Nothing Hurts More Than Finally Understanding Your Best American Girl Personally

twenty phrases for writing facial expressions

his brows knitted together

her lips pulled into a smile

the corners of her lips quirked up into a smile/smirk

her face twitched

a line formed between his brows

a look of happiness engulfed him

a look of sadness washed over him

his face contorted into a frown

his eyes drooped at that, and his lips pulled themselves into a frown

she raised a brow

she cocked an eyebrow

her brows furrowed

her eyes narrowed

her eyebrows shot up

his brows were tightly drawn together

alternatively, his brows were drawn together tightly

her entire face dropped

her smile fell

his eyes glittered with [any emotion]

his eyebrows pinched together

scents and smells to use in your writing

sandalwood — think intoxicating, slightly masculine (if you want it to be), wood-y,

fresh laundry — think febreeze, freshly cleaned clothes, cleaning wipes, that kinda thing

cinammon — think cinnamon rolls, desserts, sugar, sweetness

vanilla — sweet and soft. it’s a classic and i feel it’s almost feminine because it’s in a lot of perfumes but it can be for anyone

sea salt — think sand on your feet, sea in your lungs, maybe a few seagulls cawing. a very beach-y smell

chlorine — think of pools, summer, theme parks with water slides. it’s not the most appealing smell but it certainly is a smell

strawberry — when i think of strawberries, i think of strawberry picking when i was little and kind of the taste of the strawberries themselves. as for the ice cream or perfume kinda strawberry, it’s a fun and sweet smell

chocolate — think hot chocolate, a hershey’s kiss, that hint of chocolate in your coffee creamer. it’s warm and cozy

coconut — think tropical, beachy, refreshing. when most people see coconuts they see “exotic”

banana — think banana sundae, banana smoothie, fruit-y smell, laffy taffy, that kinda thing

apple — think apple trees, apple jam, apple pie, that kinda sweet crisp smell

pine — think of a damp, dirty forest with towering trees and leaves gracing its floor. maybe a deer or two is nearby. it’s a forest smell basically

metallic — think of blood, wet copper or iron, etc.

dirt/earth — think the smell of dirt, grass, trees. the general smell of nature

rose — think romantic, date night, mysterious, alluring. roses are most commonly associated with life and affection, at least in american culture

sweat — think intense workout, maybe tangy, smoky, etc. just sweat

mint — think of waking up bright and early, toothpaste, doctor’s offices, etc. mint really speaks as fresh to me

damp, wet, wet dog — think of moist places, like a really old pool or something akin to that

dew — think early morning and mist in the air. can be associated with spring as well

musk — think of a scent similar to sweat, but the aftermath. not just pure sweat everywhere, but the scent about an hour after you work out. it smells different for everyone though

smoke — think of that scent you smell when a fireplace turns off, wood stops burning, or when you overcook something

spicy — think of ginger, paprika, spices in general. it’s a kind of fun and daring smell

toasty, warming — this can be anything warm you want: hot cocoa, warm blankets, turning the heater on, summer, fireplace flames

floral — this can be any flower you want it to be. spring is full of it, it is the embodiment of a bouquet, and is the scent you smell when you “stop to smell the flowers”

other words for,

happy

joyous, delighted, ecstatic, cheerful, elated, glad, gleeful, jolly, merry, thrilled, upbeat, overjoyed, jubilant

sad

upset, depressed, melancholy, mournful, somber, sorrowful, pessimistic, sorry, unhappy, blue

angry

fuming, raging, irritated, annoyed, bitter, enraged, irate, furious

scared

fearful, afraid, anxious, panicked, panicky, startled, petrified, shaken, terrified

bored

disintegrated, fatigued, tired

big

fat, full, gigantic, massive, enormous, tremendous, colossal, considerable, hefty, huge, sizable, substantial, full, immense

small

cramped, limited, meager, microscopic, miniature, minuscule, modest, narrow, small-scale, young, paltry, poor

pretty

attractive, beautiful, charming, cute, elegant, good-looking, graceful, handsome, lovely, neat, pleasant

