out in laughter

eye contact to share their amusement

being open and relaxed

a genuine smile

raised eyebrows

crinkling around the eyes

tilting of the head

slapping their thigh

playfully nudging other characters

How to show respectfulness

standing tall with good posture

maintain steady, appropriate eye contact

avoiding direct staring to not make them feel uncomfortable

speaking in a calm and measured tone

showing attentiveness by listening actively

using polite language and manners, not interrupting or talking over anyone

no crossing of arms and relaxed hands

More: How to write emotions Masterpost

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[promptsblog]

Ways I Show a Character Is Deeply in Love (and Doesn’t Realize It Yet)

Falling in love doesn’t always come with violins and kissing in the rain. Sometimes it looks like, “Why do I know their coffee order, favorite pen, and dog’s birthday?”

They remember everything. Not because they’re trying to flirt. Just because their brain decided, “This person’s data is important now.”

They get annoyed by other people talking to them. Why are you laughing at their joke? He’s not even funny.

They show up. For dumb things. Things they wouldn’t normally care about. Your cat’s vet appointment? They’re there.

Their body reacts before they do. Smiling before their brain catches up. Leaning closer without realizing. Looking at their mouth while they talk. Oops.

They pretend they’re just "helping out." You know. Just being a good friend. A good friend who stares at your texts like they’re holy scripture.

They get flustered when the other person flirts with anyone else. “I’m not jealous. I just… think they deserve better. Like someone emotionally mature. Who knows their coffee order. Who… wears this hoodie. Okay bye.”

They panic when the other person gets too close. Not because they’re scared of them. Because they’re scared of how much they care.

[promptsblog]

"It's over."

The words echoed again and again in your brain. Those exact words they used that you couldn't unhear.

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The words echoed again and again in your brain. Those exact words they used that you couldn't unhear.

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I will have to redo this post at some stage, as I believe I completely misunderstood the question.

Building Romantic Tension

Note: The following contains major spoilers for “You’ve Got Mail”. Also, for simplicity’s sake, I am going to be using heterosexual and cisgender terminology in my examples, but these tips can apply when writing any kind of romantic relationship.

I received an ask from someone about building romantic tension between two characters in a “love-hate” dynamic. Unfortunately, the question seems to have gotten swallowed by my ask box so I’m not sure whose question this was, but I’ll do my best to answer it.

Now, I have to preface this by saying that, other than having one poem and one short story published in anthologies in high school, I am not a published author. I’m definitely not a professional writer. I’m in the same boat as most of you: an aspiring writer.

Also, I tend to write tips about coming up with and filling prompts, so this is a bit of a departure for me. Please bear with me.

Here are some questions you might want to ask yourself:

1. If the protagonists don’t like each other - at least, at first - why are they forced in proximity with each other? Are they colleagues? Neighbours? Do they have mutual friends? Are they both zombie hunters trying to survive a post-apocalyptic world? Does their conflict itself force them to be around each other a lot, such as being on opposing sides of a major issue?

2. Why do they clash? This is the key to your tension. There needs to be a reason that they are butting heads all the time, and one that makes sense for the characters.

3. What do they have in common? Unless you’re intending to write about a destructive relationship, there needs to be common ground for your couple, something other than physical attraction that draws them together. It doesn’t even necessarily have to be a shared trait or interest - eg. Once your stuffy hero gets used to the eccentric heroine’s brash nature, he begins to admire her honesty and frankness; she, in return, after first thinking him a snob, admires his calm and gentle nature.

Once you know the answers to these questions, you can start building tension. When you have a love-hate dynamic, you’re working with two characters who not only have at least one point of contention with each other, but are also struggling with their attraction to each other. There lives would be much easier if they could just hate each other or not feel anything at all for each other but - dammit - they can’t help it.

You may be thinking : “ That’s all well and good, Daniella, but it’s also vague. How do I write that?”

Well again, I’m no expert. The following are just some suggestions:

1. If possible (if it works for your story), write their first meeting. Allow your readers to see that tension from the get-go. The characters don’t have to be attracted to each other, or know they’re attracted to each other, right away, but the best “Love-hate” relationships are filled with verbal sparring and witty banter. This is a great way to develop chemistry and conflict at the same time. However, they don’t necessarily need to have tension when they first meet. Think of Kathleen Kelly and Joe Fox’s first face-to-face meeting in, “You’ve Got Mail” before she finds out that his family owns the huge conglomerate “Fox Books” that threatens the future of her family-owned bookstore. They get along, they joke around, they even like each other. She gets to see the way that he interacts with his much younger brother and aunt, he gets to see her passion for books and children, before they become enemies.

