As I dive into researching signs of fear for my horror WIP, I wanted to share some of the most compelling and visceral reactions I’ve come across. Whether you’re writing a chilling scene or crafting a character’s panic, these 20 signs of fear can help bring tension and realism to your story.
Hyperventilating — sucking in air but never feeling like it’s enough
Chest tightens — feels like a weight or hands pressing down
Limbs shaking violently, knees buckling
Complete loss of muscle control — collapsing or unable to stand
Cold sweat soaking through clothes
Heart hammering so hard they feel it in their throat or head
Tunnel vision — the world narrowing down to one terrifying focal point
Ringing in the ears or sudden deafness, like the world drops away
Dizziness / feeling faint / vision blurring
Dry mouth — unable to speak or even scream
Screaming / sobbing / gasping — involuntary vocal outbursts
Panic run — bolting without thinking, tripping over everything
Clawing at their own skin / chest / throat — like trying to escape their body
Begging / pleading out loud even if no one’s there
Repeating words or phrases — “No, no, no” / “This isn’t happening”
Hiding instinctively — diving under tables, closets, or corners
Desperate grabbing — reaching for someone, anything solid
Loss of bladder or bowel control (for extreme terror)
Total mental shutdown — frozen, slack-jawed, staring blankly
Memory blackout — later can’t recall what happened during the worst moment
you read stuff on wattpad for shit and giggles where most of the fics there are reader-inserted ones written in 1st person pov where y/n is a barely legal white girl with blonde hair and blue “orbs” who’s so smol and fragile that she’s dependent entirely on this morally questionable guy who’s killing people for a living but for some reason happens to have a soft spot for her.
you read real actual literature on archive of our own where it’s two middle aged men, who are each other’s sworn enemies, with tragic past, trauma and strong homoerotic tension. and while they’ve made each other bleed, killed each other’s friends and loved ones out of jealousy / possessiveness, lied and betrayed and manipulated, the rawness, depth, complexity and slow burn will keep you up all night, haunt you during your day and possibly change your life forever. and also the sex isn’t just smut. the sex is poetry that puts Shakespeare to shame
"So... you free on Friday?"
"There is a new restaurant down the street. Maybe you would like to try it out together?"
"I wanted to ask for a while, so... can I take you out on a date?"
"Tell me a time and a place and I'll be there."
"Let's skip the small talk and just go on a date."
"I have a book full of date ideas. Can you help me trying them out?"
"Hey, I've got this wild idea: you, me, and a cup of coffee. What do you say?"
"I'm going to pick you up, you don't need to worry about anything. You just need to be pretty. Which shouldn't be a problem, since you always are."
"Should we make it official with a real date?"
"I dreamed about us going on a date. Should we make it a reality?"
"There's this fancy restaurant I'd like to try, but I'm sure the food will taste better if you are there with me."
"I could show you a good time."
"So, this was basically a date right? Wanna try a real one?"
"I think I found the perfect date spot. Care to try it out?"
"Let's take this to the next level and go on a date together."
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Their stories: Amazing grammar, soaring vocabulary, beautiful imagery and prose which flows like a river.
In chats: no capitalisation or punctuation, swears like a sailor, misspellings everywhere, acronyms and abbreviations every five words, idek
Something I made while dealing with my own stuff and hoping drawing this would pick me up somehow. Maybe it worked.
FT my cat. His name is Mischief
i hope i never stop learning. i want to always be studying. the goal is to attain a level of disgustingly educated.
The fun and sad thing about being a writer is that, if you feel anything, you can just write about it.
Happy? Summer Coming of age
Horny? SMUT
Lonely? A full book with a character's internal monologue trying to find its people.
Writing Prompt #13
A friendly ghost helps a new adult do their taxes.
I just sent an ask to my favorite author.
I just sent an ask to my favorite author.
I just sent an ask to my favorite author.
I just sent an ask to my favorite author.
I just sent an ask to my favorite author.
I just sent an ask to my favorite author.
AHHHHHHHHHHH!!
Writing Prompt #11
“I will embed your name into your skin with my lips, if I must.”
I would have hugged you longer if I knew that’d be the last time we’d hug.
Hello! Welcome to my silly little corner of the internet.
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