description of sadness in creative writing

Describing Sadness in Creative Writing: 33 Ways to Capture the Blues

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on August 25, 2023

Categories Creative Writing , Writing

Describing sadness in creative writing can be a challenging task for any writer.

Sadness is an emotion that can be felt in different ways, and it’s important to be able to convey it in a way that is authentic and relatable to readers. Whether you’re writing a novel, short story, or even a poem, the ability to describe sadness can make or break a story.

Understanding sadness in writing is essential to creating a believable character or scene. Sadness is a complex emotion that can be caused by a variety of factors, such as loss, disappointment, or loneliness. It’s important to consider the context in which the sadness is occurring, as this can influence the way it is expressed.

By exploring the emotional spectrum of characters and the physical manifestations of sadness, writers can create a more authentic portrayal of the emotion.

In this article, we will explore the different ways to describe sadness in creative writing. We will discuss the emotional spectrum of characters, the physical manifestations of sadness, and the language and dialogue used to express it. We’ll also look at expert views on emotion and provide unique examples of describing sadness.

By the end of this article, you’ll have a better understanding of how to authentically convey sadness in your writing.

Key Takeaways

• Understanding the emotional spectrum of characters is essential to creating a believable portrayal of sadness.
• Physical manifestations of sadness can be used to convey the emotion in a more authentic way.
• Authenticity in describing sadness can be achieved through language and dialogue, as well as expert views on emotion.

33 Ways to Express Sadness in Creative Writing

Let’s start with some concrete examples of sadness metaphors and similes:

Here are 33 ways to express sadness in creative writing:

• A heavy sigh escaped her lips as a tear rolled down her cheek.
• His eyes glistened with unleashed tears that he quickly blinked away.
• Her heart felt like it was being squeezed by a cold, metal fist.
• A profound emptiness opened up inside him, threatening to swallow him whole.
• An avalanche of sorrow crashed over her without warning.
• His spirit sank like a stone in water.
• A dark cloud of grief descended on her.
• Waves of sadness washed over him, pulling him under.
• She felt like she was drowning in an ocean of melancholy.
• His eyes darkened with sadness like a gathering storm.
• Grief enveloped her like a wet blanket, heavy and smothering.
• The light in his eyes dimmed to a flicker behind tears.
• Sadness seeped through her veins like icy slush.
• The corners of his mouth drooped like a wilting flower.
• Her breath came in short, ragged gasps between sobs.
• A profound melancholy oozed from his pores.
• The weight of despair crushed her like a vice.
• A haunted, hollow look glazed over his eyes.
• An invisible hand squeezed her heart, wringing out all joy.
• His soul curdled like spoiled milk.
• A silent scream lodged in her throat.
• He was consumed by a fathomless gloom.
• Sorrow pulsed through her veins with every beat of her heart.
• Grief blanketed him like new-fallen snow, numbing and icy.
• Tears stung her eyes like shards of glass.
• A cold, dark abyss of sadness swallowed him.
• Melancholy seeped from her like rain from a leaky roof.
• His spirit shriveled and sank like a deflating balloon.
• A sick, hollow ache blossomed inside her.
• Rivulets of anguish trickled down his cheeks.
• Sadness smothered her like a poisonous fog.
• Gloom settled on his shoulders like a black shroud.
• Her sorrow poured out in a river of tears.

Understanding Sadness in Writing

Describing sadness in writing can be a challenging task.

Sadness is a complex emotion that can manifest in different ways. It can be expressed through tears, sighs, silence, or even a simple change in posture. As a writer, you need to be able to convey sadness effectively to your readers, while also avoiding cliches and melodrama.

One way to approach describing sadness is to focus on the physical sensations and reactions that accompany it. For example, you might describe the feeling of a lump in your throat, or the tightness in your chest. You could also describe the way your eyes become watery, or the way your hands tremble.

These physical descriptions can help your readers to empathize with your characters and feel the same emotions.

Another important aspect of describing sadness is the tone of your writing. You want to strike a balance between conveying the depth of the emotion and avoiding excessive sentimentality.

One way to achieve this is to use simple, direct language that conveys the emotion without resorting to flowery language or overwrought metaphors.

When describing sadness, it’s also important to consider the context in which it occurs. Sadness can be a response to many different situations, such as loss, disappointment, or rejection. It can also be accompanied by other emotions, such as anger, confusion, or melancholy.

By considering the context and accompanying emotions, you can create a more nuanced and realistic portrayal of sadness in your writing.

Finally, it can be helpful to draw on examples of how other writers have successfully described sadness. By studying the techniques and descriptions used by other writers, you can gain a better understanding of how to effectively convey sadness in your own writing.

In conclusion, describing sadness in writing requires a careful balance of physical descriptions, tone, context, and examples. By focusing on these elements, you can create a more nuanced and effective portrayal of this complex emotion.

Emotional Spectrum in Characters

In creative writing, it’s important to create characters that are multi-dimensional and have a wide range of emotions. When it comes to describing sadness, it’s essential to understand the emotional spectrum of characters and how they respond to different situations.

Characters can experience a variety of emotions, including love, happiness, surprise, anger, fear, nervousness, and more.

Each character has a unique personality that influences their emotional responses. For example, a protagonist might respond to sadness with a broken heart, dismay, or feeling desolate.

On the other hand, a character might respond with anger, contempt, or apathy.

When describing sadness, it’s important to consider the emotional response of the character. For example, a haunted character might respond to sadness with exhaustion or a sense of being drained. A crestfallen character might respond with a sense of defeat or disappointment.

It’s also important to consider how sadness affects the character’s personality. Some characters might become withdrawn or depressed, while others might become more emotional or volatile. When describing sadness, it’s important to show how it affects the character’s behavior and interactions with others.

Overall, the emotional spectrum of characters is an important aspect of creative writing. By understanding how characters respond to different emotions, you can create more realistic and relatable characters. When describing sadness, it’s important to consider the character’s emotional response, personality, and behavior.

Physical Manifestations of Sadness

When you’re feeling sad, it’s not just an emotion that you experience mentally. It can also manifest physically. Here are some physical manifestations of sadness that you can use in your creative writing to make your characters more believable.

Tears are one of the most common physical manifestations of sadness. When you’re feeling sad, your eyes may start to water, and tears may fall down your cheeks. Tears can be used to show that a character is feeling overwhelmed with emotion.

Crying is another physical manifestation of sadness. When you’re feeling sad, you may cry. Crying can be used to show that a character is feeling deeply hurt or upset.

Numbness is a physical sensation that can accompany sadness. When you’re feeling sad, you may feel emotionally numb. This can be used to show that a character is feeling disconnected from their emotions.

Facial Expressions

Facial expressions can also be used to show sadness. When you’re feeling sad, your face may droop, and your eyes may look downcast. This can be used to show that a character is feeling down or depressed.

Gestures can also be used to show sadness. When you’re feeling sad, you may slump your shoulders or hang your head. This can be used to show that a character is feeling defeated or hopeless.

Body Language

Body language can also be used to show sadness. When you’re feeling sad, you may cross your arms or hunch over. This can be used to show that a character is feeling closed off or defensive.

Cold and Heat

Sadness can also affect your body temperature. When you’re feeling sad, you may feel cold or hot. This can be used to show that a character is feeling uncomfortable or out of place.

Sobbing is another physical manifestation of sadness. When you’re feeling sad, you may sob uncontrollably. This can be used to show that a character is feeling overwhelmed with emotion.

Sweating is another physical manifestation of sadness. When you’re feeling sad, you may sweat profusely. This can be used to show that a character is feeling anxious or nervous.

By using these physical manifestations of sadness in your writing, you can make your characters more realistic and relatable. Remember to use them sparingly and only when they are relevant to the story.

Authenticity in Describing Sadness

When it comes to describing sadness in creative writing, authenticity is key. Readers can tell when an author is not being genuine, and it can make the story feel less impactful. In order to authentically describe sadness, it’s important to tap into your own emotions and experiences.

Think about a time when you felt truly sad. What did it feel like? What physical sensations did you experience? How did your thoughts and emotions change? By tapping into your own experiences, you can better convey the emotions of your characters.

It’s also important to remember that sadness can manifest in different ways for different people. Some people may cry, while others may become withdrawn or angry. By understanding the unique ways that sadness can present itself, you can create more authentic and realistic characters.

If you’re struggling to authentically describe sadness, consider talking to a loved one or best friend about their experiences. Hearing firsthand accounts can help you better understand the nuances of the emotion.

Ultimately, the key to authentically describing sadness is to approach it with empathy and understanding. By putting yourself in the shoes of your characters and readers, you can create a powerful and impactful story that resonates with your audience.

Language and Dialogue in Expressing Sadness

When writing about sadness, the language you use can make a big difference in how your readers will perceive the emotions of your characters.

Consider using metaphors and similes to create vivid images that will help your readers connect with the emotions of your characters.

For example, you might describe the sadness as a heavy weight on the character’s chest or a dark cloud hanging over their head.

In addition to using metaphors, you can also use adjectives to describe the character’s emotions. Be careful not to overuse adjectives, as this can detract from the impact of your writing. Instead, choose a few powerful adjectives that will help your readers understand the depth of the character’s sadness.

For example, you might describe the sadness as overwhelming, suffocating, or unbearable.

When it comes to dialogue, it’s important to remember that people don’t always express their emotions directly. In fact, sometimes what isn’t said is just as important as what is said.

Consider using subtext to convey the character’s sadness indirectly. For example, a character might say “I’m fine,” when in reality they are struggling with intense sadness.

Another way to use dialogue to convey sadness is through the use of behaviors. For example, a character might withdraw from social situations, stop eating or sleeping properly, or engage in self-destructive behaviors as a result of their sadness.

By showing these behaviors, you can help your readers understand the depth of the character’s emotions.

Finally, when describing sadness, it’s important to consider the overall mood of the scene. Use sensory details to create a somber atmosphere that will help your readers connect with the emotions of your characters.

For example, you might describe the rain falling heavily outside, the silence of an empty room, or the dim lighting of a funeral home.

Overall, when writing about sadness, it’s important to choose your words carefully and use a variety of techniques to convey the depth of your character’s emotions.

By using metaphors, adjectives, dialogue, behaviors, and sensory details, you can create a powerful and emotionally resonant story that will stay with your readers long after they’ve finished reading.

Expert Views on Emotion

When it comes to writing about emotions, it’s important to have a deep understanding of how they work and how they can be conveyed effectively through writing. Here are some expert views on emotion that can help you write about sadness in a more effective and engaging way.

Dr. Paul Ekman

Dr. Paul Ekman is a renowned psychologist who has spent decades studying emotions and their expressions. According to Dr. Ekman, there are six basic emotions that are universally recognized across cultures: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust.

When it comes to writing about sadness, Dr. Ekman suggests focusing on the physical sensations that accompany the emotion.

For example, you might describe the heaviness in your chest, the lump in your throat, or the tears that well up in your eyes. By focusing on these physical sensations, you can help your readers connect with the emotion on a deeper level.

While sadness is often seen as a “negative” emotion, it’s important to remember that all emotions have their place in creative writing. Disgust, for example, can be a powerful tool for conveying a character’s revulsion or aversion to something.

When writing about disgust, it’s important to be specific about what is causing the emotion. For example, you might describe the smell of rotting garbage, the sight of maggots wriggling in a pile of food, or the texture of slimy, raw meat.

By being specific, you can help your readers feel the full force of the emotion and understand why your character is feeling it.

Overall, when it comes to writing about emotions, it’s important to be both specific and authentic. By drawing on your own experiences and using concrete details to describe the physical sensations and causes of emotions, you can create a more engaging and emotionally resonant piece of writing.

Unique Examples of Describing Sadness

When it comes to describing sadness in creative writing, there are many unique ways to convey this emotion to your readers. Here are some examples that can help you create a powerful and moving scene:

• The crying scene : One of the most common ways to show sadness is through tears. However, instead of just saying “she cried,” try to describe the crying scene in detail. For instance, you could describe how her tears fell like raindrops on the floor, or how her sobs shook her body like a violent storm. This will help your readers visualize the scene and feel the character’s pain.
• The socks : Another way to show sadness is through symbolism. For example, you could describe how the character is wearing mismatched socks, which represents how her life is falling apart and nothing seems to fit together anymore. This can be a subtle yet effective way to convey sadness without being too obvious.
• John : If your character is named John, you can use his name to create a sense of melancholy. For example, you could describe how the raindrops fell on John’s shoulders, weighing him down like the burdens of his life. This can be a creative way to convey sadness while also adding depth to your character.

Remember, when describing sadness in creative writing, it’s important to be specific and use vivid language. This will help your readers connect with your character on a deeper level and feel their pain.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some effective ways to describe a person’s sadness without using the word ‘sad’.

When describing sadness, it’s important to avoid using the word “sad” as it can come across as cliché and lackluster. Instead, try using more descriptive words that evoke a sense of sadness in the reader. For example, you could use words like “heartbroken,” “bereft,” “devastated,” “despondent,” or “forlorn.” These words help to create a more vivid and emotional description of sadness that readers can connect with.

How can you describe the physical manifestations of sadness on a person’s face?

When describing the physical manifestations of sadness on a person’s face, it’s important to pay attention to the small details. For example, you could describe the way their eyes become red and swollen from crying, or how their mouth trembles as they try to hold back tears. You could also describe the way their shoulders slump or how they withdraw into themselves. By focusing on these small but telling details, you can create a more realistic and relatable portrayal of sadness.

What are some examples of using metaphor and simile to convey sadness in creative writing?

Metaphors and similes can be powerful tools for conveying sadness in creative writing. For example, you could compare a person’s sadness to a heavy weight that they’re carrying on their shoulders, or to a storm cloud that follows them wherever they go. You could also use metaphors and similes to describe the way sadness feels, such as a “gnawing ache” in the pit of their stomach or a “cold, empty void” inside their chest.

How can you effectively convey the emotional weight of sadness through dialogue?

When writing dialogue for a character who is experiencing sadness, it’s important to focus on the emotions and feelings that they’re experiencing. Use short, simple sentences to convey the character’s sadness, and avoid using overly complex language or metaphors. You could also use pauses and silences to create a sense of emotional weight and tension in the scene.

What are some techniques for describing a character’s inner sadness in a way that is relatable to the reader?

One effective technique for describing a character’s inner sadness is to focus on their thoughts and feelings. Use introspection to delve into the character’s emotions and describe how they’re feeling in a way that is relatable to the reader. You could also use flashbacks or memories to show why the character is feeling sad, and how it’s affecting their current actions and decisions.

How can you use sensory language to create a vivid portrayal of sadness in a poem or story?

Sensory language is an effective way to create a vivid portrayal of sadness in a poem or story. Use descriptive words that evoke the senses, such as the smell of rain on a sad day or the sound of a distant train whistle. You could also use sensory language to describe the physical sensations of sadness, such as the weight of a heavy heart or the taste of tears on the tongue. By using sensory language, you can create a more immersive and emotional reading experience for your audience.

Describing Sadness

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:17-18

A wave of sadness

Irremediable sorrow (impossible to cure/put right)

A gloom overcame me

My cry turned to whimpers

I felt layers of unsettling emotion

A sob rose in my throat

A pining melancholy

A plaintive cry (mournful)

A great pang gripped my heart

I cried in a low moan

My eyes were prickling with tears

I cried in exasperation

I cried furiously

I cried bitter tears

I felt a sting of melancholy and confusion

I felt a great wrench of sadness

My heart twisted

Tears pool my eyes

A great sense of weariness sweeps over me sucking my energy with it.

