EMOTION AMPLIFIER THESAURUS

AROUSAL



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HELPFUL TIP:

Amplifiers are conditions that enhance emotions, causing characters to become more volatile. This often leads to impaired decision-making, hasty actions and, best of all, mistakes. When utilizing an amplifier to generate conflict, think carefully about setting choices and which environments will naturally escalate emotion. An amplifier can also be perfect for triggering your character’s negative traits; the resulting fallout will draw attention to how his flaws trip him up and hold him back.
DESCRIPTION:
Heightened emotions and (oftentimes) sexual activation arise when a new source of interest appears. Because arousal can look different for men and women, this entry focuses mostly on generalized aspects that are common for both. 

NOTES:
For additional insight into the body language tied to arousal (especially escalated sexual arousal), see our Emotion Thesaurus entries on DESIRE and LUST, and check out One Stop's body language tip sheets that show the stages of attraction.

PHYSICAL SIGNALS AND BEHAVIORS:
A head lift and strong eye contact
Eyebrows pulling down and in as the character visually seeks to read the situation
Focusing their gaze on the subject and holding it there
Forgetting what they were doing (their interest now being consumed by the person activating their desire)
A straightening of the body, especially if the source is returning interest
Eyes that appear focused
A smoldering gaze
The character touching their own face or neck (skating fingers along the jaw, rubbing at an eyebrow, tapping the lip, etc.)
Abandoning what they're doing or the people they're talking to
Leaning in toward the source
The lips parting slightly
A visible flush to the cheeks
The character pulling at the neckline of their shirt, touching the exposed skin
Lifting the head to expose the neck
Glancing around to see if anyone has noticed their reaction (especially if it's not the right place to feel arousal or there's an element of danger)
A gaze that travels, taking in every aspect of the other person
Plucking at clothing to adjust it as the character's temperature rises
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INTERNAL SENSATIONS:
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MENTAL RESPONSES:
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CUES OF ACUTE OR LONG TERM AROUSAL:
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EFFORTS TO HIDE THE AROUSAL:
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ASSOCIATED POWER VERBS:
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EMOTIONS GENERATED BY THIS AMPLIFIER:
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DUTIES OR DESIRES THAT MAY BE MORE DIFFICULT TO FULFILL:
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SCENARIOS FOR BUILDING CONFLICT AND TENSION:
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WRITER’S TIP:
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