Designing Your Character & Other Handy Things

Expressing Body Language

The following are emotions expressedd through the use of body language, this could be very handy for your characters!

Awed 
-Slack
-jawed, raised eyebrows, staring 
-Frozen, slack body language (Self? What self? There is only Zuul.) 
-Take a step back and put a hand to his heart

Amused 
-Smiling and throwing back her head laughing 
-Slapping her thighs, stamping her feet, clapping her hands 
-Shaking her head (That’s so wrong!)

Angry/Aggressive 
-Sharp movements, like shaking a fist, pointing, slashing, or slamming a fist on a table 
-Flushed face, patchy red blotches 
-Tension in neck—chords standing out, veins throbbing—and jutting or tucked chin 
-Arms akimbo, or clenching fists 
-Entering someone else’s space and forcing them out 
-Poofing up with a wide stance (I am big! Very big!), arms wide (Bring it!) 
-Lowered eyebrows, squinting eyes 
-Teeth bared, jaw clenched, snarling

Annoyed 
-Pressing lips together into a thin line 
-Narrowing eyes sometimes with slight head tilt (Why do you still exist?) 
-Rolling eyes, often paired with a long-suffering sigh

Anxious 
-Fidgeting, such as tearing grass into little pieces, playing with a ring, or chewing on a pencil 
-Biting lower lip, swallowing unnecessarily 
-Quickened breathing or holding breath 
-Darting eyes 
-Pallor, sweating, clammy palms 
-Unusually high-pitched, “nervous” laughter 
-Hunched shoulders 
-Pacing

Attentive 
-Slow head nodding with a furrowed brow 
-Leaning forward, toward the speaker, and sitting up 
-Taking notes 
-Looking over the top of her glasses

Bored 
-Resting his head on his palm, peeking out between the fingers, maybe even slipping so his head “accidentally” hits the table 
-Tapping toes, twirling pencil, doodling, and otherwise fidgeting 
-Staring out a window, or at anything remotely more interesting (Which is everything . . .)

Confident 
-Arms clasped behind body 
-Head lifted, chest out, standing tall 
-Walking briskly and making firm, precise movements

Confused 
-Tilting head with narrowed eyes 
-A furrowed brow 
-Shrugging

Contempt/Superiority 
-Lifted chin (The better to look down the nose.) 
-Pursed lips, sneering, slight frown 
-Circling a shoulder, stretching her neck, turning away—anything to indicate she doesn’t see the person as a threat or worthy of her attention 
-Grabbing her lapels, or tucking her thumbs in her waistcoat (See this clothing? It is much nicer than yours.) 
-Dismissive hand-waving

Cynical/Sarcastic/Bitter 
-Twisted lips or a half-smile 
-Sneering, sometimes with shaking the head and other defensive body language 
-Pressed lips with a slight frown 
-Eye rolling

Defensive 
-Crossed arms, legs, crossed anything, really (Well, maybe not fingers . . . or eyes . . .) 
-Arms out, palms forward (Stop!) 
-Placing anything (sword, shield, book, backpack) in front of her body

Disgusted 
-Crinkling his nose 
-Curling his lip and/or showing the tip of his tongue briefly 
-Flinching back and interposing a shoulder or turning away 
-Covering his nose, gagging, and squinting his eyes shut—hard—for a moment. (It assaults all the senses.)

Displeased 
-A plastered-on fake smile (You suck; but I can’t tell you that. So here: a fake smile! Enjoy.) 
-Pouting or frowning (I’ll cry if you don’t give me what I want—don’t test me, I will!) 
-Crossed arms and other defensive/frustrated body language (I will not let that terrible idea influence me!)