My voice, thick with tears

The words are strangled in my throat

Aching with sympathy

His eyes misted over

She had an expression of sad confusion on her face

There were tracks of tears on her face

Her face contorted and she shook her head and wept

He said with sadness in his voice

He had a lingering sadness in his eyes

He had large sad eyes

Her face clouded with a mixture of disapproval and disappointment

I watched her eyes widen and rim with tears

Her face contorted as though she was struggling not to cry

The look in her eyes was desolate

Her face becomes etched with sadness

Sadness flitted across her face

The bitterness in her face faded to weary sadness

Grave sadness in his face

Her eyes are shining with the threat of tears

The haunted look in her eyes

Darkness gathered in her eyes and filled it

Her voice, think with tears

His voice is heavy with emotion

Tears brimmed her eyes

Her face was set in resigned sad lines

She was holding her eyes in such a way that kept the tears inside the lids

I felt a wave of sadness

I feel a prick of sadness

I saw a glint of sadness in his eye

His eyes were dull with sadness

My heart was flooded with sadness

Shaking with grief

She said brokenly

My throat thickens

Sadness washed over him

She shook her head sadly

Resigned sadness in her eyes

My voice cracks

He sighs deeply, miserably

Dismay – consternation and distress, typically that’s caused by something unexpected   – Her mouth slack with dismay.

Her face Crumples like a used tissue, she turns grey

That murky dull feeling where you want to cry

It brought a pang to her heart

An ache pushed against her heart

A lump formed in her throat

Hollowed out by sadness

Dry, juddering sobs but no tears

A sharp sadness

Post navigation

I really love and enjoy your blog, so thank you for bringing back the creative writing tips! ❤

You’re welcome! Glad you’re finding it useful.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Emotion: Sadness

By The ProWritingAid Team

When you want to write the emotion sadness, it's important to "show" the emotion your character is experiencing through their physical reactions and dialogue, rather than "tell" it. In this article we provide you with inspiration so you can avoid showing instead of telling and immerse your readers in your story.

Sadness is a natural human emotion that is typically characterized by feelings of sorrow, disappointment, and despair. It can be triggered by various events, such as loss, rejection, failure, or separation from loved ones. People experiencing sadness may display physical symptoms such as tears, lethargy, and loss of appetite. It is important to note that sadness is a normal and healthy emotion that everyone experiences from time to time, and it can even be a source of inspiration for creative writing.

Different Types of Sadness

Situations associated with sadness, physical reactions to sadness, thoughts associated with sadness, atmosphere of sadness, verbs associated with sadness, emotions before sadness, emotions after sadness, telling sadness examples to avoid, practical examples of showing sadness, exercises for showing sadness.

Here are some different types of sadness:

• Grief: Deep sadness that results from a significant loss, such as the death of a loved one or the end of a relationship.
• Melancholy: A pensive or reflective sadness, often accompanied by a feeling of longing or nostalgia.
• Sorrow: A feeling of sadness or regret, often caused by a specific event or situation.
• Despair: A sense of hopelessness or futility, often stemming from a belief that a situation is impossible to improve.
• Disappointment: A feeling of sadness or frustration when expectations are not met.
• Heartbreak: A type of emotional pain that results from a romantic or personal rejection or loss.
• Loneliness: A feeling of sadness or isolation that comes from being alone or feeling disconnected from others.
• Regret: A sense of sadness or remorse over a past action or decision.
• Homesickness: A feeling of sadness or longing for one's home or country, often experienced by travelers or expatriates.

Here are some situations where a character might experience the emotion of sadness:

• The loss of a loved one or a pet
• A breakup or divorce
• Failing to achieve a goal or dream
• Feeling lonely or isolated
• Betrayal by a friend or loved one
• Witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event
• Feeling overwhelmed or helpless
• Struggling with a chronic illness or disability
• Feeling unfulfilled in life or career
• Being bullied or discriminated against
• Feeling guilty or ashamed of past actions

Here are some physical reactions a character experiencing sadness might have:

• Drooping or slumped posture
• Slow or lethargic movements
• Tired or puffy eyes
• Frowning or downturned lips
• Crying or tearing up
• Lack of eye contact or avoiding others
• Withdrawal or isolation from social situations
• Loss of appetite or overeating
• Low energy or lack of motivation
• Difficulty sleeping or oversleeping
• Sighing or deep breaths
• Speaking softly or in a monotone voice
• Lack of interest in activities or hobbies
• Negativity or pessimism

Here are some thoughts a character experiencing sadness might have:

• I can't stop crying, everything feels so heavy.
• Why do I even bother trying? Nothing ever works out.
• I feel so alone, like nobody understands me.
• I miss them so much, it hurts to think about them.
• I don't know how to move on from this pain.
• What's the point of anything if I can't even feel happy?
• I feel like a burden to everyone around me.
• I wish I could turn back time and change things.
• I don't know how to cope with this overwhelming feeling.

Here are some ways that you might reflect the emotion of sadness in the atmosphere of your scene:

• Use pathetic fallacy to reflect the character's mood: for example, rain or grey skies can reflect sadness
• Use desolate or abandoned settings to create a sense of isolation and loneliness
• Use dim lighting or shadows to create a somber atmosphere
• Use cold or stark environments to create a sense of emptiness and melancholy
• Use muted or subdued colors to reflect a lack of energy or enthusiasm
• Use quiet or empty spaces to create a sense of emptiness or loss
• Use reflective surfaces, such as mirrors or water, to create a sense of introspection and contemplation

Here are some verbs commonly associated with the emotion of sadness:

Here are some emotions that may come before a character experiences sadness:

• Disappointment
• Frustration

Here are some emotions that may come after a character experiences sadness:

• Hopelessness

It's important to remember that emotions are complex and can overlap or lead to other emotions. Additionally, not everyone will experience the same emotions in the same order or intensity. As a writer, it's important to consider your character's unique experiences and personality when exploring their emotional journey.

Here are some examples of telling the emotion sadness in a sentence. You should avoid things like this:

• She was feeling sad.
• He looked sad.
• She had a sad expression on her face.
• He spoke in a sad tone.
• She felt a deep sadness inside.
• He was filled with sadness.
• She couldn't shake off the feeling of sadness.
• He was struggling with his sadness.
• She was overwhelmed by sadness.
• He was trying to hide his sadness.

Remember, it's usually more effective to show rather than tell emotions in your writing.

Here are some examples of showing sadness in a sentence:

• She stared out the window, watching the raindrops slide down the glass, her shoulders slumped.
• He lay in bed, curled up under the blankets, tears streaming down his face.
• The room was quiet except for the sound of her sniffles and the occasional sigh.
• She hugged her knees to her chest, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

Here are some writing exercises to practice showing sadness:

• Write a scene where the character is in their bedroom, alone, and crying. Explore what they're thinking and feeling as they cry.
• Imagine a memory from the character's past that still brings them pain. Write a flashback scene that shows this memory and how it affects their current behavior.
• Write a scene where the character receives bad news. This could be anything from a breakup to a rejection letter. Show how they react in the moment and how they process the news afterwards.
• Write a scene where the character is trying to hide their sadness from someone else. This could be a friend, family member, or even a stranger. Show how they try to put on a brave face and what they're really feeling inside.
• Write a scene where the character is listening to a sad song or watching a sad movie. Explore how this affects their mood and what memories or emotions it brings up for them.

Want more help with showing emotion instead of telling? You find more help in our full set of emotions .

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

The ProWritingAid Team

The most successful people in the world have coaches. Whatever your level of writing, ProWritingAid will help you achieve new heights. Exceptional writing depends on much more than just correct grammar. You need an editing tool that also highlights style issues and compares your writing to the best writers in your genre. ProWritingAid helps you find the best way to express your ideas.

Get started with ProWritingAid

Drop us a line or let's stay in touch via:

How To Write a Sad Scene: A Full Guide With 10 Examples

Writing a powerful, heart-wrenching scene is a skill that every writer aspires to master.

Here’s how to write a sad scene:

Write a sad scene by using narrative techniques like vivid imagery, emotional dialogue, symbolism, and relatable emotion. It is also helpful to know the types of sad scenes. Examples of sad scenes include loss of a loved one, heartbreaking goodbyes, and unfulfilled dreams .

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore how to write a sad scene that will move your readers to tears.

We will break down this process with 10 detailed examples, illustrating various techniques used by successful writers to evoke intense emotions.

Understanding the Importance of Sad Scenes

Table of Contents

Before diving into the specifics, let’s discuss why sad scenes are critical to a narrative.

These scenes are a cornerstone of storytelling, allowing readers to connect deeply with characters and their plights. They create a poignant, relatable narrative, and they challenge the characters, pushing them to grow and evolve.

Here is a shortlist of reasons sad scenes are so vital to storytelling:

• They create a sense of authenticity and realism in the narrative, as sadness is a natural part of the human experience.
• These scenes can challenge the characters and push them to grow, leading to a more dynamic and compelling story.
• Sad scenes can provide contrast to more uplifting or joyful moments in the narrative, making those moments stand out even more.
• They can also serve as a means of catharsis for readers, allowing them to process their own emotions and experiences through the characters in the story.

Essential Elements of a Sad Scene

Crafting a sad scene that resonates with readers involves a delicate balance of various elements.

Let’s explore these components in greater detail.

Authentic Characters

Character authenticity is a crucial component of any impactful sad scene.

Characters should be three-dimensional, possessing unique qualities, motivations, and flaws.

They should react to situations in ways that align with their personalities, ensuring that their responses are believable and genuine.

For instance, if a typically stoic character breaks down, the buildup to this point should be crafted carefully, indicating the immense pressure or grief they’re experiencing.

This keeps their reaction consistent with their character, making their eventual breakdown even more impactful.

High Stakes

High stakes are a significant element of any dramatic scene, especially a sad one.

The impending loss or consequence should be severe enough to matter deeply to the character, whether it’s the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or the failure to achieve a life-long dream.

The stakes don’t always have to be life-altering, but they should be substantial to the characters involved.

The intensity of the characters’ emotions often parallels the magnitude of what’s at stake, heightening readers’ emotional investment in the story.

Relatable Emotions

For readers to feel the sadness of a scene, the emotions depicted must resonate with them.

This means the characters’ feelings should be portrayed in a way that is universally relatable.

Even if readers haven’t experienced the exact situation your characters are going through, they can connect with the underlying emotions. Feelings of loss, regret, disappointment, and longing are universal.

Showcasing these emotions authentically helps readers put themselves in the character’s shoes and feel their pain.

Impactful Narrative Techniques for Writing Sad Scenes

Narrative techniques can enhance the emotional resonance of a sad scene.

These might include:

• Vivid Imagery . Detailed, vivid descriptions can help readers visualize the scene, making the sadness more palpable. The imagery can reflect the mood of the scene, using symbols, colors, or weather patterns to underscore the characters’ feelings.
• Poignant Dialogue . Emotional dialogue can heighten the intensity of a sad scene. The dialogue should reveal the characters’ feelings without explicitly stating them, allowing readers to infer the depth of their pain.
• Internal Monologue. A character’s thoughts and reflections can provide insight into their emotional state. By revealing a character’s innermost feelings and conflicts, you can help readers understand their sadness on a deeper level.
• Pacing . The pacing of a scene can significantly influence its emotional impact. Slowing down the narrative during a sad scene allows readers to fully experience the characters’ emotions. Conversely, a faster pace can heighten the intensity of a sudden tragic event.
• Foreshadowing and Flashbacks. Foreshadowing can build anticipation, while flashbacks can provide context that makes the present situation more poignant. Both techniques can deepen the emotional resonance of a sad scene.

By integrating these elements effectively, you can craft a sad scene that leaves a lasting impact on your readers, eliciting deep emotional responses and enhancing their engagement with your narrative.

Here is a good video about how to write an emotional scene:

10 Examples of Sad Scenes and Techniques Used

Let’s examine how the techniques discussed above can be used in different types of sad scenes.

Each example includes a detailed breakdown of the techniques used to evoke sadness.

Example 1: The Loss of a Loved One

A powerful sad scene often involves the loss of a loved one.

This universal experience can evoke strong emotions in readers, as they can easily empathize with the character’s grief.

Here’s an example:

Sarah sat alone in the silent house, surrounded by the remnants of a life that was no more. The scent of old books and Earl Grey tea lingered in the air, a cruel reminder of him. His favorite chair sat vacant, the worn-out leather cold and unyielding. She reached out, half-expecting him to materialize and envelop her in his warm, comforting hug. But all she clasped was emptiness, a void that echoed her own heart.

Techniques Used:

• Vivid Imagery . The description of the silent house, the vacant chair, and the lingering scent creates a vivid picture of Sarah’s loss. The sensory details make the reader feel as if they’re in the room with Sarah, experiencing her grief firsthand.
• Symbolism . The empty chair symbolizes the absence of the loved one, reinforcing the sense of loss.
• Internal Monologue . Sarah’s action of reaching out for her loved one and her reaction to the emptiness gives us a glimpse into her inner thoughts and feelings, making her grief more palpable.

Example 2: A Heartbreaking Goodbye

A sad scene can also involve a heartbreaking goodbye, where characters part ways, possibly forever.

This type of scene can evoke strong emotions in readers, as the possibility of never seeing a loved one again is a universal fear.

As the train whistled in the distance, John grasped Emily’s hands, his eyes reflecting the sorrow that clung to his words. “I wish things were different, Em,” he murmured. His voice broke on the last syllable, and Emily felt her heart fracture along with it. She forced a smile, her tears glistening in the cold winter sun. “So do I, John. So do I. “

• Emotional Dialogue . John’s words, along with the break in his voice, convey his sorrow, making the reader feel the weight of their goodbye.
• High Stakes . The impending departure raises the stakes, intensifying the emotion of the scene.
• Vivid Imagery . The description of Emily’s tears glistening in the sun creates a poignant image, heightening the sadness of the scene.
• Relatable Emotion . The characters’ regret and longing are relatable emotions, deepening the reader’s emotional engagement.

By using these techniques effectively, you can evoke powerful emotions in your readers, making your sad scenes resonate deeply with them.

Example 3: An Unfulfilled Dream

The failure to achieve a long-cherished dream can provide the foundation for a deeply moving scene.

The disappointment and heartbreak associated with such an experience are emotions most readers can identify with.

For years, Mary had worked tirelessly, her dream of being a dancer fueling her every move. But as she stared at the rejection letter, the finality of it washed over her. The studio was silent, save for the sound of her dream shattering into a million pieces. She fell to her knees, the cold dance floor a stark contrast to the warmth of the dream that had once lived within her.

• Vivid Imagery . The description of the silent studio and the cold dance floor creates a powerful image of Mary’s disappointment, making her unfulfilled dream feel tangible to the readers.
• Narrative Voice . The narrative voice mirrors Mary’s despair, heightening the emotional impact of the scene. Phrases like “the sound of her dream shattering” and “the warmth of the dream that had once lived within her” underscore the depth of her disappointment.
• Relatable Emotion . The feeling of disappointment when a dream remains unfulfilled is universally relatable, deepening the readers’ emotional connection to Mary.

Example 4: The End of a Friendship

The end of a deep friendship due to a misunderstanding can lead to a powerful sad scene.

The loss of a trusted confidant can resonate deeply with readers, as it’s an experience many have faced.

Jacob and Sam had been inseparable since childhood, their bond stronger than brothers. But as Jacob read Sam’s harsh words, each sentence was a blow, tearing at the fabric of their friendship. He remembered their shared laughter, their secret dreams, their unspoken understanding. Now, all that remained was a chasm of misunderstanding, widening with every painful word.

• Emotional Dialogue . Sam’s harsh words, as perceived by Jacob, convey the depth of their misunderstanding, creating a sense of authenticity and immediacy.
• Flashbacks . The memories of their shared past highlight the depth of their lost friendship, intensifying the sadness of the scene.
• Emotional Conflict . The misunderstanding between Jacob and Sam creates emotional conflict, adding complexity to the scene and making it more poignant.

Example 5: A Regretted Decision

A character experiencing regret over a past decision that has led to current misery can form the basis of a sad scene.

Regret is a powerful, universally relatable emotion, and readers can easily empathize with the character’s pain.

Ever since that fateful day, regret had been Paul’s constant companion. He replayed the scene in his mind, wishing he could go back, make a different choice. But time, like the tide, was relentless and unforgiving. He was left stranded on the shores of remorse, the waves of past decisions lapping at his feet, a bitter reminder of what could have been.