2. Establish your stakes. Both protagonists should have goals that are in direct conflict with one another. You have no doubt heard of, “ Show don’t tell” so you can convey this in conversations with friends, family or colleagues. Alternatively, you could save the revelations for later in the story and have the readers discover it the same time as they reveal it to each other. In Mills and Boons/Harlequin style romance novels, it’s ok to tell rather than just show by exploring your characters’ thoughts and memories in the moment, or through introspection.

3. As someone who writes romance myself, I believe the way that romance and love develops is a deeply personal thing to an author, and therefore there is no “formula” or “one size fits all” step-by-step procedure. How protagonists find common ground and become emotionally - as well as physically - drawn to one another depends greatly on the characters themselves, the setting, the plot, other characters and external conflicts. Maybe one character realises the effect their actions have on the other character and apologises, which therefore allows the other character to see the first character as more human than simply “the enemy”. Maybe the characters are forced into a reluctant alliance to overcome a common enemy and have to put their differences aside, which slowly builds into a friendship with the hint of something more. Maybe your characters are bickering in the car when a song comes on the radio and they both start singing along. Maybe it’s much more gradual than any of those examples. There are a myriad of other ways to do this. Again, it is up to you as the author to find something that works with your unique story and characters.

If you don’t mind being cliched and unoriginal, forcing your leads to get stuck in a confined space such as a lift (elevator), locked room, cellar, cave, space shuttle, etc, often works a treat to show the struggle of two people people trying not to directly confront their feelings of attraction with their enemy. Cliches are cliches for a reason: they’re usually effective. If, however, you want to try something a little different, there are alternatives that can work just as well, if not better:

Try giving one or both of your protagonists an out. Give them an opportunity to cut ties with each other just when they’re starting to realise they actually enjoy each others’ company.

Put a protagonist in a situation where they find themselves defending the other protagonist to a third character.

Use parallels and metaphors within your story to get your characters to indirectly discuss their growing attraction in subtextual conversations. Don’t be afraid to let your readers read between the lines sometimes.

These are just a few suggested techniques and are by no means exhaustive.

Well, I hope that was helpful. If anyone would like to add anything, feel free.

[promptsblog]

Can you do some more body language descriptions? For different emotions like Worry, sadness, love, etc!! Ty🩷🩷

Body Language Descriptions

-> feel free to edit and adjust pronouns as you see fit.

Worry

She wrung her hands together, her fingers twisting nervously as she struggled to keep her thoughts in check.

He glanced over his shoulder, his gaze darting anxiously around the room.

She pulled at her sleeve, the movement repetitive and absentminded as her mind raced.

He bit the inside of his cheek, a habit that betrayed his inner turmoil.

They hugged their arms tightly across their chest, as if trying to hold themselves together.

She paced the room, her steps quick and uneven as she tried to shake off the nagging sense of dread.

Sadness

She wiped at her eyes, even though no tears had fallen yet.

He let his shoulders sag, his whole body slumping as if the weight of the world rested on him.

She clutched her scarf tightly, her fingers gripping the fabric like it was the only thing grounding her.

He kept his head low, staring at the ground as if afraid to meet anyone’s eyes.

They let out a shaky exhale, the sound heavy with unspoken grief.

She blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the tears threatening to spill.

Love

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her smile soft and shy as she met his gaze.

He brushed her hand lightly, the touch lingering just a moment longer than necessary.

They leaned closer, their knees nearly touching, as if drawn together by an invisible force.

She tilted her head slightly, her expression tender and full of quiet affection.

He laughed easily, the sound warm and unguarded, his gaze never leaving her face.

She reached out to fix his collar, her fingers lingering as she adjusted it carefully.

Guilt

He avoided her eyes, his gaze fixed firmly on the floor.

She rubbed her temples, her hands trembling.

He shifted his weight from foot to foot, unable to stay still.

She clasped her hands tightly behind her back, her knuckles white as she fought to remain composed.

They bit their lower lip, their jaw tightening.

He fidgeted with the edge of his sleeve, his movements jerky and hesitant.

Fear

She took a step back, her breath quickening as her eyes darted to the nearest exit.

He clenched the fabric of his shirt over his chest, as if trying to steady his pounding heart.

She froze in place, her body stiff and her movements tentative, like a deer caught in headlights.

He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing visibly as he fought to calm himself.

They pressed their back against the wall, their hands splayed out.

She whispered under her breath, her words shaky and barely audible.

Jealousy

He crossed his arms over his chest, his jaw tightening as his gaze followed her every move.

She tapped her foot impatiently, the rhythm sharp and irritated as she forced a smile.

He clenched his fists at his sides, the tension in his knuckles betraying his calm demeanor.

She cast a sideways glance, her lips pressed into a thin line.

They shifted in their seat, their shoulders stiff.

He ran his fingers through his hair, his movements brisk and frustrated as he fought to contain his thoughts.

