EMOTION THESAURUS

DESPAIR



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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:
Losing all hope; becoming despondent

PHYSICAL SIGNALS AND BEHAVIORS:
Shoulders dragging, with the arms losing all strength
A caved-in chest
A slack expression
A hanging head
Letting out a hard sigh and closing one's eyes
Eyebrows that pinch together
A pained expression
Slumping where one stands or sits
Weakly throwing up one's hands
Hands that slide loosely into one's lap
Leaning forward, with the hands draping limply over one's knees
Taking shallow yet audible breaths
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INTERNAL SENSATIONS:
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MENTAL RESPONSES:
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CUES OF ACUTE OR LONG TERM DESPAIR:
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MAY ESCALATE TO:
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CUES OF SUPPRESSED DESPAIR:
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MAY DE-ESCALATE TO:
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ASSOCIATED POWER VERBS:
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