• Internal Monologue . Paul’s reflections on his past decision give us insight into his emotional state, making his regret more palpable.
• Vivid Imagery . The description of Paul stranded on the shores with the waves lapping at his feet creates a potent image of his remorse, amplifying the emotional impact of the scene.
• Symbolism . The tide symbolizes the passage of time, reinforcing the theme of regret and the impossibility of changing past decisions.

By carefully employing these techniques, you can craft a moving sad scene that deeply resonates with your readers.

Example 6: Witnessing Suffering

A scene that involves a character witnessing the suffering of another can trigger deep emotions.

The character’s helplessness to alleviate the suffering can amplify the sense of tragedy.

Laura watched as her mother struggled to remember her name, the cruel tendrils of Alzheimer’s erasing their shared past. She reached out, gently cupping her mother’s face, her heart aching at the vacant stare. ‘It’s Laura, Mom. Your daughter, Laura.’ But the words, once a source of comfort, were now lost in the labyrinth of fading memories.

• Vivid Imagery . The description of Laura’s mother’s vacant stare and the fading memories creates a potent image of the suffering, evoking strong emotions in the readers.
• Emotional Dialogue . Laura’s attempt to remind her mother of her identity adds a layer of emotional depth to the scene, making the readers feel Laura’s desperation and sadness.
• Powerlessness . Laura’s inability to restore her mother’s memory amplifies the tragedy of the scene, deepening the sense of sadness.

Example 7: A Sacrifice Made in Vain

A character making a significant sacrifice, only for it to be in vain, can result in a poignant sad scene.

The futility of the sacrifice enhances the feeling of loss.

After years of toil and sacrifice, working two jobs, missing family gatherings, James had finally saved enough to buy his parents their dream home. But as he stood in the hospital corridor, the joy of his surprise turned to ashes. The dream home would remain just that – a dream. He arrived just in time to say goodbye .

• Dramatic Irony . The readers’ awareness of the futility of James’ sacrifice before he does amplifies the tragedy of the scene.
• High Stakes . James’ sacrifice raises the stakes, intensifying the emotional impact.
• Narrative Voice . The narrative voice reflects James’ devastation, mirroring his emotions and increasing the readers’ emotional engagement.

Example 8: The Fall from Grace

A respected character falling from grace due to a fatal flaw or mistake can make for a powerful sad scene.

The character’s shame and loss can evoke empathy in the readers.

Revered and respected, Judge Anderson had always been the pillar of justice in the town. But as the evidence of his corruption unfolded, he stood in the courtroom, the gavel heavy in his hand. His legacy, once a beacon of integrity, was now a monument of disgrace. He looked around the courtroom, meeting the eyes of betrayal and disappointment. The gavel fell, echoing the collapse of his honor.

• Narrative Voice . The narrative voice mirrors Judge Anderson’s shame, intensifying the emotional impact of the scene.
• Vivid Imagery . The description of the courtroom and the falling gavel creates a powerful symbol of Judge Anderson’s fall from grace.
• Tragic Flaw . Judge Anderson’s corruption adds depth to his character, making his fall more poignant.

Example 9: The Betrayal of Trust

A character being betrayed by someone they trust can result in an intensely sad scene.

The shock and hurt experienced by the character can deeply resonate with the readers.

Lily had trusted Mark implicitly, believing in their shared dreams and promises. But as she read the messages on his phone, each word was a dagger, severing the threads of trust. “I never loved you,” he had written, and with those words, the world she had built with him crumbled. She looked at the man she had loved, now a stranger cloaked in deceit.

• Emotional Dialogue . The messages Lily reads, particularly the phrase “I never loved you,” evoke a strong sense of betrayal, increasing the emotional depth of the scene.
• Vivid Imagery . The description of the threads of trust being severed and the world crumbling paints a poignant image of Lily’s heartbreak.
• Relatable Emotion . The feeling of betrayal and heartbreak is universally relatable, deepening the readers’ emotional connection to Lily.

Example 10: Acceptance of a Harsh Reality

A character accepting a harsh reality or a tragic truth can serve as a powerful sad scene.

The character’s resignation and acceptance can trigger deep emotions in readers.

Tom had fought valiantly against the disease, his spirit undeterred. But as he looked at his frail reflection in the mirror, he acknowledged the truth he had been evading. He was not the invincible warrior he had once believed himself to be. His body was giving up, and it was time for him to accept it. He closed his eyes, surrendering to the inevitable.

• Internal Monologue . Tom’s reflections on his condition give readers insight into his emotional state, making his acceptance of the harsh reality more palpable.
• Vivid Imagery . The description of Tom’s frail reflection creates a potent image of his physical state, amplifying the emotional impact of the scene.
• Relatable Emotion . The feeling of resignation and acceptance of a harsh reality is universally relatable, deepening the readers’ emotional connection to Tom.

By understanding and effectively applying these techniques, you can craft deeply moving scenes that resonate with your readers, eliciting powerful emotional responses and enhancing their overall reading experience.

Final Thoughts: How To Write a Sad Scene

Writing one sad scene is admirable but a story is more than one scene.

Sometimes, you want to know how to write sad stories where the sadness runs all the way through the narrative.

Check out these other articles about storytelling:

• How to Write a Screenplay with ChatGPT (Ultimate Guide 2023)
• How to Write a Novel With ChatGPT (Ultimate Guide in 2023)
• Novel AI Review 2023 (Ultimate Review + Examples)

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.

HELPFUL TIP:

Definition:, physical signals and behaviors:, internal sensations:, mental responses:, cues of acute or long term sadness:, may escalate to:, cues of suppressed sadness:, may de-escalate to:, associated power verbs:.

135+ Sad Writing Prompts to Stir Deep Emotions in Readers

By: Author Hiuyan Lam

Posted on Last updated: October 20, 2023

Categories Writing Prompts

The benefits of using sad writing prompts

Unlocking creative depths.

Enhancing writing skills

Exploring emotions and improving mental health

Sad writing prompts to unleash creative depths

Exploring health challenges and personal struggles.

Tackling social challenges and environmental crises

Delving into personal relationships and trust issues

Artistic expressions of emotions

Sad writing prompts to develop students’ writing skills

Addressing academic pressure and anxiety.

Understanding family dynamics and common issues

Confronting bullying and peer pressure

Navigating friendship and unexpected setbacks

Sad writing prompts to facilitate emotional expressions and personal growth

Facing anxiety and fear.

Examining loneliness and isolation

Reflecting on regrets and mistakes

Dealing with loss and heartbreak

Unraveling betrayal, conflict, and misunderstandings

Do sad writing prompts have to be with a sad or tragic ending?

Conclusion: Gateways to emotional depth, imagination, and transformation

usasportsurge

Friday 27th of September 2024

hiI like your writing so much share we be in contact more approximately your article on AOL I need a specialist in this area to resolve my problem Maybe that is you Looking ahead to see you

أنابيب uPVC

Wednesday 18th of September 2024

Ductile Iron Pipes : Strong and flexible, ductile iron pipes are used for high-pressure water and sewage systems. ElitePipe Factory in Iraq excels in producing ductile iron pipes.

Sunday 15th of September 2024

I do agree with all the ideas you have introduced on your post They are very convincing and will definitely work Still the posts are very short for newbies May just you please prolong them a little from subsequent time Thank you for the post

No products in the cart.

How Fiction Writers Can Show Emotions in Their Characters in Effective Ways

Editor Robin Patchen wraps up our examination of Fatal Flaw: # 6 Show, Don’t Tell. Writers often succumb to this fatal flaw of fiction writing, explaining and telling and summarizing instead of showing action as it’s happening. Robin gives some great tips on how writers can show by action and thoughts rather than by relying on describing bodily sensations. Be sure to pay attention to this one! (If you missed this month’s post on this fatal flaw, start with this one here .)

This month, we’ve been studying that famous axiom for fiction writers: show, don’t tell. Today, I’m going to tackle what I think is the most difficult thing to show in our novels—emotions.

If you’ve been writing for a while, no doubt you’ve heard it’s not acceptable to name emotions. Don’t tell us Mary is sad. Show us she’s sad.

Many writers lean on a clever trick to show emotions—they describe a character’s physical reactions to emotions. So characters are often crying, yelling, and slamming doors. Their stomachs are twisting, their hands are trembling, and their cheeks are burning. We hear exasperated breaths and soft sighs. Don’t even get me started on heartbeats. Some characters’ hearts are so erratic, I fear they’re going into cardiac arrest.

So What’s a Fluttering Heart to Do?

I’m poking fun, because I do it too. It’s an easy way to show emotions. But I have a few problems with this old standby. First, these things are so overused, they’ve become cliché. (I know your stomach is twisting at the very thought.) Second, having a character clenching his fists might show us he’s angry, but it doesn’t show us the impetus for that anger. Is he feeling frustrated, slighted, or jealous?

All those—and a host of other primary emotions—can lead to anger. Finally—and to me, this is the most important—showing me your characters’ physical responses provokes no emotional response from me. Your hero might clench his fists, but I promise, mine will remain perfectly relaxed. So you might have shown an emotion, but you haven’t made your reader feel anything. And that, my friends, is the point of fiction—to elicit an emotional response.

Let’s take a look at some effective and not-so-effective ways to show emotion.

Mary opened her eyes and looked at the clock. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. The baby had slept nearly eight hours. But little Jane never slept more than four hours at a time. Something must be wrong.

Not again. Her stomach rolled over when she remembered the last time a child of hers had slept too long.

Mary flipped the covers back and stood on weak knees, forcing herself to her feet despite the fear overwhelming her. She shoved her arms in her bathrobe, slipped into her warm slippers, and rushed for the door. Her hands were shaking so badly she could hardly turn the doorknob. Finally, she got the door open and ran down the hallway toward the nursery.

She threw open the door and lunged at the crib. She peered inside and saw the beautiful pink cheeks of her newborn daughter. She placed her trembling hand on Jane’s back, felt the even breaths, and let out a long sigh. Tears of gratitude filled her eyes as she realized her baby was alive.

Our character is definitely feeling emotions. Do you think I can get the reader to experience a few of them? I’ll give it a try.

Mary opened her eyes and squinted in the sunshine streaming in through the open window. She stretched, feeling more relaxed than she had since . . .

She sat up and looked at the clock. It was after eight. Little Jane had slept through the night. For the first time.

Just like Billy.

Mary flipped the covers back and stood. She snatched her robe from the back of the chair and slipped it on. She wouldn’t think about Billy. The doctor said it wouldn’t happen again. The odds against it were astronomical.

Billy had been nearly six weeks old. Jane was almost two months. It was different this time. It had to be.

She slipped her feet into her fuzzy slippers, ticking off all the ways the situations were different. Billy had been sick. Jane had never even had a sniffle. Billy had been fussy. Jane was nearly the perfect baby, only crying when she was hungry or wet.

She must be both hungry and wet right now, but little Jane was silent.

No, God wouldn’t do that to her again. She couldn’t bury another child. She wouldn’t.

She stepped toward her bedroom door, remembering Billy’s skin, how gray and cold it had been. At first, she’d thought maybe someone was playing a mean trick on her. But then she’d lifted him. Seen his face. Those gray lips and lifeless eyes.

Maybe it would have been different if she hadn’t been alone when she’d found his tiny body. Maybe if John had been there. But John had been gone on a business trip.

Mary turned and looked at the empty bed. Her side was a jumble of blankets. John’s side was untouched. He was on a business trip. Again.

He’d rushed home that day two years earlier, assured her it wasn’t her fault. How could she have known?

How indeed? How did a good mother sleep through her own child’s death? How did she dream of beaches and butterflies while her son passed into eternity?

If Jane was dead, Mary would join her. Somehow. She couldn’t live through this again.

She stepped into the hallway and took a first step. A good mother would run, but she could hardly force herself to walk. She inched her way down the hall.

She glanced at the stairs. What if she went to the kitchen, made some coffee? Never found out the truth?

She pushed the thought away and continued past the staircase, paused at the nursery door, and laid her hand on the cold metal doorknob. The clock ticked loudly in the hallway, like a steady heartbeat.

She stepped into the room and approached the crib. And there, sprawled on her back, lay the most beautiful sight she’d ever seen.

Jane’s eyes opened at the sound of Mary’s approach, and she smiled.

I hope you had at least a twinge of emotional reaction to that. I know I did. Please notice, there’s not a single beating heart or trembling hand in that example. Her stomach doesn’t clench, and her eyes don’t fill with tears. Yet she felt a lot of emotions. Did you?

Slow It Down

Counselors tell us that thoughts lead to emotions, and emotions lead to actions. As a writer, you can easily show your character’s thoughts and actions. Readers are smart enough to deduce the emotions based on what the characters think and do. So often it seems writers are in a hurry.

When you have a very emotional scene, slow it down. Let us hear your character’s every thought. Highlight a few details. Show the actions.

Why don’t we write like this? For one thing, it takes a lot longer. My first example is fewer than two hundred words and took me about five minutes to write. The second is closer to five hundred and took nearly half an hour.

Writers have to dig a lot deeper to write selections like the second one. I had to remember what it was like to be a new mother, put myself in the shoes of a woman who’d already buried one child, and try to feel what she would feel. Not comfortable, let me tell you.

And you see a bit into my soul, don’t you? What kind of mother would even consider going downstairs and making a pot of coffee? Yet as I put myself in that scene, I looked at the stairs, and I thought about it. Showing emotions means baring your soul.

Sure, it’s fine to have some lines showing emotions by way of bodily response. But don’t limit yourself to that technique. I hope this example helps you see ways you can elicit emotion in your reader through thoughts and actions.

But showing emotions can pull your reader in and get them to feel right along with your hero and heroine. And isn’t that the goal?

What stood out to you as you read the After example? What lines gave emotional impact?

Want to master the emotional craft of fiction?

Dive into the online course emotional mastery for fiction writers .

In this course, you’ll be given tools to  show  emotions in your characters. You’ll be given techniques to help  spark  emotional response in your readers. What is going to bring it all together for you is practice. Study and practice. And you’ll have exercises in this course to help you put into practice what you learn.

Emotional mastery requires writers to set up the dynamics of a scene in such a visual, textural way that readers can’t help but feel what they are meant to feel. Understanding that emotional mastery requires  a twofold approach — the emotional landscape of both the character and the reader —is the first step.

Want to learn how to become a masterful wielder of emotion in your fiction? Enroll in my new online video course, Emotional Mastery for Fiction Writers.

You’ll get lifetime access to all the videos and more than three dozen downloadable assignments. And with a 30-day money-back guarantee, you have NOTHING to lose by jumping in. Sign up NOW.

This course will challenge you to become an “emotion master.”  Are you ready and willing to go on this journey deep into emotional territory? If you want your characters to move your readers, take the plunge!

Listen to my discussion on how to show emotion in characters. There is so much to this topic!

Search Posts Here

Subscribe to my blog, similar posts.

How to Go Big in Your Fiction

Today’s post is by Steve Alcorn. How do you make your story memorable long after the last page has been…

Show, Don’t Tell—But How?

Last week I told a brief joke about a man walking into a bar, accompanied by a piece of asphalt….

The Perils of Purple Prose

We’re wrapping up our look at Fatal Flaw # 1: Overwriting. Fiction writers often overwrite, and have trouble seeing how this manifests in…

Writers, Wipe That Smile off Your Page

This week editor Robin Patchen wraps up our look at Fatal Flaw #11 – Pesky Adverbs and Weasel Words. If you’ve missed…

The 3 Ways to Show Emotion in Your Characters

This month I’m launching my new online video course: Emotional Mastery for Fiction Writers. Let me just share a tiny bit…

Infusing Your Settings with Emotion

Editor Robin Patchen wraps up our look at fatal flaw #10: Description Deficiencies and Excesses (If you’ve missed the other posts…

102 Comments

I found this article very helpful. It’s a delicate balancing act to slow down the action enough to heighten the emotion but not so much as to cause the reader to skip through the scene because they want to get on with it. You’ve given some good examples for doing just that. As always, another great piece of advice, C.S.!

