Vary Your Sentence Structure

Adding More Depth to Characters

Character development is an ongoing journey, with endless opportunities to create realistic and authentic characters that bring your story to life. In this post, I’ll share ways to help you deepen your characters and make them stand out.

Ways to Make Your Characters Stand Out

- Realistic Reactions: Ensure your characters react authentically to the events around them. For example, when something makes them happy, show it through smiles, laughter, or gestures of joy. When faced with sadness, anger, or disgust, portray those emotions believably to immerse readers in their experiences.

- Social Outings: Let your characters interact with others to reveal their personality. Consider scenes where they hang out with friends or family at parties, movie theaters, or other settings relevant to your story.

- Hobbies & Interests: Real people have hobbies that shape their identity. Give your characters hobbies or interests and let them share their passions with others. This adds layers of realism and connection.

Examples of Emotions

Here’s a variety of emotions to consider when writing your characters:

- Sadness, Happiness, Anger, Disgust, Fear, Surprise

- Shame, Panic, Jealousy, Frustration, Envy

- Pride, Love, Amusement, Gratitude, Grief

- Kindness, Pleased, Unhappy, Anticipation

- Awe, Calmness, Enjoyment, Guilt, Pity, Wonder

Use these emotions to showcase your characters' depth and adaptability as they face challenges or triumphs.

Examples of Places to Go

Need ideas for where your characters can interact with others? Here are some examples:

- Park

- Restaurant

- Movie Theater

- Library

- Museum

- Amusement Park

- Zoo or Aquarium

- Sports Game

- Mall

These settings can help your characters showcase their personalities while advancing the plot.

Examples of Hobbies

Incorporating hobbies adds realism to your characters. Here’s a list to inspire you:

- Painting or Drawing

- Yoga

- Pottery

- Playing an Instrument

- Creating Models

- Bird Watching

- Hiking

- Reading

- Watching Movies or TV Shows

- Collecting

- Photography

- Dancing

- Video Gaming

- Writing

- Gardening

- Cooking

- Sports (Basketball, Baseball, Football, Soccer, Tennis)

- Jigsaw Puzzles

- Exercise

Feel free to pick hobbies that align with your characters' personalities or storyline.

Conclusion

By incorporating realistic emotions, hobbies, and interactions into your characters, you can create layered personalities that resonate with your readers. Taking the time to add depth ensures your characters connect and leave a lasting impact.

Happy writing!

When Your Characters Feel Flat....

1. Give Them Contradictions

Nobody is consistent 24/7, and your characters shouldn’t be either.

“She was always kind, always helpful, always smiling.” what is she, Jesus? “She was kind, but she had a sharp tongue when someone pushed her limits.” not perfect but we can fork with this

Contradictions add dimension. A character who is kind and irritable when tired, is more human than one who’s perpetually pleasant.

2. Give them flaws and shit

“He was brave, but his impulsiveness often made things worse before they got better.”

3. Add habits or what they say, umm....quirks

Quirks make your characters memorable without needing an info dump.

“She was shy.” or maybe.... “She tugged at her sleeves whenever someone asked her a direct question, her gaze darting across the room like she was searching for an escape route.”

4. Their interactions with people, animals, objects

“He was a loner.” that's it? or...“He kept his coworkers at arm’s length — just a guy in the background, clocking his hours, counting down the minutes until he could go home to Dusty, his dog, his favorite being in the world.”

5. Their habits/traits/quirks could be explained by their backstories

Why are they the way they are?

“She never trusted anyone.” Or...“She never trusted anyone—not after her best friend turned on her in high school, a betrayal that still stung ten years later.”

6. Add some form of "Internal Conflict"

“He didn’t want to leave.” Or...“He didn’t want to leave, but staying meant admitting he cared—and caring always led to heartbreak.”

7. You could make them perfect if you want but please for the love of God, don't.

Just don't. It's a major turn-off.

“She was confident in her abilities.” or....“She was confident in her abilities—until she stood on stage and realized she couldn’t remember the first line.”

8. Allow them a character arc. Evolution.

Because simply put, Stagnant characters are flat characters.

Let's say there's a girl who sees asking for help as weakness — she hides her bruises, builds her walls, endures alone. But over time, not through grand speeches but through small seemingly unsignificant moments she learns that letting people in isn’t weak. She realizes relying on others, and letting others rely on her gives her strength and hope.

How to Write Better Villains (Because Your Story Deserves One)

There’s nothing worse than a forgettable villain. You know the type: cartoonishly evil for no reason, monologuing their master plan to no one in particular, and vanishing from memory the second you finish the book. A great villain, though? They haunt your thoughts, challenge your hero, and—sometimes—you catch yourself *agreeing with them*. If you want to level up your storytelling, here’s how to craft villains that stick.

1. Give them a reason to be bad (and make it make sense)

Nobody wakes up one day and just decides to be evil (unless they’re in a Saturday morning cartoon). Real people are shaped by their pasts, fears, and desires—and your villains should be, too. Maybe they believe they’re saving the world, just in a way that costs too much. Maybe they were betrayed and now trust no one. Whatever the case, give them a *why*. Even better? Make your readers *understand* that why, even if they don’t agree with it.

2. Avoid the evil-for-evil’s-sake trope  

Mustache twirling is out. Complexity is in. A villain who kicks puppies just to prove they’re the bad guy is boring. But a villain who feeds stray dogs while orchestrating a political coup? *That’s* compelling. The best antagonists aren’t evil—they’re driven. And when their goals put them in direct conflict with the hero, *that’s* where the tension comes from. Let them think they’re the hero of their own story.