ugly

repulsive, unattractive, hideous, grotesque, grisly, unseemly, unsightly, horrid, awful

dislike

displeasure, disapprove, aversion, disgust, loathing, hatred, enmity

like

approve, adore, admire, cherish, appreciate, love, dig, fancy, prize

easy

effortless, obvious, simple, painless, straightforward, smooth, child’s play, light, basic

hard

difficult, tough, troublesome, complicated, serious, heavy, rough, arduous, backbreaking

soft

velvety, silky, smooth, spongy, fluffy, elastic, mushy, delicate, comfy, creamy, pliable

rough

rocky, rugged, harsh, coarse, choppy, chapped

hot

blazing, boiling, heated, searing, sweltering, warm, scorching, sizzling

cold

chilly, freezing, icy, brisk, frigid, cool, wintry, frosty

thick

dense, fat, chunky, broad, wide, massive, hard

thin

skinny, slim, small, slender, gaunt, lean, fragile, delicate, narrow, meager

agree

concede, comply, allow, concur, grant, settle, sign, set, recognize

disagree

clash, oppose, divide, feud, haggle, object, oppose, quarrel, quibble, dissent, bicker, contend

nice

kind, cordial, fair, friendly, good, lovely, swell

mean

rude, callous, dangerous, evil, malicious, nasty, vile, ugly, hard, vicious

loud

big, boisterous, deafening, resounding, roaring, ringing, raucous, rambunctious, intense

quiet

muted, hushed, muffled, low, soft, reticent, noiseless

firm

stiff, thick, tough, unyielding, sturdy, solid, hard, substantial, rigid

loose

baggy, lax, relaxed, sloppy, slack, limp

delicious

appetizing, delectable, delightful, exquisite, heavenly, enjoyable, pleasant, savory

distasteful

unpalatable, unappealing, unappetizing, unsavory, indigestible, inedible, savorless, nasty

woman, girl

female, lady, madam, beauty

man, boy

male, gentleman, dude

home

house, shelter, dwelling, residence, mansion, apartment, shack, box, condo, building

like, similar

alike, akin, analogous, allied, parallel, matching, equivalent, comparable, identical, related

music

soul, tune, opera, melody, piece, singing, chamber, measure, hymn, song

art

design, painting, illustration

and writing

article, book, piece, scripture, manuscript, story, passage, novel, reading, work

all synonyms found on www.thesaurus.com

the types of laughs and smiles

smirked — teasing, playful, snarky. usually, one side of the person’s mouth is slightly upturned.

smiled — a smile, both sides of the person’s mouth turn up and it can be slight or extreme.

laughed — a general laugh. usually in response to something funny or outlandish, can be dry, loud, kind of quiet, or hearty.

chuckled — laughter’s quiet cousin. usually more subtle than a laugh and can be the suppression of a laugh, like someone was starting to laugh but decided against it.

howled — a loud, intense and higher pitched version of laughter. think doubling over, hands on knees kind of laugh. like a wolf, if you will

convulsed/convulsing with laughter — the person’s body is shaking or moving a lot due to laughter, maybe their arms are moving, they’re bent over, i don’t know whatever you want

beamed — a more strong, noticeable smile, usually wide and cheerful. think your crush just asked you out kinda deal

ao3 is my safe place

words to use instead of “said”

normal:

— stated

— spoke

— remarked

— reported

— added

questioning:

— asked

— inquired

— requested

— begged

angrily:

— demanded

— shouted

— growled

— yelled

sad:

— sobbed

— cried

— groaned

— bawled

nervous:

— trembled

— quaked

— stammered/stuttered

happy:

— exclaimed

— chirped

— laughed

— giggled

punctuation in dialogue

“this,” i paused, “is a sentence with an action, pause, dialogue tag, etc. in between.”

“this is a sentence too,” i said.

“hey and this too.” i said

“this is a sentence,” i said. “this is another sentence.”