If you think the reader might skimp over the scene. You might want to re-write it. Every scene in a story has to build up emotion and anticipation to progress head on from scene to scene.

I absolutely loved this article, and I 100% AGREE with your logic. Thank you for sharing!

One of the best posts I have read on the subject. Thank you for the great example!

Great advice, Robin!

You’ve gotten to the ultimate solution here: the truly effective approach is to describe *why* the person is feeling what he or she is, rather than the exterior symptoms.

Thanks, Curtis. I definitely think that’s a big part of it–at least one element of showing emotions. Of course we couldn’t do this with every single emotion–imagine 500 words to replace every frown. But when the emotions really matter, I think they’re worth examining.

This is one of the best articles I’ve read on this subject. You really bring it to life with your example.

Thanks! I’m glad you think so.

I’ve been often critiqued that my characters must have more emotion by showing their facial expression and bodily response to situations of distress. I can fully understand from your example how much I have dismissed all these factors by summarizing their feelings. Thanks for such a vivid example of how to convey feelings without putting a label on them.

Glad it helped. I think sometimes, we believe that the physiological reactions are the only way to show feelings, but personally, I’d much rather know what’s going on in people’s heads. Ever look at someone and think, “What is he thinking?” What’s on their face doesn’t tell us what we really want to know.

“If Jane was dead, Mary would join her. Somehow. She couldn’t live through this again.”

This line stood out to me. It puts the reader in the state-of-mind the character is in at the moment. Thanks for the article.

Kind of depressing, though, isn’t it? I’m glad it stood out.

This is a great article! You’ve really “shown” the difference very effectively 🙂

Great article! I like the contrast between showing exterior vs interior. The other trick is doing this with Deep POV.

To answer your question…I felt every bit of what the mother was experiencing. You’re an extremely talented writer. Slowing it down is so important, yet since it’s time-consuming I find myself breezing over it, too. During my second drafts I’m often horrified at the heart-fluttering, weak knees, and shaky hands in my first draft. Using subtext instead of body cues is what I’m working on now before I send my ms back to the editor. Stellar post!

My first drafts have a lot of breathing–sighing, blowing out breaths, holding breath. I think my characters might suffocate if I don’t show them breathing. 🙂 The key is to leave that stuff in draft #1.

Thanks, Sue!

nicely shown

This is very helpful. Thank you for posting this.

I do have one question though. Do you ever feel like you can overdo the inner dialogue? For example, Kurt Vonnegut once said that every sentence should either reveal character or advance the plot. How do you decide how much inner dialogue is revealing character and how much is just killing your pacing?

Is it just experience and a good ear?

Genre plays a big part in determining this! I have read suspense thrillers that are hugely internal thought, packed full of worrisome thoughts to ramp up the emotional tension. Getting in close to what a character is thinking while afraid can make the reader feel that fear. For other genres, and personal author writing styles, such as Cormac McCarthy’s, you’ll see almost no internal thoughts at all. Internal dialog can both reveal character and advance the plot, so Vonnegut’s sage words apply here as well. Best is to study other great novels in the genre in which you are writing and note (highlight?) all the lines of internal dialog and their content to see just what that amount is.

That’s great advice. Thank you!

That’s a great question, Paul. Susanne’s advice to study other great works is great.

You certainly wouldn’t want to have this much internal dialog all the way through a book. It needs to serve a purpose. In this case, we want to get the reader emotionally invested in the scene, and the best way to do that is to let us see what the character is thinking. But if the hero is deciding between a bagel or a donut, you wouldn’t want to show us his calculating the calories of each. That would get old fast.

At first, it can feel unnatural, but I think the more you write, the more intuitive it becomes.

This is a great article. I know I’m certainly guilty of getting lazy and writing scenes as I see them instead of delving into the character. I’m about to begin revision, and I can already think of places I need to expand and deepen. Thanks for the insight!

So glad it helped, Victoria. Good luck with your revisions.

This is the best example I’ve seen on this subject! I’m so glad I found it. My stories end up being like the ‘before’ and I never really liked it. It felt like something was off. You’ve really opened my eyes. I tried this on a scene I was working on and now it sounds much better! Now I must look for more tips and keep on writing.

All I can say is thank you. Shalom aleichem, Patricia

In the ‘After’ example, it was her questions that showed her doubts and her fears. That gave me the emotional response.

A good observation, Mawr. Thanks for stopping by.

I like how you demonstrate internal thoughts in third person. Many writers want to switch to first person in italics. To me this loses the continuity of the story. So right, body movements and facial expressions keep the reader on the outside of the character. Your before and after is so helpful! Thank you!

Thanks! Glad you found it helpful.

Wow. This has helped a LOT! I’ve had more compliments on one scene that I did this with, but didn’t really know concrete what I was doing. The difference was I put myself there, slowed down, and actually physically moved the way the character would, felt what she would have felt. It was amazing. Thank you so so much for sharing!!

Glad this helped you! Being aware of this can really improve the emotional impact of your scenes.

So glad it helped, Kelly.

Excellent article. Always eager to collect knowledge like this. Thank you.

This is great, but it bothers me slightly. This “slow” method of writing matches the woman’s trepidation and reluctance to learn the truth. But often emotions are felt, and acted on in an instant, and I’m rather uncomfortably aware of the fact that describing something in detail can turn a couple of seconds into a page or more.

That’s true. Sometimes it’s appropriate to slow down a moment. Sometimes, it’s not. You have to use your best judgment.

This opened my eyes to why writers have to pace a story. Just earlier, I was editing and rewriting parts of my story. It took hours, but it was worth it in the end.

I think the line that stuck out to me was, ‘How did she dream of beaches and butterflies while her son passed into eternity?’

I don’t even know how to describe why I like this line so much. I just do.

Thank you for this wonderful article. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have completely understood why pacing and emotions are so important in writing.

Thank you, Mini, for your response. I’m so glad the article worked for you. I loved that line, too. I need to find a place to use it in a book!

Great article. This is what I need to improve my writing. In your example it might go too long and it gets repetitive with the woman’s fears. If it was a tad shorter might be better. Just a thought. P

You may be right. Thanks for the feedback.

Great article. Is it say that I thought the first version was good? The second version elicited a deeper emotional experience, but I thought it told a lot. I can’t seem to find that line. The first version was active, but it did have the typical overdone descriptions. Then I read other books, and I see all sorts of contradictions from what I learn on writing sites. Sighing, knees wobbling, lips curling, eyes narrowing, jumping back, staring. I thought relying on action was great! I thought I found it….back to the drawing board.

Susanne gives good advice. I don’t have an answer. First pass, my characters do a lot of breathing–sighing, heaving, inhaled frustrated breaths. It’s as if I fear they’ll suffocate if I don’t have them breathe a couple of time son every page. 🙂

My characters’ eyes are lighting up all the time, and I have character beaming. Subject verb direct object. How do I break from this tyranny? lol

Maybe pull the plug?

the best way! im thankful to u

Excellent article — successfully writing emotion is something I struggle the most with, this is a great help.

Excellent post. I want to write with more emotion. Thanks for the great example. gramswisewords.blogspot.com

Glad it helped, Maz!

As a young writer I constantly have the “show don’t tell” philosophy thrown at me and I have read countless posts telling me that “if you’re telling the emotion even just a little bit rather than just completely showing it, you’re doing it wrong” blah blah blah, you get the picture. So to read this post has definitely changed my perspective on the delicate handling of emotion. You have demonstrated, in my opinion, a perfect balance of show and tell, so that I haven’t just been informed of the character’s feelings, their responses to traumatic events, and their life-but rather I’ve been whisked right into the character’s life to watch it all unfold. So many books I’ve read have just informed me that “oh the character is sad” as if the author is just like, hint hint wink wink-this is the part where you, the reader, should be sad too. Preferably crying over my character. Or they just say, this person is so angry they’re gritting their teeth. Like be angry at the villain because my character is angry at the villain.

But I feel nothing, because they’ve shown me how the character is feeling but they haven’t grabbed the reins of my emotions and MADE me feel for the character. If you get what I mean haha Anyways, sorry for the long comment but yeah, I just wanted to say thank you for this article-it was incredibly helpful 🙂

Glad it helps! You might like to read more about that in our 12 Fatal Flaws book. I do a whole PowerPoint workshop on this topic. I think it’s so much more effective to show what a character is thinking to evoke emotion.

I’m so glad you found the article helpful, Hannah! I know what you mean. There’s a big difference between showing an emotion and evoking an emotion. It’s much harder to do the second.

Thank you so much!! I was really struggling with the concept and I tried some other articles but this one helped the most by far. Once again, thank you so much!!

I’m so glad you found it helpful!

“How did she dream of beaches and butterflies while her son passed into eternity?” This line really got to me. I think because I would think something similar. How could I not know? How could I laugh or dream and live while someone I love is dying?

When my mother died I was at work in the stock vault. I had forgotten my phone on my desk and when I got back to it my coworkers were looking at me and saying my phone had “blown up”. They all knew my mother was sick in the hospital dying and when I got back to my desk they all knew what I did not, that she had died while I was in the vault, chatting with my colleagues. So yeah that line got to me and brought back that memory.

Perri, what a difficult memory for you that must be. I’m sorry to have brought it back. On the other hand, if the goal is to elicit an emotional response, I suppose I did manage to do that. Thank you for the note.

No, I will never refrain from telling emotions directly, and I will not read fictions which shows emotions instead of telling. Showing is necessarily ambivalent and results inevitably in incomprehensible drivel.

Interesting take on it, Klaus. Thanks for the note.

This opened my eyes in so many ways. I am deeply grateful to you for the simple solution to a complex issue in writing… Making an old emotion sound fresh as though it is felt for the first time is simply not easy. This was easy to read, and it brought feeling immediately. Thank you

So glad you found it helpful, Charlotte!

I’m sorry but the first part was the right part for me. The second was way to long and I lost interest. I feel this is the problem often. To each their own offcourse, can’t please everyone 🙂

Damn, I was thinking the same! I enjoyed the first part so much better than the emotionless descriptions about how she had to bury Billy. The stomach rollover literally gave me a melancholic feeling which didn’t happen with “God wouldn’t do the same to her”

Thank you for this article. I would like to study some of the great novels for expression of emotion. Any recommendations?

Amazing advice! This is the toughest part of creating a flesh and blood character for me. How would u apply this to first person voice?

You can just change “she” to “I” and it’s the same thing, basically. There really is no difference between first person and third person when doing deep POV.

Yes, I cried. This is the most effective article I’ve ever read on the subject of “Showing” and I recommend it to writers often. Please, never take this post down!

I didn’t mean to make you cry, J.D.! 🙂 I’m glad you found it helpful. God bless!

Still taking this article in. Have printed it off for easy reference and example. Thank you for posting this.

Stephen King does it well, by getting the protagonist to get involved deeper and deeper into an emotional state which reach a tempo unbearable.

My pleasure, Virginia. I’m glad you found it helpful.

Some good points in the way you show emotions. “Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest.” This one looks too cartoony, and nearly is an adverb [use prohibited by good writers I am told.]

The occasional adverb is acceptable, but you’re right, the line is cartoonish. That’s one of my issues with all the physiological reactions to “show” emotions–they’re exaggerated, often to the point of becoming ridiculous.

Wow, this is good writing. Hair literally stood on its ends, as I read the second rendering, even though I knew baby Jane was safe from reading the first version.

Amazing bit of writing. Thanks for the article.

But isn’t this kinda too intense for a reader? I can read the occasional paragraph like this but as a reader, I would be a nervous wreck if I had to read an entire full length novel written in this style.

Sometimes, maybe the tell is much better than show – like those ‘implied’ scenes in movies, rather than an explicit scene.

Would you recommend that a writer sticks to this POV for the entire novel or only use this occasionally? And if the latter, what kind of scenes might call for this?

Hi Badri, of course you wouldn’t have this intense a moment in every single scene in a novel. Novels should have low-energy and high-energy scenes, low- and high-action scenes, low- and high-emotional scenes. As far as POV goes, that applies to the viewpoint: whether you are in first, second, or third person. I’m not sure what you are asking, but if you mean going into deep or intimate POV, that’s a style choice and would be consistent throughout the novel.

Like CS said, not all scenes are this intense. The point is to show emotions through thoughts and actions rather than through physiological responses. So if your character is feeling happy, show the happy thoughts. If she’s feeling angry, show angry thoughts. It wouldn’t be appropriate to get this deep into every emotion, though. That could be cumbersome.

I am a very later bloomer in writing (and reading as well, I’m embarrassed to say). When I would read anything that invoked emotions as a child or young adult, I could not handle it (due to many different things going on in my life). But I am now at a different place and I am finally discovering how much I enjoy reading, well, I really mostly enjoy reading that makes me feel the emotions like your posting did.

In your first take I was thinking, oh get over it already lady…I never really liked babies anyway, we all gotta die sometime…etc… (lol, exaggerating here of course). But in your revised version, I was on tears and on the edge of my seat, thinking, that poor mother…that poor little baby…no no no…nothing can happen to that beautiful little baby…

I was shocked at the difference of my own response.

I have contemplated trying to become a writer and this posting has inspired me so much. This is now my goal – to write something that makes a reader feel this much emotion. Thank you sooooo much for sharing this.

The author of the article did a magnificent job conveying her lesson. I would offer a little insight into child loss, however. A parent never gets over losing a child. It will not happen, as a part of their heart has been torn away, outside of the natural order. Even though you may not know the experience, please do not belittle it, or those going through it. Good luck with your writing, as you walk this path with us.

I understand the concept behind it the “after”, but I have woken up before worried my baby was dead because she slept through the night… and the last thing I would have done is slip on my cozy slippers. I definitely didn’t take 10 minutes to think about if she could be dead before checking on her. So in reality — the before felt a little closer to truth to me, it was just felt a little extreme on the visceral emotions. Maybe it is just me.

Thank you for the article, even though the example didn’t resonate with me, it was an excellent example to get the point across.

I’ve been writing novels for over a decade. Finally,I understand it is the process rather than the physical manifestations of an emotion, alone, that conveys emotion to the reader! Thank you for such an intriguing insight, and thank you to my editor Beth Terrell for steering me to your blog.

Glad you arrived here! Be sure to check out my online course, too, as it goes way deep with 40+ passages examined!

So glad you found the post helpful, Jennie!

What I was able to read of the AFTER piece was wonderful. Unfortunately, the situation hits far too close to home for me, and I couldn’t finish it. You absolutely nailed it, though. The first one did not bring forth the same emotion in me the second one did. Further, the emotion built as you advanced, thus my reaction. Yes, I shed a few tears before I was able to write this reply. Thank you for this article, the insight and the advice. I will take this to heart, as I continue learning the craft.

Thanks for sharing those sentiments. I’m sorry this was/is painful for you.

I’m sorry for raising these painful memories for you. Thanks for the comment. God bless you.

Please, don’t be sorry. It is a part of life for parents who have lost a child. However, the way you wrote the piece was marvelous. That it was so powerful is a testament to the example you built. Well done. It is a wonderful lesson.

To answer the question on what stood out the most, I would say it was the last sentence. It was the baby smiling that gave me the strongest emotional response. Starting to read the text, I didn’t really “plan” to get a tear in my eye, because I find it all too easy to shield myself from the sad stuff, even though I would like to feel more directly. But fortunately, the moment of beauty and joy in the end got to me. It took me by suprise and managed to break through my shield. I will try to incorporate this in my own writing.

Fantastic article and it helps me a lot. At the point when I write, I attempt to recollect what I feared or what was terrifying to me and attempt to place those sentiments into books.

Omg! I loved this, thank you so much for sharing.

The same old story, to show emotions with your characters. SHOW don’t TELL!!!

Excellent post. It is feasible to submit no mix-ups and still lose. That isn’t a shortcoming; such is reality. This article really helps me a lot. Thanks for posting.

