EMOTION THESAURUS

CONFLICTED



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:
Experiencing opposing emotions

PHYSICAL SIGNALS AND BEHAVIORS:
Lips pressing together in a slight grimace
Increased swallowing or blinking
A smile that wavers
Gaze ping-ponging, avoiding direct eye contact
Start-and-stop gesturing (reaching then hesitating, changing direction mid-stride)
Broken dialogue, self-interruptions
Opening and closing the mouth
Struggling to find the right words
Voicing support, but with a tone that lacks enthusiasm
Becoming quieter, less animated
Scratching one's neck or cheek
Rubbing or pulling at an ear
...

INTERNAL SENSATIONS:
...

MENTAL RESPONSES:
...

CUES OF ACUTE OR LONG TERM CONFLICTED:
...

MAY ESCALATE TO:
...

CUES OF SUPPRESSED CONFLICTED:
...

MAY DE-ESCALATE TO:
...

ASSOCIATED POWER VERBS:
...