MASTER LISTS FOR WRITERS: Thesauruses, Plots, Character Traits, Names, and More (10 page)

50 ACTIONS THAT SHOW ATTRACTION

Let’s say the two main characters in a romance, or any story with a romantic subplot, are just starting to get interested in one another. It’s way too early for declarations or kisses. How will one of them suspect that the other is into her?

Here are fifty ways, some of them quite subtle, that your characters might demonstrate their feelings—whether they mean to or not.

This list includes indirect cues and obvious signs, and some indicate deeper levels of interest than others. A few of them can also demonstrate feelings of platonic friendship. Remember that for this list, as always, you can substitute genders as you like.

1. He can’t stop looking at her.
   
2. She has trouble meeting his eyes without blushing.
   
3. He listens intently and leans forward whenever she talks.
   
4. He inquires about her living situation, or what she likes to do on the weekends... because he’s trying to figure out whether she’s romantically available.
   
5. She asks him for a favor—possibly one that involves him coming over to her place, or her coming over to his.
   
6. She does him an unexpected favor.
   
7. He asks for his opinion or advice.
   
8. She reads a book or sees a movie after the woman she likes says it’s good.
   
9. She remembers how he likes his steak, or she gets his coffee shop order right.
   

1. In a meeting or a classroom, he chooses the seat next to her, even though there are plenty of other empty chairs.
   
2. She unexpectedly defends him, or his opinion or idea, in a conversation, meeting, or class.
   
3. He compliments her on something that she cares quite a bit about, but that nobody else ever seems to notice.
   
4. She wears something frequently or starts wearing her hair a certain way after he says he likes it.
   
5. He apologizes more than he needs to for a small or nonexistent slight.
   
6. She gives him a lot of sympathy over small things, like if he has a cold or his weekend plans got ruined.
   
7. He shows off in front of her or brags about an accomplishment.
   
8. She stumbles over her words around him, although she is usually articulate.
   
9. He forgets basic things when he’s around her, such as the appointment he needs to get to, or what exactly he came to her store to buy.
   
10. She fidgets when she’s around him or plays nervously with her phone or whatever is close at hand.
    
11. He notices even slight changes in her expression and body language and asks her what’s wrong even when nobody else notices anything is wrong.
    
12. She talks to him about something that she never discusses with anyone. Her own openness may surprise her.
    

1. He asks the man he likes an overly personal question...or maybe a few of them.
   
2. She asks her a lot of questions, just to keep the conversation going.
   
3. He buys her a gift for her birthday, or just because she said she wanted a particular item...even though they haven’t known each other all that long. He might pass it off as no big deal.
   
4. She plays with her hair when she talks to him.
   
5. He adjusts his tie when he talks to her.
   
6. She finds excuses to touch him in casual ways. She might touch his arm to get his attention or to guide him in the right direction if they’re walking somewhere together. She might even give him a playful strike on the shoulder in response to something he says.
   
7. He loans her his jacket because it’s cold out.
   
8. She warns him about bad weather, bad traffic, or a bad-tempered supervisor.
   
9. He sits or stands up straight when the guy he likes walks into the room.
   
10. She tilts her head when he’s talking and she’s listening.
    
11. He makes a joke for her ears only about the party or the lecture.
    
12. He laughs more loudly at her joke than she expected.
    
13. She smiles a whole lot more whenever he’s around.
    

1. His friend makes an excuse to leave them alone together.
   
2. Her friend says knowingly that she’s heard a lot about him.
   
3. She shows up for a meeting with him several minutes early...even if she makes a habit of being fashionably late.
   
4. He frantically cleans his apartment before she stops by.
   
5. She tries to make friends with his daughter, his mom, or his cat.
   
6. He just happens to turn up at a place where she hangs out or visits regularly.
   
7. She encourages him to take a bite of her food or a sip of her drink.
   
8. He offers to drive her or walk her home, even if it’s a safe neighborhood and she’s only walking a few blocks.
   
9. She connects with him on social media, and likes his pictures and posts.
   
10. If her friends talk admiringly about other men—acquaintances, or hot actors—she doesn’t join in if he’s around.
    
11. If his friends are joking about gross bodily functions, he doesn’t join in if she’s around.
    
12. She makes more racy jokes or sexual innuendoes when she’s with him, even if they aren’t directed specifically at him.
    