This was a very engaging post. It has provided me with new information and now I have a better idea of how I can represent emotion within a fictional character. Also, the example that you provided was written so well! You have given me so much inspiration and I can tell that you are a very hard worker and are dedicated to what you do. Thank you so much.

You’re very welcome!

I’m so glad, Elise, that you found the post helpful! God bless you and your writing.

I think I’m missing something. Can anyone please clarify the differences between the two examples because they both use body language to indicate emotions. If anything, the before seems better because it includes body language *and* internal reaction. The after only uses body language.

The article explains what the differences are and why using thoughts is so much more emotionally effective than showing body language. The After version uses no body language (physical tells). The thoughts are what get readers to understand and empathize with characters.

Neither the Before or After work. As for the Before, who writes like that? Must be a really rank beginner. As for the After, I spent the whole time while reading it thinking, “Not only is this ridiculously long, but no panicked mother is going to take the time to slip into her robe, put on her slippers, and have a coherent thought-stream going through her head about what happened to her other child.” No. She’s going to dash to her baby. Time for these other thoughts–or rather, an abbreviated version of them– can come as she’s cuddling her child. Perhaps better yet, put these kinds of thoughts in an earlier chapter, as background material. Then she can just fly out of bed and run to her child, and some further reflection can come when she’s found the baby safe. This is a time to act, not reflect.

Thanks for your comments. Everyone is different, and depending on the kind of character we create, they will respond differently. I would be exactly like that second example. I did similarly when I woke and hadn’t heard my baby cry at night. I put off going in as long as I could. Of the hundreds of writers I’ve shared these examples with in workshops, 99% agree with the second one as the more moving, effective, and believable example. As I said, everyone is different. But it’s all about your character–her past, who she is, etc. You might try to write this scene and then run it by critique partners and see what their response is to the way you present the character. It might be enlightening!

As a fairly new writer, I have a question that might seem silly, but it’s one that I’ve often debated. I have a tendency to spend way too much time on the scenes as I write them. I’ll go back, and back again, until I feel like it’s perfect … until I don’t. At this point I am 15,000 words in and have probably spent enough time on the chapters that I have done to have completed two novels.

Experienced writers, keep telling me to just write, and finish the first draft. Do you feel it would be appropriate to draft scenes like example #1 and then come back to add emotion like example #2 during the second draft? After reading your article, I have found myself going back to my completed chapters once again, and looking for opportunities to add emotion. I don’t feel like this is productive. Any advice?

I hear you! I constantly rework and edit as I go along, and usually by the time I complete a draft, it’s finished except for proofreading. However, I always push to make progress. If you set a goal to write at least one scene, however rough, every time you sit down, you can give yourself permission to go back and noodle with whatever you’ve written–that scene or a prior one–to polish it more. But the point is to make progress. If the problem is you are “pantsing” and don’t have a strong outline such that you don’t know what your next scenes will be, that can cause a lot of procrastination. Work on a scene outline (with me!) and get it tight. Then it won’t create a barrier to you getting those next scenes written. Usually redoing scenes over and over is due to not feeling confident where the story is going 🙂

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

[related_books]

Next Steps for Your Manuscript

Free Amazon Email Course

Guest Blogging

Get your Free Ebook!

Subscribe to my email blasts to level up your writing and be notified of upcoming events and offers!

Review Cart

37 Ways To Write About Grief

In this post, we have included 37 things for you to consider when you write about grief .

One of our most popular series of posts on Writers Write is ‘ways to write about different emotions’. We’ve written about these so far:

• 37 Ways To Write About Anger
• 32 Ways To Write About Fear
• 43 Ways To Write About Love
• 29 Ways To Write About Happiness
• 40 Ways To Write About Empathy

In today’s post, we look at ways to write about grief.

This is not necessarily a post about grief as a story, but about how the emotion of grief affects the characters and the plotting of a book.

How do we  write about grief  in an authentic way?

A) What Is Grief?

Grief is an intense sorrow, a feeling of deep and poignant distress, which is usually caused by someone’s death (including a pet’s). Grief can also be felt with the ending of a relationship, or the death of a dream or an idea around which a life has been built. It can be felt with the diagnosis of a terminal illness. It is an intense emotion and the pain can seem unbearable.

Words associated with grief include:

Use these words when you’re describing a grieving person.

People often describe grief as a process . There are generally five stages associated with grief:

These are based on On Death and Dying , the 1969 book by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. Some people may experience them in this order, but they can occur in any sequence and you can revisit the stages at any time. Some people skip a stage and others can experience more than one at the same time. The length of grieving depends on the person. It may take weeks or months or years.

People have also added ‘shock’ and ‘guilt’ to these stages.

B) Body Language

In your body language,  signs of loss are important. You can:

• Curl into a foetal position.
• Cover your face with hands or a pillow or blanket.
• Stare unseeingly.
• Sob uncontrollably.
• Find it hard to swallow.
• Wrap your arms around yourself.
• Scratch your hands and arms.
• Push people away.

C) Ways To Create Conflict With Grief

• The loss of a loved one can spur your main character into action. Love interests in fiction are the most common way to create internal  and  external  conflict. A love interest does not have to be a romantic love interest. ‘It can be a friend, a pet, or a family member.’ ( source ) The loss of this loved one could create a need for revenge or simply for healing.
• The emotion of grief could cause the character to lose their job, or resign from it.
• The emotion of grief could change other important relationships that were dependant on the person who has died.

D)  The Importance Of Grief In Plotting

Grief is a powerful and debilitating emotion. Only use it if it serves your plot.

• If you want to write a book about grief, this will obviously be your main plot. You will show the pain and despair of your main character and how they find their way back to life again. A good way to do this is with the use of a motif that is derived from a hobby or an occupation. The grieving person could be building a boat, or breeding a rare species of birds – anything that gives them a tangible story goal. They must do something – or the book would be boring.
• If you want to use it as a sub-plot, the death of the love interest is the one to choose. The love interest  is the most useful and the most common of all  sub-plots .
• Use their loss to show us more about them.
• Use the loss and their grief to move the story forward. This works in a detective story where the main character vows revenge for their loss – or simply becomes more determined to make things that are wrong, right.

E) Exercises For  Writing About Grief

• Write about the moment your protagonist is told about someone they love dying. Use body language, dialogue, and the senses if you can.
• Write about the moment your antagonist is told about someone they love dying. Use body language, dialogue, and the senses if you can.
• Show how a grieving person is unable to stick to their daily routine. Let them wake up to the loss and then show how they go about trying to get ready for the day.
• Show a moment where a grieving person is pulled out of the well of despair by something that happens that gives them a story goal .
• Write 12 diary entries on the first day of each month after the character has lost their loved one. Show how they change over the year.

Top Tip : Use our  Character Creation Kit to create great characters for your stories.

If you liked this blogger’s writing, you may enjoy:

• 10 Perfect Writing Prompts For Thanksgiving
• The Romantic Hero
• Fictional Pillars For Writers
• The 4 Pillars Of A Memoir
• Banned Books Week – The 10 Most Challenged Titles Of 2020
• What Is Procrastination & How Do Writers Beat It?
• The 5 Pillars Of Police Procedurals
• Mystery, Horror, Thriller – What’s The Difference?
• 101 Words To Describe Weather
• How To Tell If You’re Writing About The Wrong Character

Top Tip : Find out more about our  workbooks  and  online courses  in our  shop .

• Body Language , Creating Characters , Description , Featured Post , Show Don't Tell , Writing Tips from Amanda Patterson

1 thought on “37 Ways To Write About Grief”

Excellent ideas!

Comments are closed.

© Writers Write 2022

How to Describe Facial Expressions in Writing

When writing about facial expressions, most writers are content to keep it simple. Why put more effort into describing a character’s expression when “he frowned angrily” gets the point across? Well, since you made it to this article, you probably aren’t like other writers. You know that keeping things vague and simple or including overused adverbs to simplify descriptions can impact the flow of your story as a whole. You know that a little extra effort can go a long way. 

Every time you describe a character’s expression, you have an opportunity to reveal more about their personality, intentions, and complex emotions—so don’t take the easy way out! Expressions have so much potential to show a character’s true colors! However, it’s not always easy to know how to approach describing facial expressions. Understanding the characteristics of each expression is the first step towards knowing how to properly describe them in your own writing.

Describing Different Facial Expressions

Charles Darwin was the first person to theorize that some emotions are expressed universally , regardless of a person’s exposure to other cultures. The greater scientific community disagreed with this theory, including Dr. Paul Ekman. Ekman ran a social experiment in the late 20th century with the intention of proving Darwin wrong, but he accidentally ended up proving this theory to be correct. 

Now, we know that there are 7 universal emotions that every single culture in the world expresses in the same way. Emotions are expressed innately, and the faces people make when experiencing different emotions are based on natural instinct. 

The seven universal expressions are:

So what does this mean for you? When writing about emotions, it can be really tempting to simply say that the character is feeling angry or disgusted, because that’s easy to write. However, it feels so much more authentic to a reader if they can figure out how a character is feeling based on the descriptions you give about their facial features. Rather than being told how to feel, readers can pick up on the character’s emotions on their own. 

This is based on the technique “show, don’t tell.” If you want to learn more about that, check out Show, Don’t Tell: What it is and How to Write it .

Now let’s get into the specifics of each expression. 

Describing Anger

Describing an angry facial expression is fairly straightforward because it is such a strongly expressed emotion. Anger affects the entire face, so there are many options for writing about how the different features change. Here are some of the telltale signs of anger in a person’s expression:

• Their eyebrows would be lowered and pulled closer together
• Their eyelids would become squinted or raised (or their eyes may bulge if they are enraged)
• Their lips would tighten or curl inwards
• The corners of their mouth would point downwards
• Their Jaw would be tense and might jut forward slightly
• Vertical wrinkles may appear between their eyebrows
• Their nostrils may flare outwards

Anger is a powerful emotion, and it affects more than just the face. When someone gets angry, it usually triggers their body to produce adrenaline (the “fight-or-flight” hormone), which can come with a host of bodily side-effects that can give the anger away. These sides effects include things like:

• Increased heart rate
• Rapid breathing
• Flushed face
• Restless movements

There’s a lot more to anger than the expression. If you want more pointers for writing about anger, I have another article you might want to read: Writing a Character with Anger Issues . 

Describing Happiness

A smile is a great way of showing your readers more about the character, so don’t just leave it at “she smiled.” What does her smile look like? Is it warm, authentic, humorless, mocking, or cruel? Is the character amused, nervous, or happy? A smile can mean many things, and it can even foreshadow a character’s hidden traits. A cold smile can indicate a more sinister nature without you having to work very hard at making them seem that way. 

Here are some of the signs that a character is actually happy:

• Their eyes squint slightly
• Wrinkles appear at the corners of their eyes
• Their cheeks raise
• A defined wrinkle runs from the sides of their nose to the corners of their mouth, known as “smile lines”
• The corners of their mouth move up at a diagonal, widening their mouth
• Their mouth may part, exposing teeth 

Now, a character doesn’t have to have all of those elements in their expression if they are feeling good. For example: 

“His face relaxed, but I could still see the faint outline of wrinkles around his eyes—eyes which seemed to sparkle ever so slightly despite the dullness of the room. Even the corners of his mouth seemed to fight against his normally stoic expression, betraying how he really felt.” 

However, a smile is an expression that is commonly faked. If you want to show that a character is faking a smile, make sure their eyes don’t match the rest of the expression. True happiness is expressed with the eyes, so when a person smiles without showing it in their eyes, it comes across as cold and ingenuine. 

Describing Sadness 

Sadness is a difficult emotion to portray because it is often complex and confusing. Even the character experiencing the sadness might not understand exactly why they feel that way. With that said, there are a few universal signs of the expression, such as:

• Their eyebrows will lower and pulled closer together
• The inner corners of their eyebrows will be angled up
• The corners of their mouth will be drawn downwards
• Their lips may be either drawn in tightly or pouting outwards

Another familiar telltale sign of sadness is crying. There are so many ways to describe crying that I couldn’t possibly cover all of them here, but I’ll give you a few pieces of advice:

• Tears first pool in the eyes before they streak down a person’s cheeks.
• Tears distort vision, so if you’re writing in the first person, don’t forget that your character’s vision will be blurry. 
• Crying usually isn’t a pretty sight, so don’t be afraid to show that the character’s face is red or that their nose is running.

So, sadness is a complex emotion—but what does that really mean? Well, there are many different ways that sadness can be felt and expressed depending on the intensity of the emotion, and there many different things that can trigger a sad response in a character. When a character is truly heartbroken, their expression may change to be more numb: their mouth may hang open loosely, their eyes may remain closed, and the rest of their body may become limp and heavy. 

Complexity also means that sadness is often experienced in tandem with another emotion, such as anger, happiness, or disgust. I’ll get more into how to write complex expressions later though, so read on! 

Describing Fear

Fear is another difficult emotion, because there are many different degrees and types of fear a character can feel. In general, however, these are the guidelines you should follow for describing a fearful expression:

• Their eyebrows would be pulled up and together
• Their upper eyelids would be pulled up, and their lower eyelids would be tense and drawn up as well
• Their mouth would be stretched and drawn back, possibly exposing teeth

There are a few distinctions you need to remember: fear is not the same as nervousness or surprise. The expression for surprise looks different, and although nervousness is often a precursor to fear, they are not the same. If you want tips for writing about nervousness, check out my other article: How to Write a Nervous Character . 

You’ve probably noticed that the expressions for fear and anger share a lot of similarities, including the “fight-or-flight” response. However, the context of the situation is usually enough to tip the readers off to which emotion the character is feeling.

Another way to distinguish the two is with the character’s body language. If a character is angry, they are going to move deliberately and with confidence. They will take up space and command attention with the way they move. An angry person is usually on the offensive, while a fearful person is going to be defensive. A fearful person may try to make themself small to avoid drawing attention, or they may instinctively shrink away from whatever is frightening them. 

Describing Surprise

Surprise functions differently from the other universal emotions. Unlike all the others on the list, surprise is fleeting, and will typically be expressed in only a few seconds. That is most evident with jumpscares, like in haunted houses or video games (or if something suddenly traumatic happens in front of your character), but there are instances in which the expression can linger. Walking into a grand cathedral, being proposed to, or receiving horrible news are all situations in which a surprised expression may stay for longer than a few seconds. 

Here are the unmistakable characteristics of a surprised character:

• Their eyebrows would be raised
• Horizontal wrinkles would appear on their forehead
• Their jaw would go slack
• Their mouth would hang open loosely 
• Their eyes would widen

As with anger and fear, surprise triggers the “fight-or-flight” response. Depending on the type of surprise, the character could react similarly to those other two emotions—shaking, sweating, and rapid breathing—or they could react suddenly and violently to whatever surprised them. They could lash out to defend themself, run away from the perceived threat, or simply freeze in place. 

If you want to learn more about surprising your characters and your readers in your writing, check out my other article: Writing Surprised Characters .

Describing Disgust 

You’ve probably read “her nose wrinkled in disgust” a million times before, but you shouldn’t get comfortable with writing like everybody else. While it’s true that the wrinkled nose is a key characteristic of the expression, so much more goes into making it complete. A disgusted expression affects the entire face, like so:

• Their eyebrows would be pulled down
• Their nose would be wrinkled
• Their upper lip would be pulled up
• Their lips would be loose
• Their eyes would narrow
• Their teeth may be exposed
• Their cheeks may be raised

You’ve probably also read “she recoiled in disgust” before, since that’s another popular writing cliché. As with other emotions, body language plays a part in this, but don’t write it the same way as everyone else. Also, and this should go without saying by now, don’t tell the readers that the character is disgusted— show them . For example:

She stumbles back, her hands clutching the front of her delicate blouse. 

“What is that!?” she gasps, narrowing her eyes at the drooling monster in front of her. 

“It’s my pet.” I respond, making her wrinkle her nose. 

