EMOTION THESAURUS

WISTFULNESS



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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:
A yearning (tinged with sadness or regret) for change that one believes is likely out of reach


SIMILAR EMOTIONS:

PHYSICAL SIGNALS AND BEHAVIORS:
A weak, pensive smile
Pressing the lips and glancing down
A far-off look
Growing quiet
Breaths that slow and deepen
The chin dipping slightly
A visible swallow
Letting out a sigh that is a mixture of hope and sadness
Voicing a thoughtful sentiment or yearning: I wish it could be different, don't you?
Holding oneself, arms crossed, and rubbing the forearms with one's thumbs
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INTERNAL SENSATIONS:
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MENTAL RESPONSES:
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CUES OF ACUTE OR LONG TERM WISTFULNESS:
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MAY ESCALATE TO:
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CUES OF SUPPRESSED WISTFULNESS:
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MAY DE-ESCALATE TO:
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ASSOCIATED POWER VERBS:
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