“this is a sentence.”

okay thanks that’s all i got same time tomorrow

things to think about when you’re worldbuilding

economy or economies — what does the economy look like? is it horrible? is it great? does it vary from area to area?

race(s) — what do your people(s) look like? are they human, are they something else, are there multiple species?

currency or currencies — what do people use to trade? do they trade with items, like one pound of beef in exchange for one pound of scrap, or currency, like one dollar for one peach?

magic — decide if you want to have magic in your world, none at all, or if you want to put a spin on magic, like technology (smartphones, laptops, etc.) is considered magic

magic system — how does your magic work? are there different elements? maybe different element combinations can make others?

rules of magic — what are the absolute don’ts and dos in your magic system? also, what are the don’ts and do’s for magic in your society or societies?

magicians — are there magicians? are they typically one race, can they be anyone, or are multiple races known for being magicians? how are they related to magic? are some races better at becoming magicians and dealing with magic than others? what makes someone a strong or weak magician if you’re going to have power differences?

how magic relates to science — if you’re going to have science in your world, how does magic tie into it? is magic just apart of science? is magic its own thing and science another?

flora and fauna — how is the wildlife? are the plants and animals the same as the ones on earth, or are they unique? are there a variety of organisms or only a few?

geography — what does the planet look like? is it mostly land, water, or something else? are there landforms? if so, what are they and what do they look like?

natural resource(s) — what resources are available on the planet or planets and where?

climate(s) — what is the weather generally like on the planet or in specific areas? for example, is it always hot in one area but always cold in another, or is the entire planet one way?

culture(s) — manners, calendar(s),

technology — how technologically advanced are your people? are some areas or civilizations more advanced than others? are they barbaric?

medicine — how advanced or simple is medicine? is it available to most people? is the kind of treatment you receive race specific? does free medical care exist or is it available?

transportation — how do people get around? do they walk, use cars, bikes, planes, and or trains, or something else entirely?

communication — what are the language(s)? what are the methods of communication? are there specific alphabet(s)?

animal symbolism for your writing

dog — loyalty, faithfulness, trust, companionship, pack mentality, family-oriented

cat — independence, aligity, mystery, solitude, curiosity, self-reliance

rabbit — fertility, luck, new beginnings, gentleness, purity

snake — temptation, evil, ill will

deer — grace, gentleness, renewal, vulnerability, innocence

fox — cunning, trickery, intelligence, adaptability, mischief, playfulness, tomfoolery

coyote — cleverness, creativity, trickery, playfulness, knowledge, an omen or a warning

wolf — intuition, wisdom, freedom, wildness

alligator — danger, power, strength, camouflage

elephant — memory, longevity, intelligence, sovereignty

horse — travel, spirit, adventure, transportation, hard work

seal — playfulness, happiness, joy, understanding

seahorse — good luck, magic, persistence, fortune, individuality

shark — power, authority, strength, predatory nature, protection

fish — abundance, perseverance, prosperity, peace, calmness, water

grizzly bear — strength, power, protection, a connection to the wild, healing

black bear — fearfulness, conflict-avoidance, mindful

polar bear — viciousness, coldness, protectiveness

panda bear — peace, gentleness, luck, friendship

red panda — patience, sensitivity, originality, non-conformity

bird — transcendence, messaging/messengers, freedom

worm — decay, death, cycle of life, regeneration, simplicity

bug — filth, transformation, decay, unpleasantness

a list of buildings and structures to use in your writing

hospital

police station

school

fire watch tower

observatory

apartment complex

gas station

city hall

coffee shop

bakery

firefighter station

car dealership

college

high school

elementary school

middle school

university

park

research center

animal shelter

camp/wilderness camp

casino

blacksmith

bank

barber

armory

aquarium

dentist

general store

gunsmith/gun store

doctor’s office/medical store/medicinal supply store

jail

library

museum

farm

food store, like a pizza shop or ice cream store

stationary food truck

vacant lot

skate park

country club(s)

tennis court(s)

basketball court(s)

pool

warehouse

fast food restaurant