Describing Contempt

Contempt is an interesting emotion, but it is one that is often overlooked. A character that is feeling contempt could assume they are being lied to, that they are right and someone else is wrong, or that someone or something is not worth their time and attention. It is associated with a sense of superiority and apathy. The signs that a character is feeling contempt are:

• Their eyes would be unengaged
• One side of their mouth is pulled up and back
• One of their eyebrows may pull upwards
• Their head may tilt back slightly, making their gaze follow down their nose

This emotion is not a passionate one, meaning the expression is typically somewhat subtle. However, the degree to which the emotion is expressed is going to depend on the character and the context. 

Describing Complex Emotions

Now that you know the expressions for each of the 7 different universal emotions, it’s time to mix and match. Emotions are not always clearly divided; a person can feel several different emotions at the same time. They could be feeling happy and sad at the same time, or angry and disgusted. They could even be feeling anger, disgust, fear, and surprise all at the same time.

Emotions can conflict and overlap with each other, creating a unique expression as they are all experienced at once. Try to sort through the emotions your character is feeling in order to figure out how to describe their expression. There is usually a dominant emotion that will define the majority of the expression, but elements of other expressions would creep in. 

Let’s consider an example: a character has just caught their partner cheating. They are likely to be surprised, angry, and sad all at the same time, but the dominant emotion will depend on the character. One character may get angry, and express all the normal features of an angry expression, but have tears spilling down their cheeks. Another character may have surprise as their dominant emotion, but scowl in anger. Yet another type of character could feel contempt as their dominant emotion, yet grimace in disgust at the sight. 

When two or more emotions are fighting for dominance, and a character cannot decide how to feel, their expression can become confused . Although confusion is not recognized as a universal emotion, here are some options for showing that a character is feeling conflicted or confused:

• Their eyebrows may be drawn together
• A vertical wrinkle may appear between their eyebrows
• Their mouth may be pulled in tightly
• The corners of their mouth may point downward
• They may glance around in different directions
• They may let their mouth hang open loosely, or open and close their mouth several times (especially before speaking)
• They may swallow excessively
• They may fidget or touch their face

Writing About MicroExpressions

Sometimes, characters will try to conceal their emotions, but there will still be signs of how they really feel in their expression. Microexpressions are tiny glimpses of the true emotion that a person feels, quickly followed by a false expression to mask that emotion. Although these usually last a fraction of a second, you can use them to tip readers off to how the character is really feeling. Microexpressions can also be a good way of indicating that a character is lying. 

To write about microexpressions, all you need to do is show little hints of one or more different features of the full expression, but make sure to note that it is only on the character’s face for a brief moment in time. You can use just about any feature of the expression for the microexpression, as long as it is indicative of the emotion by itself. Here are some examples:

• A character trying to mask anger may draw their lips in tightly, then smile. 
• A character trying to mask happiness may squint their eyes, then adopt a stoic expression. 
• A character trying to mask sadness may bring the inside corners of their eyebrows up, then adopt a happy expression. 
• A character trying to mask fear may tense up and bare their teeth, then act angry to make it seem like they were never afraid. 
• A character trying to mask surprise may widen their eyes, and quickly adopt a contemptuous expression to brush off their surprise.
• A character trying to mask disgust may wrinkle their nose, then act surprised to hide their disgust. 
• A character trying to mask contempt may have one eyebrow twitch upwards slightly, then adopt a pleasant smile. 

Remember that the choices you make when describing a character’s expressions can also indicate personality traits, trustworthiness, and likeability. Once you understand the different elements of each universal expression, you can modify it to reveal more about the character in question. Microexpressions can help you reveal more depth to your characters, and make each individual seem more complex. 

Some Tips for Describing Facial Expressions

Although you know how to describe the expressions for the 7 universal emotions, you could still benefit by observing and analysing these expressions yourself. One of the best ways to do this is to study people’s expressions. Pay attention to the actors’ faces when you are watching a movie or show, and try to take note of the little changes in their expressions. You need to be able to put the theory of expressions in practice, and observing real people is the best way to understand how to apply it.

If you are having difficulty describing a character’s expression, try acting out the scene. Imagine the setting, and read the dialogue out loud. How do you feel? What would be going through your mind? Really try to embody the character, and take note of the expression that comes naturally to you. Recreate it in a mirror, or record yourself with your cell phone, and use that as a guide. 

Good luck, and keep writing!

4 Tips for Writers Creating (Realistic) Characters With Depression

There’s been more and more talk about mental health in social media and the news. Our literature and movies are beginning to reflect that. However, they’re not always accurate, and sometimes, issues like suicide are broken down into sensationalized sound bites. How can we as creators change that up? Based on my own struggles and the frustrations of friends, I’ve compiled a list of four tips to remember when writing your next character.

1. Having a character with depression won’t make things “too sad.”

I once heard someone ask, “How do I make a character with depression likable?” The question itself irks me. Do you dislike your friends when they’re upset or distressed? No. It may be harder to be around them at times, but you don’t leave them high and dry in their trouble, do you? Of course, not. (At least, I hope none of us do.) Struggling with something doesn’t make you unlikable. The idea itself doesn’t make any sense. The characters with the most struggles are actually the most interesting to write and read. They’re more realistic as well. Who do you know that’s never had a single problem in their life? Nobody. We all have struggles. Not to mention, the entire concept of a plot is literally centered around conflict — or, you guessed it: struggle. That’s what moves the plot forward. Without conflict, a book would literally go nowhere. Nothing would happen. You’d fall asleep in your chair trying to read it.

That doesn’t mean you should throw in a character with depression “just because.” Depression is a high-maintenance plot point, just like grief or death. You really have to see it through. That being said, don’t let that scare you away! We need more representation of the mental health community in our media. Are you ready? Let’s get down to it.

2. Remember, pain isn’t pretty.

I have to bring this one up, because I’ve seen it in literature before: don’t glorify suffering. Just don’t. This applies to any kind of suffering, really, but let’s zero in on depression and suicidal thoughts. There’s this tendency to assume pain equals beauty, and it makes me want to tear out my hair. Pain doesn’t equal beauty. Pain of any sort is misery. What you do with that misery can be beautiful, but the pain itself isn’t. Honestly, why does pain get so much credit? Yes, pain changes people, but it’s the people who change. The pain did nothing. The person survived. The pain is what they survived. That’s like someone pushing you off the edge of the pool into the water, and you are able to swim to shore. You wouldn’t say, “Wow, look what that person did by shoving you off.” No, you’d give credit to the person who swam despite being shoved off. See the difference?

Following that same line of thought, depression isn’t dainty. It’s not a dramatic sigh and collapsing onto the couch. It’s not a twinge of sadness here and there or a serene calm while tears run silently down your face. It’s often more like irritability and lashing out. Saying things you don’t mean but can’t take back. Staring at yourself in the mirror and seeing the spark in your eyes that you always took for granted is gone. Feeling like just a shell of a person. Just going through the motions and feeling disconnected from reality. Depression is going into the bathroom to sob, turning on the fan so no one can hear you and coming out, acting like all is good in the world. It’s a crushing sense of worthlessness, and a constant voice in your ear that says, “You’re not good enough. You never will be. Your family is better off without you.” And you are so beaten-down, you believe it. It can be a cold numbness or a raging fire of guilt, isolation and anger. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Depression is not beautiful or theatrical. It’s hellish.

The same could be said for suicide. Real life doesn’t operate like “Romeo and Juliet.” There’s no beauty or sweet irony in two young lovers ending their lives. It’s downright awful. I don’t know how else to put it. Let’s just tell it how it is, OK?

3. Don’t depict romance as a “cure” to depression.

Speaking of lovers… cut the twisted romance. Especially with women who are depressed and suicidal, there seems to always be a male character who swoops in to save the day. Let’s be real. It’s actually very unhealthy to invest your emotional well-being all in one person. You shouldn’t cling to a partner as a God-like savior or protector. When that happens, the likelihood of abuse is very high. So, if you have a character whose worth and survival revolves completely around their significant other — if you absolutely must write this — please portray it as unhealthy and dangerous as it is. Don’t put a relationship like that on a pedestal and suggest it’s ideal, because it’s the farthest thing from it.

Like we already established, people with depression aren’t unlovable. Not in the slightest. I would love to see a healthy relationship involving a person with depression. Notice, I said healthy, not perfect. Writing this, I’ve realized I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen one. Isn’t that sad? Looking back, all the relationships involving people with depression I have seen either had 1) predatory or abusive elements or 2) the person’s depression suddenly (almost magically) being healed so that they’re now “more worthy” of love. Yuck. That’s the problem we’re facing. The good news, is that we as creators, writers and storytellers have the power to change that.

4. Don’t be afraid to try.

There is no one, all-encompassing right answer. Just like with other diseases or conditions, Depression doesn’t manifest the same way in everyone. Your experience might look a little different from mine. To avoid contradicting other people’s experiences, some authors write a very generic description of depression that lacks depth. I challenge that. Get a little specific. Cover all your bases, understand the basics and then apply it to your character’s life.

Think about an illness like cancer . There are so many types, and each type doesn’t always behave the same way in each person. Applying this to a character with depression, this isn’t a right or wrong kind of deal. One person may become hyper detached and numb, another may feel so much emotion it seems like it’ll crush them. Some people may experience both, or a sprinkle of this and a sprinkle of that. Learn about it all. Take it all into consideration and be sensitive. Tackling mental health in writing or other forms of media can be difficult at times, but it’s so very needed. Don’t be afraid to fail or get a few things wrong. If you read this article, you probably care a whole lot, and that’s the first step in the right direction.

I also wrote four tips for writing a character with a chronic illness , and a lot of the concepts overlap. You can read that article here.

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Writing Tips Oasis - A website dedicated to helping writers to write and publish books.

How to Describe a Broken Heart in Writing

By Brittany Kuhn

Does a couple in your novel breakup ? Let us help you write this incident. Read on to learn how to describe a broken heart in writing.

• Hard to deal with emotionally because it has been caused or causes distress.
• Quite serious or important.
• Large number or amount.

“Her broken heart weighed so heavily on her that she could barely make herself move, much less feel.”

“The whole ordeal made his broken heart feel even heavier than before.”

How it Adds Description

When we get our heart broken, the sadness that comes after can feel like a burden. Using the word heavy to describe a broken heart really highlights the physical weight of sadness. The reader can imagine how difficult the character must find it to continue with daily life in spite of their broken heart.

2. Bleeding

• Feeling melancholy or stress.
• Sometimes used as an intensifier , similar to really or extremely .

“She could almost feel the sadness bleeding from her broken heart whenever their song came on the radio.”

“The grief bleeds from my broken heart every time I think of Jimmy and the car accident.”

Saying that a character’s broken heart bleeds shows the reader that the character cannot contain their sadness. Bleeding can also be used to show an extra intensity to the sadness, as if it runs through their veins and cannot be eliminated so easily.

Lacking substance, purpose, life or value.

“She wasn’t just broken hearted; she was completely empty .”

“It was hard to tell if his broken heart made him feel empty or if it was the lack of sleep and food.”

Sadness doesn’t always cause a lot of emotional outbursts. Sometimes a broken heart simply drains the energy from a person and leaves them emotionless. Describing that sadness as empty will help the reader feel physically how the broken heart has stolen the character’s zest for life.

Feeling of pain , either physical or emotional.

“She noticed that her broken heart ached less and less every time she saw him with his new wife.”

“I grabbed my chest at the ache he caused me, as if he had literally broken my heart with his words.”

Aching highlights for the reader how much the sadness is hurting the character. Like a real broken bone, a broken heart will hurt physically from the injury. However, aching also signals the healing process has begun so maybe an aching broken heart is slowly start to mend back together.

5. Bitterness

• Acting offensive or upsetting.
• Feeling an intense or severe reproach, sadness or hostility.
• Full of scorn and spite.

“There was no joy or happiness to be found inside him anymore; his broken heart left him feeling only bitterness and spite.”

“What was a broken heart if not bitterness replacing optimism?”

When someone breaks your trust and your heart, it makes you question everything new person or opportunity that comes after. By describing the character as bitter , you are highlighting the distrust they now feel because of their broken heart.

Feels like it will last forever .

“It felt like this broken heart was endless ; with every song he heard, every smile he saw, his heart would break even more.”

“Was the agony of his broken heart as endless as time itself?”

Right after our hearts are broken, we feel like we’ll never find happiness again. Using endless to describe that feeling of hopelessness and despair that follows a broken heart shows the reader the character’s pessimistic state of mind in that moment.

7. Despondent

Full of misery, depression , or disappointment.

“She started at him despondently while her heart broke into tiny pieces.”

“I couldn’t help but notice the despondent look on her face; she wasn’t doing such a good job of hiding her broken heart as she thought.”

Despondent suggests that a person has succumbed to their sad situation, whether that be because they’ve lost all their money or their home or their family. By describing your character as despondent , you are showing that their broken heart is beyond repair, and they are affected by it in the deepest way.

8. Agonizing

Causing great pain ; torturous; cruel.

“Every time I heard her voice, I could feel the agony of my broken heart all over again.”

“The intensity of my broken heart was agonizing; I felt like I couldn’t move for the pain.”

Sadness, especially sadness caused from a broken heart, can cause a person physical pain. If you use agony or agonizing to describe how the broken heart has physically affected the character, your reader can imagine the emotional pain they must be feeling, as well.

• Lonely or abandoned.

“When he broke her heart, she became the forlorn and anxious girl she is now.”

“Why would I look anything but forlorn ? She broke my heart and left me to die!”

If you want to show how a broken heart is affecting the character, use forlorn to describe their sad, depressed demeanor as it suggests someone who just never looks happy, even when they try to smile. The reader can imagine just how painful the broken heart is and how much it hurts the character.

10. Unmendable

Unable to be fixed or repaired .

“She felt as if her broken heart was unmendable ; nothing she could do lessened the pain.”

“There were certain actions that would cause an unmendable broken heart. He happened to do three of them last night.”

By describing a broken heart as unmendable , you are stressing to the reader that whatever has caused the broken heart is so bad that it cannot be undone. The reader can empathize with the character’s pain and distrust because they can also imagine a time when they felt their broken heart was never going to get better.

• +(65) 6018 5957
• [email protected]

No products in the cart.

12 Awesome Descriptions For Sadness

Sadness – an emotion that everyone and anyone can easily relate to. It is one of the most popular emotions to use in school compositions. However, many students simply use the word “sad” to describe their character/s. Teach your child these descriptions to use in their compositions and they will immediately add depth to their stories.

Let’s take a look at the 12 Awesome Descriptions For Sadness today:

1. She tried to speak, but she was  choked with tears .

2. His  tearstained face was puffy and swollen with grief .

3.  Crestfallen , he realised that his only chance to succeed was gone.

4. He had  a lump in his throat  and was  blinking away the tears.

5.  Sorrowfully , he buried his dead golden retriever at the bottom of the garden and  wept a silent tear .

6.  A hush fell  as the bereaved elderly man entered the church. During the service, he was  racked by sobs .

7. “Not again!” he  groaned in misery .

8. “Why would she do that to me?”  snivelled  Giselle  miserably .

9. For months, the  gnawing grief  kept him awake at night.

10. Jason announced the tragic news with  a heavy heart .

11. Sitting there alone,  misery was written all over his face .

12. He found himself  in the depths of misery .

Encourage your child to use these descriptions in the tests and examinations. Help them familiarise with these phrases through simple activities by writing short introductory paragraphs with one or two of the descriptions, or give them short dictation quizzes!

For over 15 years,  Augustine’s English Classes  has helped hundreds of students fall in love with the subject and excelling in school exams. If you are interested to know how our classes work, or what our secret winning formula is, do feel free to drop us a message or give us a call.

Our Registration Is Open For 2023 Classes

Recent articles.

Is English Tuition Necessary for Primary School Students?

How to Avoid These 7 Spelling Mistakes with English Tuition

How Primary English Tuition Help Your Child’s Reading Skills

Students’ Work: Being Greedy

Students’ Work: An Act of Kindness

Like us on facebook.