1. He teases her, but in a flattering way.
   
2. Her voice becomes ever so slightly softer, gentler, or higher-pitched when she speaks to him.
   
3. He invites her to a group event, such as a party or a dinner with friends.
   
4. She gets visibly irritated at someone else flirting with him.
   

50 ACTIONS THAT SHOW ANIMOSITY

Just as you might want to show a budding friendship or attraction between your characters, you might also need to depict hostility. Your main character might or might not understand what he did to earn this person’s dislike or disrespect, but here are fifty ways to demonstrate it. These might also be the actions of people who actually like or love one another, but are fighting and behaving badly.

For these to really show animosity, they have to contrast with how a character treats everyone else. Some of these can be additions to a later list in this book, “25 Ways to Show a Character Is a Jerk,” if he acts that way with just about everyone.

Note that some of these actions could be accidental, which might prove useful if you want to sow seeds of misunderstanding between two characters. Some of these are much more hostile than others, although they all fall short of physical violence. You’ll want to think about what’s appropriate for the level of a conflict, which may increase throughout your story.

In all of these examples, I’ve used “he” versus “she,” just for the sake of clarity. I’m not suggesting that most conflicts are between a man and a woman.

1. He avoids looking her in the eye.
   
2. She turns her body away from him. It may be a slight or subtle movement.
   
3. He crosses his arms.
   
4. She clicks her tongue at something he said.
   
5. He snorts with disgust at something she said.
   
6. She rolls her eyes at him.
   
7. He interrupts her.
   

1. She exchanges disbelieving looks with others when he talks.
   
2. He bumps into her or jostles her coffee.
   
3. She looks at her phone or her watch while he talks.
   
4. He shakes his head slightly as she talks.
   
5. She plays the devil’s advocate when he expresses an opinion.
   
6. He thwarts her suggestions even on trivial issues.
   
7. He speaks to her in a flat tone of voice.
   
8. He raises his voice when speaking to her.
   
9. She speaks to him in a tone dripping with sarcasm.
   
10. He ignores her question or comment.
    
11. She pretends she doesn’t notice that he’s walked into the room.
    
12. He demands to know what she’s reading, what she’s looking at online, or where she’s going, if he thinks it might embarrass her.
    
13. She insults him, but passes it off as a harmless joke.
    
14. When she gets good news, he suggests possible down sides.
    
15. She abruptly stops talking to friends or co-workers when he approaches.
    

1. He leaves her off of a group invitation to a meeting or a party. He may claim it was an accident.
   
2. She forgets an appointment with him, or so she says later. Alternately, she cancels it at the last minute for what sounds like a trivial reason.
   