Relief

She exhaled deeply, her shoulders dropping as the tension melted away.

He ran a hand down his face, his smile faint but unmistakably genuine.

She laughed shakily, her hand pressed to her chest as if trying to steady her racing heart.

He slumped against the nearest chair, his legs suddenly too weak to hold him up.

They let their head fall back, their eyes closing as a soft, contented sigh escaped their lips.

She smiled faintly, her fingers tracing idle patterns on the surface of the table as the weight lifted from her mind.

Embarrassment

She tugged at the collar of her shirt, her cheeks flushing as she avoided everyone’s gaze.

He rubbed the back of his neck, his lips twitching into an awkward, forced smile.

She bit her lip, her hands fluttering nervously.

He let out a strained laugh, scratching the side of his head.

They hid their face in their hands, peeking out between their fingers with a sheepish grin.

She stumbled over her words, her fingers twisting the hem of her shirt as her cheeks burned bright red.

[promptsblog]

A manufactured pop group faces an unexpected derailment (eg all their team die of a deadly illness, get cancelled, etc) and, faced with an impending deadline for their next album, decide to try writing some songs themselves for once, and find they're actually not terrible.

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Write a piece about an animal stealing a hat

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Write something completely out of your genre. Or using a trope you hate. Or your least favourite character archetype. Explore getting out of your comfort zone and challenging your preconceived notions of what sort of writer you are.

[promptsblog]

You're immortal because death just doesn't want to deal with you.

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Don't tell me what to do.

Sometimes, you need to stop to move forward

The best way to overcome writers block is to stop. If you simply can’t be creative, just stop trying and do something else.

Go for a walk. Do some chores. Drink your favourite beverage and listen to some music. Read a book or watch a film. Creativity often strikes when we least expect it.

[promptsblog]

Alright, quick apology for going slightly off-topic here from my usual sporadically-posted writing prompts, but I just found out something that has me really disappointed. I know this is kind of old news, but I only just found out because I wanted to replay Choose Love the other day, and GUESS WHAT? It’s gone. Netflix erased it, along with most of their interactive content, and I’m not happy.

Choose Love wasn’t just a rom-com; it was pure chaos in the best way. It gave us the chance to make reckless, dramatic choices that we’d never get to make in real life. Do you marry the loyal, dependable boyfriend? Go for the ex who is incompatible with you in every way? Run off with the hot, adorable rockstar? Or somehow, choose yourself and end up alone? It was interactive gold. And now it’s gone. Why? Because Netflix decided interactive storytelling isn’t worth their time anymore.

Here’s the thing: interactive romance stories have huge potential. Apps like Episode and Choices are literal cash cows. Choices has raked in $175 million, and Episode has had over 9 BILLION views across its stories. I'm not going to type that out as a number, but that's a lot of zeros. These apps are proof that people LOVE making choices in romance stories. They’re paying for premium options, spending hours replaying different endings, and fully immersing themselves in these fictional worlds. But the next step is live action. To actually see the stories play out in the real world and not just stilted animation.

So why did Netflix give up on something with so much potential? Romance is one of the most popular genres across all media, and when you combine that with the interactivity people crave, it’s a recipe for success. Look, I know Choose Love wasn’t perfect - Cami was bland and underdeveloped, the comedy could have gone a little harder and it was pretty obvious that we were being pushed to pick Paul - but it showed the potential of an interactive romcom. It was a proof of concept. They could’ve built on that! They could’ve made something amazing! Instead, they just gave up.

I also can't help but think of all the effort that was put into it by everyone who worked on it only to have it taken down after a mere year. As a creative, that must be so disheartening for all those writers, producers, crew members and actors.

And sure, maybe they want to focus on other projects or whatever, and post-strikes, it's expensive to pay royalties for content that isn't bringing in loads of views blah blah blah, but how do you just drop an entire format that’s clearly popular elsewhere? Apps like Choices and Episode are thriving for a reason. People don’t just want to watch a love story - they want to participate. Fans have very strong opinions about what choices characters should have made and who should have ended up together, and this format gives them the power to make it so!

I guess what I’m saying is, RIP to Choose Love and Netflix’s interactive era. If you need me, I’ll be over on Twine working on my choose-your-own-romance bisexual love triangle masterpiece which I will inevitably re-abandon after three days.

[promptsblog]

"I took your advice and I asked out a woman on a date -"

"Wait, you what?"

"And now I'm not sure what to do. Am I supposed to pick her up? Does she pick me up? Who pays?"

"Grandma, I didn't tell you to ask anyone out, I just told you the definition of the word 'bisexual'.

"Well I didn't know I was allowed to date women until you clarified it, dear."

"Everyone is allowed, we're not in Russia."