QUICK LINKS

• (+65) 6018 5957

Marine Parade 86 Marine Parade Central  #04-302 Singapore 440086

© Copyright 2024 – MOE Registered English Tuition Centre Singapore Voted #1 English Tuition Class

Connect with

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

How can you express sadness without using any word non-figuratively related to sadness?

How can you express sadness without using any word non-figuratively related to sadness? I have been told that in poetry you need to "Show, but not tell" instead of saying thing literally, so I am seriously wondering how you can express sadness without using any literal word related to the concept of sadness. There are probably many techniques, but I can't really think of many to be honest.

• creative-writing

4 Answers 4

Posture: He drooped, head bowed, shoulders forward, back bent, silently dragging his feet as he went...

Gaze: Her eyes were unfocused, staring into an empty distance...

Probably other physical ways also.

You can also express sadness, depression or unhappiness etc indirectly through the way the person sees the world ie The window unremittently showed him a bleak landscape; She saw the gravestone's worn engraving, she struggled to hear his voice in her head; The cat's milk saucer, dried up and unwashed for weeks,reminded her of her loss, yet its removal would deprive her of a last link. How, and in what particular way do you feel, when you or the person you are writing about is sad? – Ask yourself this, and your own personal, individual sense of sadness will come to the fore.

Research the ways of sadness.

What kind of sadness is it? Just regular sadness, mild depression, severe depression, etc.? And if it is depression, what type of depression?

Look up the different ways depression/sadness manifests itself into men and women differently. There are many symptoms, with men's and women's diverging somewhat. For example, women tend to be more verbal, while men tend to "act out" more (alcohol, drugs, anger, irritability, etc.)

Search whatever else you need, such as the reasons why it happens.

Keep these things in mind as you go along, and keep the character's personality and life in mind as well.

Find out how people with sadness have felt. You will need multiple examples, since not everyone is the same. We're all unique and different, and that's what makes us normal.

• 1 Yes, and people wiith chemical depression may express the resulting sadness that they feel differently than they would express sadness that they feel as a result of, say, bereavement, or of their team losing the game. –  Stephen Daddona Commented May 29, 2020 at 13:37
• @StephenDaddona Agreed. There are many different types and ways that it can form. –  Acid Kritana Commented May 29, 2020 at 15:05
• Just going to put this out there, Depression (MDD, Dysthymia, PDD, BDI, BDII, etc.) is far different from sadness, and so to is bereavement. The three should not be conflated as being just extreme or benign forms of the other. –  Brian Hinman Commented Sep 21, 2020 at 15:15
• @BrianHinman Actually, we all (or at least most) have moments of depression. However, depression that lasts a long time is bad. –  Acid Kritana Commented Oct 7, 2020 at 22:23
• 1 @AcidKritana So, to correct your conception about these things, the "depression" you're referring to with "...moments of depression" [with respect to the way you use it] is a colloquialism. It refers to non-problematic sadness. The "depression" you're referring to with "...depression that lasts a long time is bad" is Dysthymia, or Persistent Depressive Disorder, which does last a long time, about 2 years. However, other forms of depression, say MDD, lasts a lot shorter, about 2 weeks. Given the context of the question, it's referring to pathological depression, not colloquial depression –  Brian Hinman Commented Oct 8, 2020 at 1:36

There are many ways to talk about emotions obliquely. You can put them into metaphors:

The ocean is gray, and I am lost in the tidepools, with their swirling sands.

You can talk about the context:

Day fifty-three since she left, and the house grows ever more quiet

You can deny them.

Why do you ask? I've never felt happier! Why shouldn't I be happy?

You can depict them physically.

What is this wetness on my cheek?

Or all of the above

The ocean is gray and I am lost in the tidepools with their swirling sands: Day fifty-three since she left and the house grows evermore quiet Why do you ask? I've never felt happier! Why shouldn't I be happy? What is this wetness on my cheek?

Your Answer

Reminder: Answers generated by artificial intelligence tools are not allowed on Writing Stack Exchange. Learn more

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest.

Required, but never shown

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy .

• Featured on Meta
• Preventing unauthorized automated access to the network
• User activation: Learnings and opportunities
• Join Stack Overflow’s CEO and me for the first Stack IRL Community Event in...

Hot Network Questions

• Why was Z moved to the end of the alphabet when Zeta was near the beginning?
• Choosing MCU for motor control
• Undamaged tire repeatedly deflating
• How to format units inside math environment?
• What is "illegal, immoral or improper" use in CPOL?
• How to do automated content publishing from CLI in XMCloud
• How to make a wall of unicode symbols useful?
• On a glassed landmass, how long would it take for plants to grow?
• Help with unidentified character denoting temperature, 19th century thermodynamics
• Why is my Lenovo ThinkPad running Ubuntu using the e1000e Ethernet driver?
• A military space Saga with a woman who is a brilliant tactician and strategist
• Can I redeem myself with a better research paper if my thesis sucks?
• What happened with the 31.5 ft giant in Jubbulpore district (now Jabalpur), India, August 8, 1934?
• Is it possible to know where the Sun is just by looking at the Moon?
• When does derived tensor product commute with arbitrary products?
• Why does Voyager use consumable hydrazine instead of reaction wheels that only rotate when moving the spacecraft?
• Does the Rogue's Evasion cost a reaction?
• Do tangent vectors of a manifold extend into the ambient space?
• Do early termination fees hold up in court?
• What is the simplest formula for calculating the circumference of a circle?
• Does copying files from one drive to another also copy previously deleted data from the drive one?
• Including specific points in Plot
• Is this a balanced way to implement the "sparks" spell from Skyrim into D&D?
• How do you measure exactly 31 minutes by burning the ropes?

[email protected]

+65 87491430

THE WRITE TRIBE 

• Mar 17, 2022

Good phrases for primary school composition - 15 phrases to describe sadness

This blog shares 15 good phrases to describe sadness for primary school composition writing. Good phrases can make or break your writing. It allows your readers to visualise how a character is feeling. Imagine this, by stating, ' John is feeling sad.' We do not see a clear mental picture on how he is feeling. However, if we say, ' Tears rolled down John's cheeks as he reached for another tissue paper, ' We are able to visualise better. This is the secret sauce of good writing! We create interactive quizzes to continuously quiz our students to help them memorise key phrases. We put a lot of effort in gamifying many of our quizzes. It helps our students absorb material much faster and better. We pride ourselves in making creative writing a wonderful learning experience.

We continuously post useful phrases for primary school compositions.

Check this link to learn key phrases for fear.

Check this link to learn key phrases for happiness.

Let's jump right in! Here are 15 good phrases to describe sadness for primary school composition writing. These phrases are suitable for Primary 4, 5 and 6 students.

Try our PSLE ENGLISH MASTERY LESSONS (suitable for ages 11 and 12)

Our PSLE ENGLISH MASTERY program covers various aspects of PAPER 2. The purpose of our MASTERY PROGRAM is to thoroughly prepare for each section. Students will learn skills and techniques on how to score better for Editing, Close passages, Open Ended Compre, Synthesis + Transformation etc.

Trial class - Sats, 9am to 11am (Primary 5 and 6)

Promotion - $36 for a 2 hr lesson. (Usual: $45)

Keen to try? Click on this link and send in your details. We will contact you shortly.

Try our CREATIVE WRITING LESSONS. We cover a lot more in our classes.

P5/6 Creative Writing classes - Mondays (530pm to 730pm). Tues (630pm to 830pm)

P3/4 Creative Writing classes - Tues (4pm to 6pm), Wed (630 to 830pm)

You can try a discounted trial class at only $36.

Click on this link and send in your details. We will contact you shortly.

Whatsapp us at +65 87491430.

Or click this Whatsapp link https://wa.link/4f5ufp

Join our TELEGRAM GROUP for free quizzes!

We have come to the end of the blog. We hope these blog posts are useful. We cover plenty more during our classes. We offer both English Tuition and Creative Writing classes for both primary and secondary schools.

Our quizzes cover many aspects of creative writing. They are a great way to prepare for a composition exam. Here is a link to that!

https://t.me/+5Hqn1Yj2FrhjYWQ1

Sharing is caring

Here is a list of idioms to describe sadness

https://www.myenglishteacher.eu/blog/idioms-for-being-afraid/

Recent Posts

A fortunate escape composition for primary school

Model compositions Primary 2 English: Going to the wet market - By Adriel Koh

Model composition: Determination (Primary 4)

Home > Blog > How to Invoke Mood in Writing?

How to Invoke Mood in Writing?

• Equip editorial de Smodin
• Publicat: May 27, 2024
• Guia general sobre contingut i redacció

Do you struggle to convey emotions in your creative essays? Finding it tricky to help your teacher identify with your character’s feelings? You’re not alone. Crafting emotional writing in creative essays is a challenge all students (and even some seasoned fiction writers) face.

But worry not! This guide is here to help. It’ll cover how to invoke mood in writing, using techniques like descriptive language, engaging characters, and powerful symbolism.

Trust us, with these tips, you’ll write stories that’ll put your teacher or professors right in the thick of things.

6 Ways to Invoke Mood in Writing

Yes, invoking mood in writing can be hard. But it doesn’t have to be! Use any one or all of the following techniques to leave your readers in tears of joy in no time. It’s also important to note that this doesn’t just apply to creative writing.

Carefully crafting the appropriate tone of your research paper is also essential to convey your intended message.

1. Use Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just some robot that’ll give you generic answers. It’s reshaping how both fiction writers and students approach emotional writing. AI tools can help writers effectively evoke intense emotions, like anger and sadness. For example, AI can analyze patterns in storytelling and suggest descriptive words that align with the desired mood or tone.

AI can also identify emotional beats in your story and suggest changes to make a character’s feelings more vivid.

Another benefit is feedback on a reader’s emotional responses. When writers know how readers identify with characters, they can adjust scenes to convey emotion more powerfully. Also, AI can provide insights into word choice, keeping your writing consistent throughout. Incorporating AI into your creative writing process aids in refining your storytelling techniques.

2. Use descriptive language

Descriptive language plays a key role in helping readers empathize and immerse themselves in a story. Using vivid imagery and sensory details is key. These allow readers to better understand each character’s emotional beats. You can optimize your word choice via the following:

• Sensory details : Describe what the character sees, hears, tastes, touches, and smells. This can create a world that feels real to readers.
• Metaphors and similes : Compare emotions to familiar experiences. For example, “her sadness was like a heavy rain cloud.” This can bring abstract feelings to life.
• Specific vocabulary : Choose words carefully to match the emotional tone of each moment.
• Body language and expressions : Show what a character feels through their body language. This could be things like “clenched fists” or “trembling lips.”

3. Create engaging characters and settings

If you want your readers to identify with your story, you have to create engaging characters and immersive settings. Start by exploring each character’s emotions and internal struggles. Their personalities, fears, and ambitions should be clear to evoke emotion from the reader. Instead of simply telling, use dialogue and actions to reveal feelings.

Equally important is setting the stage for vivid descriptions that reflect the character’s emotions. Does a bustling city add excitement and anticipation, or does a gloomy forest enhance the character’s sadness? Your settings should amplify the mood you’re looking to communicate.

Blend characters and settings so that their emotional beats align. You should also let the environment mirror the protagonist’s highs and lows, leaving room for them to grow.

4. Employ narrative techniques

Narrative techniques are important for evoking intense emotions and maintaining the emotional impact throughout your story.

One effective technique is point of view . A first-person perspective gives a more intimate look at a character’s thoughts and emotions. This makes it easier for readers to relate to their internal struggles. Alternatively, a third-person point of view can reveal multiple character’s feelings and deepen the emotion.

Foreshadowing is another valuable tool. It subtly hints at future events to build anticipation and heighten excitement. Readers become emotionally invested as they sense impending joy or dread, depending on your hints.

And then there’s pacing , which plays a role in mood creation. Short, rapid sentences give off excitement or urgency. Long sentences convey reflective or somber emotions. Balancing fast and slow moments makes the narrative more dynamic.

Lastly, flashbacks reveal past emotional experiences, shedding light on why characters behave the way they do.

5. Use symbolism and themes

This can help you evoke emotion in a subtle yet powerful way. Symbolism helps bridge the gap between abstract emotions and tangible experiences. For example, a storm could represent turmoil within a character or symbolize renewal after hardship.

Themes like hope, loss, or redemption guide the story’s emotional beats. They act like a thread that ties the character’s thoughts and experiences together. When you anchor your story to a central theme, you connect characters to relatable emotional experiences. This makes them feel more authentic.

In emotional writing, nonverbal cues like body language also serve as symbols. They reveal what a character feels before any dialogue does so. A clenched jaw could mean anger or a trembling hand could hint at fear.

Also, drawing from your own emotional experiences can deepen your understanding of these symbols. This enables you to build an emotional narrative that really speaks to readers.

6. Edit for mood consistency

Editing is a key and often overlooked aspect of emotional writing. Once your draft is done, read through each scene carefully, noting how a character feels and how this affects the story’s tone. If emotions in one scene don’t align with the overall narrative, revise it so that the mood remains consistent.

Pay attention to details like word choice, body language, and dialogue. Think of it this way: If your main character is heartbroken, their words and actions should show that. A single stray sentence or out-of-place reaction could provoke a different emotional response in readers.

Also, make sure the characters’ emotions progress in a natural way. As they overcome challenges or face new problems, make sure their emotions evolve logically. Review each emotional beat and edit to maintain flow and clarity.

Invoke Mood in Your Writing with Smodin

Writing emotions that resonate means tapping into deep emotions inside of yourself and your characters. Whether it’s a short story you’re writing or a research paper, conveying your own emotions helps readers connect. With practice, students can evoke emotional responses that make lasting memories.

Sometimes, it doesn’t hurt to have a little help with conveying intense emotion in your work. Smodin offers valuable AI-driven tools that can transform your storytelling process. These tools empower writers to convey mood consistently throughout their writing.

Key offerings include:

• AI Writer : Generate high-quality text with references. Ensures your writing aligns precisely with the mood you want.
• AI Chat : Use AI chat to brainstorm or clarify ideas. Provides immediate feedback on emotional beats and narrative structure.
• AI Homework Solver : Solve creative challenges by quickly generating ideas for plotlines, characters, and settings.

Smodin also provides detailed feedback on word choice and structure, helping you convey your message effectively. But, all this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what it has to offer.

And just so you don’t forget: For a reliable tool that refines your storytelling and unleashes your creativity, Smodin is your secret weapon!

• International
• Education Jobs
• Schools directory
• Resources Education Jobs Schools directory News Search

GCSE English Language Paper 1 - Section B Creative Writing (Sensory Description)

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

26 September 2024

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

A lesson and resources to support low ability learners in planning creative writing using the senses to support their description.

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

This resource hasn't been reviewed yet

To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource can review it

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:

Information

• Author Services

Initiatives

You are accessing a machine-readable page. In order to be human-readable, please install an RSS reader.

All articles published by MDPI are made immediately available worldwide under an open access license. No special permission is required to reuse all or part of the article published by MDPI, including figures and tables. For articles published under an open access Creative Common CC BY license, any part of the article may be reused without permission provided that the original article is clearly cited. For more information, please refer to https://www.mdpi.com/openaccess .

Feature papers represent the most advanced research with significant potential for high impact in the field. A Feature Paper should be a substantial original Article that involves several techniques or approaches, provides an outlook for future research directions and describes possible research applications.

Feature papers are submitted upon individual invitation or recommendation by the scientific editors and must receive positive feedback from the reviewers.

Editor’s Choice articles are based on recommendations by the scientific editors of MDPI journals from around the world. Editors select a small number of articles recently published in the journal that they believe will be particularly interesting to readers, or important in the respective research area. The aim is to provide a snapshot of some of the most exciting work published in the various research areas of the journal.

Original Submission Date Received: .