3. He laughs at something she said when she was being serious.
   
4. She gives advice and suggestions that imply he’s done absolutely everything wrong.
   
5. He befriends her competitor or rival.
   
6. She pretends not to notice when he tries to shake hands.
   
7. He shakes hands using an uncomfortably tight grip.
   
8. She spreads a false or unflattering story about him.
   
9. He learns a secret about her that she would rather no one knew—and brings it up.
   
10. She brings up some small mistake he made months ago.
    
11. He draws attention to a stain on her blouse, a pimple on her face, or some other flaw.
    
12. He berates her about an accident or an innocent mistake.
    
13. He leaves her a mean note.
    
14. He walks fast, even if she clearly struggles to keep up.
    

1. When she has trouble carrying something or picking up things she dropped, he doesn’t help.
   
2. She calls him by a nickname he hates.
   
3. If she’s in a position of power, she gives him more than his share of the work, or assigns the worst job to him.
   
4. He encourages others to join him in making fun of her.
   
5. She predicts that his job interview, date, or vacation won’t go well.
   
6. He makes fun of something that he knows she likes.
   
7. She switches off the music he was listening to, or the TV program he was watching.
   
8. She unfriends or blocks him on social media.
   
9. He threatens or bullies her via an anonymous account on social media.
   
10. She damages his property, maybe when no one can see her, or maybe when she can claim it was accidental. She keys his car, spills water on his phone, or runs over his flowerbed.
    
11. He slams the door, punches a wall, or smashes a plate on the floor.
    
12. She makes an abrupt retreat: she storms out of the house, abandons camp, or gets off the plane right before departure.
    
13. She calls him terrible names.
    

1. He tells her he hopes she dies, or that she should kill herself.
   

25 RESPONSES TO A CRISIS

When things get really bad, different people react differently. In some cases, their behavior is exactly what one would expect, and in other instances, they reveal new facets of their identities. A person who seems tough may fold like a cheap chair, while a previously unassuming individual may step up to the occasion.

Some of the reactions on this list are reasonable responses to some crises, and inappropriate and counterproductive to others. Some are specific to situations where your characters face a sentient antagonist rather than, say, an illness or a natural disaster.

Your characters’ authentic responses to dire events will make your story all the more gripping for a reader. Here are twenty-five possibilities!

1. Physical violence.
   
2. Freezing up.
   

He is completely unable to take action. He may not even be able to move or speak.

1. Bargaining.
   

She opens up negotiations with an aggressor, offering something in exchange for a resolution.

1. Persuasion.
   

He attempts to appeal to the aggressor’s logic or humanity in order to convince her to change course.

1. Seeking comfort.
   

She asks someone else for reassuring words, a hand to hold, or a hug.

1. Sarcasm and humor.
   

This is his usual strategy for getting through life, and he sticks to it when big problems arise.

1. Crying.
   

This may be her main reaction, or something she does before or after taking more productive measures.

1. Blaming.
   

Even when it’s nobody’s fault, he insists that it is.

1. Lashing out.
   

While she doesn’t actually blame the people around her for what’s happening, she does yell at them.

1. Praying.
   

She asks God or the deity of her choice to make the crisis go away or keep her company as she goes through it.

1. Fiddling while Rome burns.
   

Since everything is terrible, she decides that they may as well have sex or a party.

1. Hiding.
   

He cowers in a closet or avoids his friends and acquaintances.

1. Documenting.
   

She shoots a video of what’s happening or writes about it in her journal in order to make sense of it or serve as a record for others.

1. Analyzing.
   

He studies and researches the problem, looking for possible solutions, even when it seems like there aren’t any, or there isn’t enough time to find them.

1. Nurturing.
   

She worries about the impact of the situation on the people around her, and tries to take care of them.

1. Escaping.
   

He runs away. Depending on the situation, this may prove difficult.

1. Choosing oblivion.
   

In a different kind of escape, she turns to drugs, alcohol, or even suicide.

1. Taking inventory.
   

He organizes everything that might prove useful, whether it’s canned food, ammo, or a list of friends’ phone numbers.

1. Looking for help.
   

She sets out to find a specialist, a neighbor, or a nearby gunfighter to lend a hand in dealing with the problem.

1. Begging.
   

He pleads with an aggressor to relent and spare him.

1. Switching sides.
   

She joins forces with an aggressor in order to survive.

1. Verbal attacks.
   

He yells at or insults the aggressor.

1. Organizing.
   

She gets a group to confront the problem together, through a strike, a fundraising push, or an uprising.

1. Deceit.
   

He attempts to get out of the situation through trickery and distraction.

1. Sacrifice.
   

She tries to save others in a way that puts herself in danger.