• Active Journals
• Find a Journal
• Journal Proposal
• Proceedings Series
• For Authors
• For Reviewers
• For Editors
• For Librarians
• For Publishers
• For Societies
• For Conference Organizers
• Open Access Policy
• Institutional Open Access Program
• Special Issues Guidelines
• Editorial Process
• Research and Publication Ethics
• Article Processing Charges
• Testimonials
• Preprints.org
• SciProfiles
• Encyclopedia

Article Menu

• Subscribe SciFeed
• Recommended Articles
• Google Scholar
• on Google Scholar
• Table of Contents

Find support for a specific problem in the support section of our website.

Please let us know what you think of our products and services.

Visit our dedicated information section to learn more about MDPI.

JSmol Viewer

University students’ insights of generative artificial intelligence (ai) writing tools.

1. Introduction

2. study background, 2.1. familiarity with generative ai writing tools, 2.2. perceived concerns about using generative ai writing tools, 2.3. perceived benefits of using generative ai writing tools, 3. previous studies, 4. research method, 5. research questions.

• To what extent are Jordanian College of Education students familiar with generative AI writing tools?
• To what extent do Jordanian College of Education students have concerns about using generative AI writing tools in their academic work?
• To what extent do Jordanian College of Education students perceive benefits from using generative AI writing tools in their academic work?
• What are the differences in the Jordanian College of Education students’ insights of generative AI writing tools based on their gender and program of study?

6. Data Collection Tool

7. participants, 8. study procedure, 9. results and discussion, 9.1. first research question: to what extent are university students familiar with generative ai writing tools, 9.2. second research question: to what extent do university students have concerns about using generative ai writing tools in their academic work, 9.3. third research question: to what extent do university students perceive benefits from using generative ai writing tools in their academic work, 9.4. fourth research question: what are the differences in the college of education students’ insights of generative ai writing tools based on their gender and program, 9.4.1. insights of generative ai writing tools based on gender, 9.4.2. insights of generative ai writing tools based on program, 10. conclusions and recommendations, author contributions, institutional review board statement, informed consent statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

• Feuerriegel, S.; Hartmann, J.; Janiesch, C.; Zschech, P. Generative AI. Bus. Inf. Syst. Eng. 2024 , 66 , 111–126. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Anantrasirichai, N.; Bull, D. Artificial intelligence in the creative industries: A review. Artif. Intell. Rev. 2022 , 55 , 589–656. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Khalil, M.; Er, E. Will ChatGPT Get You Caught? Rethinking of Plagiarism Detection. In Learning and Collaboration Technologies, Proceedings of the International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCII 2023, Copenhagen, Denmark, 23–28 July 2023 ; Springer Nature: Cham, Switzerland, 2023; pp. 475–487. [ Google Scholar ]
• Castro, D.; New, J. The promise of artificial intelligence. Cent. Data Innov. 2016 , 115 , 32–35. [ Google Scholar ]
• Hoy, M.B. Alexa, Siri, Cortana, and more: An introduction to voice assistants. Med. Ref. Serv. Q. 2018 , 37 , 81–88. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Goodfellow, I.; Pouget-Abadie, J.; Mirza, M.; Xu, B.; Warde-Farley, D.; Ozair, S.; Courville, A.; Bengio, Y. Generative adversarial nets. Adv. Neural Inf. Process. Syst. 2014 , 27 . [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Teubner, T.; Flath, C.M.; Weinhardt, C.; van der Aalst, W.; Hinz, O. Welcome to the era of chatgpt et al. the prospects of large language models. Bus. Inf. Syst. Eng. 2023 , 65 , 95–101. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Murár, P.; Kubovics, M. Using AI to Create Content Designed for Marketing Communications. Eur. Conf. Innov. Entrep. 2023 , 18 , 660–668. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Reilley, M. The Journalist’s Toolbox: A Guide to Digital Reporting and AI ; Taylor & Francis: Abingdon, UK, 2024. [ Google Scholar ]
• Huang, X.; Zou, D.; Cheng, G.; Chen, X.; Xie, H. Trends, research issues and applications of artificial intelligence in language education. Educ. Technol. Soc. 2023 , 26 , 112–131. [ Google Scholar ]
• George, A.S. The Potential of Generative AI to Reform Graduate Education. Partn. Univers. Int. Res. J. 2023 , 2 , 36–50. [ Google Scholar ]
• Fitria, T.N. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology in OpenAI ChatGPT application: A review of ChatGPT in writing English essay. ELT Forum J. Engl. Lang. Teach. 2023 , 12 , 44–58. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Nikolopoulou, K. Generative Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: Exploring Ways of Harnessing Pedagogical Practices with the Assistance of ChatGPT. Int. J. Changes Educ. 2024 , 1 , 103–111. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Pesovski, I.; Santos, R.; Henriques, R.; Trajkovik, V. Generative AI for Customizable Learning Experiences. Sustainability 2024 , 16 , 3034. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Baidoo-Anu, D.; Ansah, L.O. Education in the era of generative artificial intelligence (AI): Understanding the potential benefits of ChatGPT in promoting teaching and learning. J. AI 2023 , 7 , 52–62. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Yilmaz, R.; Yilmaz, F.G.K. The effect of generative artificial intelligence (AI)-based tool use on students’ computational thinking skills, programming self-efficacy and motivation. Comput. Educ. Artif. Intell. 2023 , 4 , 100147. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Dai, Y.; Liu, A.; Lim, C.P. Reconceptualizing ChatGPT and generative AI as a student-driven innovation in higher education. Procedia CIRP 2023 , 119 , 84–90. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Barrett, A.; Pack, A. Not quite eye to AI: Student and teacher perspectives on the use of generative artificial intelligence in the writing process. Int. J. Educ. Technol. High. Educ. 2023 , 20 , 59. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Hui, X.; Reshef, O.; Zhou, L. The short-term effects of generative artificial intelligence on employment: Evidence from an online labor market. SSRN 2023 , 4527336 . [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Bozkurt, A.; Junhong, X.; Lambert, S.; Pazurek, A.; Crompton, H.; Koseoglu, S.; Farrow, R.; Bond, M.; Nerantzi, C.; Honeychurch, S.; et al. Speculative futures on ChatGPT and generative artificial intelligence (AI): A collective reflection from the educational landscape. Asian J. Distance Educ. 2023 , 18 , 53–130. [ Google Scholar ]
• Hutson, J. Rethinking Plagiarism in the Era of Generative AI. J. Intell. Commun. 2024 , 4 , 20–31. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Lucchi, N. ChatGPT: A case study on copyright challenges for generative artificial intelligence systems. Eur. J. Risk Regul. 2023 , 1–23. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Gupta, M.; Akiri, C.; Aryal, K.; Parker, E.; Praharaj, L. From chatgpt to threatgpt: Impact of generative ai in cybersecurity and privacy. IEEE Access 2023 , 11 , 80218–80245. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Chen, Y.; Esmaeilzadeh, P. Generative AI in medical practice: In-depth exploration of privacy and security challenges. J. Med. Internet Res. 2024 , 26 , e53008. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Ferrara, E. GenAI against humanity: Nefarious applications of generative artificial intelligence and large language models. J. Comput. Soc. Sci. 2024 , 7 , 549–569. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Gasaymeh, A.M. Faculty members’ concerns about adopting a learning management system (LMS): A developing country perspective. EURASIA J. Math. Sci. Technol. Educ. 2017 , 13 , 7527–7537. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Gasaymeh, A. A study of undergraduate students’ use of information and communication technology (ICT) and the factors affecting their use: A developing country perspective. EURASIA J. Math. Sci. Technol. Educ. 2018 , 14 , 1731–1746. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Gasaymeh, A.M.M.; Waswas, D.M. The use of TAM to investigate university students’ acceptance of the formal use of smartphones for learning: A qualitative approach. Int. J. Technol. Enhanc. Learn. 2019 , 11 , 136–156. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Goldberg, Y. A primer on neural network models for natural language processing. J. Artif. Intell. Res. 2016 , 57 , 345–420. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Takale, D.G.; Mahalle, P.N.; Sule, B. Advancements and Applications of Generative Artificial Intelligence. J. Inf. Technol. Sci. 2024 , 10 , 20–27. [ Google Scholar ]
• Wach, K.; Duong, C.D.; Ejdys, J.; Kazlauskaitė, R.; Korzynski, P.; Mazurek, G.; Paliszkiewicz, J.; Ziemba, E. The dark side of generative artificial intelligence: A critical analysis of controversies and risks of ChatGPT. Entrep. Bus. Econ. Rev. 2023 , 11 , 7–30. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Yeo, M.A. Academic integrity in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) authoring apps. Tesol J. 2023 , 14 , e716. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Alasadi, E.A.; Baiz, C.R. Generative AI in education and research: Opportunities, concerns, and solutions. J. Chem. Educ. 2023 , 100 , 2965–2971. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Xu, D.; Fan, S.; Kankanhalli, M. Combating misinformation in the era of generative AI models. In Proceedings of the 31st ACM International Conference on Multimedia, Ottawa, ON, Canada, 29 October–3 November 2023; pp. 9291–9298. [ Google Scholar ]
• Huallpa, J.J. Exploring the ethical considerations of using Chat GPT in university education. Period. Eng. Nat. Sci. 2023 , 11 , 105–115. [ Google Scholar ]
• Strzelecki, A. To use or not to use ChatGPT in higher education? A study of students’ acceptance and use of technology. Interact. Learn. Environ. 2023 , 1–14. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• AbuMusab, S. Generative AI and human labor: Who is replaceable? AI Soc. 2023 , 1–3. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Sevnarayan, K.; Potter, M.A. Generative Artificial Intelligence in distance education: Transformations, challenges, and impact on academic integrity and student voice. J. Appl. Learn. Teach. 2024 , 7 . [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Cooper, G. Examining science education in ChatGPT: An exploratory study of generative artificial intelligence. J. Sci. Educ. Technol. 2023 , 32 , 444–452. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Yan, L.; Martinez-Maldonado, R.; Gasevic, D. Generative artificial intelligence in learning analytics: Contextualising opportunities and challenges through the learning analytics cycle. In Proceedings of the 14th Learning Analytics and Knowledge Conference, Kyoto, Japan, 18–22 March 2024; pp. 101–111. [ Google Scholar ]
• Foster, D. Generative Deep Learning ; O’Reilly Media, Inc.: Sebastopol, CA, USA, 2022. [ Google Scholar ]
• Noy, S.; Zhang, W. Experimental evidence on the productivity effects of generative artificial intelligence. Science 2023 , 381 , 187–192. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Shanto, S.S.; Ahmed, Z.; Jony, A.I. Enriching Learning Process with Generative AI: A Proposed Framework to Cultivate Critical Thinking in Higher Education using Chat GPT. J. Propuls. Technol. 2024 , 45 , 2024. [ Google Scholar ]
• Jowarder, M.I. The influence of ChatGPT on social science students: Insights drawn from undergraduate students in the United States. Indones. J. Innov. Appl. Sci. 2023 , 3 , 194–200. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Sánchez, O.V.G. Uso y percepción de ChatGPT en la educación superior. Rev. Investig. Tecnol. Inf. 2023 , 11 , 98–107. [ Google Scholar ]
• Chan, C.K.Y.; Hu, W. Students’ voices on generative AI: Perceptions, benefits, and challenges in higher education. Int. J. Educ. Technol. High. Educ. 2023 , 20 , 43. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Arowosegbe, A.; Alqahtani, J.S.; Oyelade, T. Students’ Perception of Generative AI Use for Academic Purpose in UK Higher Education. Preprints 2024 , 2024051158. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Raman, R.; Mandal, S.; Das, P.; Kaur, T.; Sanjanasri, J.P.; Nedungadi, P. Exploring University Students’ Adoption of ChatGPT Using the Diffusion of Innovation Theory and Sentiment Analysis With Gender Dimension. Hum. Behav. Emerg. Technol. 2024 , 2024 , 3085910. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Imran, A.A.; Lashari, A.A. Exploring the world of Artificial Intelligence: The perception of the university students about ChatGPT for academic purpose. Glob. Soc. Sci. Rev. 2023 , VIII , 375–384. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Ngo, T.T.A. The perception by university students of the use of ChatGPT in education. Int. J. Emerg. Technol. Learn. 2023 , 18 , 4. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Yilmaz, H.; Maxutov, S.; Baitekov, A.; Balta, N. Student attitudes towards Chat GPT: A technology acceptance model survey. Int. Educ. Rev. 2023 , 1 , 57–83. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Al-Qahtani, A.S.; Al-Dayel, S.S. The level of conceptual awareness and attitude toward artificial intelligence and its applications in education among Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University students. J. Educ. Psychol. Sci. 2021 , 22 , 163–192. [ Google Scholar ]
• Abouammoh, N.; Alhasan, K.; Raina, R.; Malki, K.A.; Aljamaan, F.; Tamimi, I.; Muaygil, R.; Wahabi, H.; Jamal, A.; Al-Tawfiq, J.A.; et al. Exploring Perceptions and Experiences of CHATGPT in Medical Education: A qualitative study among medical college faculty and students in Saudi Arabia. medRxiv 2023 , 7 . [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Markos, A.; Prentzas, J.; Sidiropoulou, M. Pre-Service Teachers’ Assessment of ChatGPT’s Utility in Higher Education: SWOT and Content Analysis. Electronics 2024 , 13 , 1985. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Fontao, C.B.; Santos, M.L.; Lozano, A. ChatGPT’s Role in the Education System: Insights from the Future Secondary Teachers. Int. J. Inf. Educ. Technol. 2024 , 14 , 1035–1043. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Habes, M.; Alanani, A.; Youssef, E.; Sharif, H. Why Do Jordanian Students Prefer Using ChatGPT a Case Study of Higher Education Institutions. In Artificial Intelligence in Education: The Power and Dangers of ChatGPT in the Classroom ; Studies in Big Data; Al-Marzouqi, A., Salloum, S.A., Al-Saidat, M., Aburayya, A., Gupta, B., Eds.; Springer: Cham, Switzerland, 2024; Volume 144. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Gammoh, L.A. ChatGPT in academia: Exploring university students’ risks, misuses, and challenges in Jordan. J. Furth. High. Educ. 2024 , 48 , 608–624. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Aron, A.; Aron, E.N.; Coups, E.J. Statistics for the Behavioral and Social Sciences: A Brief Course , 3rd ed.; Pearson Education: Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA, 2005. [ Google Scholar ]
• Bukar, U.A.; Sayeed, M.S.; Razak, S.F.A.; Yogarayan, S.; Sneesl, R. Decision-Making Framework for the Utilization of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Education: A Case Study of ChatGPT. IEEE Access 2024 , 12 , 95368–95389. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Albayati, H. Investigating undergraduate students’ perceptions and awareness of using ChatGPT as a regular assistance tool: A user acceptance perspective study. Comput. Educ. Artif. Intell. 2024 , 6 , 100203. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Tao, Y.; Yoo, C.; Animesh, A. AI plus other technologies? The impact of ChatGPT and creativity support systems on individual creativity. In Proceedings of the ICIS 2023 Proceedings, Hyderabad, India, 10–13 December 2023; Volume 1. [ Google Scholar ]
• Duhaylungsod, A.V.; Chavez, J.V. ChatGPT and other AI users: Innovative and creative utilitarian value and mindset shift. J. Namib. Stud. Hist. Politics Cult. 2023 , 33 , 4367–4378. [ Google Scholar ]

Share and Cite

Gasaymeh, A.-M.M.; Beirat, M.A.; Abu Qbeita, A.A. University Students’ Insights of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Writing Tools. Educ. Sci. 2024 , 14 , 1062. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14101062

Gasaymeh A-MM, Beirat MA, Abu Qbeita AA. University Students’ Insights of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Writing Tools. Education Sciences . 2024; 14(10):1062. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14101062

Gasaymeh, Al-Mothana M., Mohammad A. Beirat, and Asma’a A. Abu Qbeita. 2024. "University Students’ Insights of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Writing Tools" Education Sciences 14, no. 10: 1062. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14101062

Article Metrics

Further information, mdpi initiatives, follow mdpi.

Subscribe to receive issue release notifications and newsletters from MDPI journals