3. Let your villain challenge the protagonist in meaningful ways  

Your villain shouldn’t just be a physical threat—they should challenge your hero’s beliefs, force them to make hard choices, and maybe even make them question themselves. When the antagonist represents a deeper, thematic opposite to the protagonist, you’ve got literary gold. Think of how The Joker unravels Batman’s moral code, or how Killmonger forces T’Challa to reconsider Wakanda’s isolationism. Conflict isn’t just punches—it’s philosophy.

4. Make them unforgettable

Whether it’s a chilling line of dialogue, an eerie calmness, or a twisted sense of humor, give your villain something *distinct*. Personality matters. A unique voice, a specific mannerism, or an unexpected vulnerability can elevate your villain from “meh” to “iconic.” Think about what makes them tick—and what makes them *memorable*.

5. Don’t be afraid to make them right

The scariest villains are the ones who are *almost* right. When a reader can see where they’re coming from—or even agree with some of their points—that’s powerful. It creates tension not just in the story, but in the reader’s own mind. And that’s exactly what a good villain should do: make you question, make you uncomfortable, and make the story impossible to forget.

What are some of your favorite villains in fiction? Drop your favs (or your own villain WIPs) in the tags or replies—I’d love to see them!

[ Theme #11: TTYL ]

Preview + Install (Theme Garden) Live Preview + Static Preview + Code (GitHub)

A responsive, all-in-one theme that includes the option to hide the about, navigation, muses, following, and recently liked sections!

Features:

Day and night toggle button that will stay in the selected mode until it is turned off. A dark mode option is available for those who prefer a dark color scheme on their blogs instead of the default light colors. The day and night mode button will also change according to the scheme you are using.

6 sections are included in the theme (blog posts, an about me, navigation links, muses, following, and recently liked posts).

Left or right sidebar. Both layouts are responsive on multiple screens including mobile.

You can also choose icons that you like for various elements of the theme (i.e. the menu links in the sidebar) from Tabler Icons. Please refer to the theme guide linked below for more information.

Like and reblog buttons, a search bar, an updates tab, and a custom "Not Found" page.

A drop-down menu with 3 custom links.

Supports NPF posts and page links.

Options:

Instead of giving you a selection of post sizes to choose from, you can enter your desired post size (i.e. 500px or 40vw). The same applies to the sidebar.

A custom title and/or description. To activate the custom title and description options, just type anything in the text boxes "Custom Title" and "Custom Description."

You have the option to choose whether your accent colors will be a gradient or one color.

There is a selection of border styles and header styles to choose from.

Different sidebar images are optional. However, the first sidebar image that uses your header image as the default will always be visible on your blog. There is no option to hide it like the other sidebar image.

Show or hide tags on the index page.

Notes:

The search bar will be hidden automatically if you have the option to hide your blog from search results enabled.

The following and recently liked sections will only work if you're using the theme on a primary blog. It will not work with side blogs. Please also make sure you have enabled the options to share your following and liked posts in your blog settings.

For an in-depth explanation and tutorial on how to customize the theme to your liking, please refer to the theme guide! Everything you need to know will be addressed there.

Credit:

NPF Audio Player by @glenthemes

Tabler Icons by Paweł Kuna

See full list of credits here.

Please make sure to read the theme guide before sending in any questions about customization, thank you!

How to Write a CHARMING Villain

Everyone loves a good villain, and they especially love a charming one. If you want to write an antagonist who's both evil yet irresistible, look no further!

1. Show Their "Kindness"

Kindness? Wait, I thought you said we're writing a villain today.

Yup, I mean it--make your antagonist appear kind. Realistically, someone who's polite and friendly is often considered more attractive than someone who's rude and judgmental, so make them kind. It doesn't have to be honest kindness, but you want your readers to doubt the malevolence of your character, if that makes sense.

You can show this kindness through small, daily actions; they don't have to have a lot of impact on the story. Something simple like leaving a big tip, granting a minion a vacation, letting someone go first in the line, and holding open the door all contribute to this image.

2. Smooth Talker

Effective communication is everything. If your villain is eloquent, they seem more capable and intelligent! However, if you're looking to expand further, explore what they can do with their speech.

Does everyone pay attention when they start speaking? Are they able to calmly resolve conflicts verbally? Are they really persuasive? Do they speak elegantly?

Show the effects of their communication skills!

3. Good leader

Make them a good leader. Make them consider how their subordinates might feel. Make them choose good decisions. Perhaps they give their workers days off when they need it. Perhaps they engage with their followers often. Perhaps they're more down-to-earth.

A solid leader looks respectable while a poor one looks ridiculous.

4. Intelligent + Logic

I say this all the time, but make your villains smart, make them logical, make your readers understand where they're coming from. Some of the best antagonists I've ever seen are not the ones that seem excessively evil or unhinged, but rather the ones that seem logical in their actions. And knowing that they're well-aware of their actions and the consequences makes things that much scarier.

if you want a charming villain, you have to start with someone who is competent.

5. Conflicting Moments

At the end of the day, your character is still the antagonist. Yes, they might appear kind, but that's not going to last forever. There will be times when they act unnecessary cruel, and that's okay.

Your audience might be unsettled and confused from the whiplash, and that's okay. Don't force your character into being someone else to satisfy the readers. Embrace the difference.

6. Backstory

Backstories matter for all different types of reasons. From establishing the basis to one's goals, morals, and values to providing the foundation for their character, an effective backstory can do a lot.

However, I want to specifically talk about how the backstory demonstrates someone overcoming their obstacles. If they made it to the present, then they really defied all odds to be here, and honestly? That's admirable (and attractive), no matter what kind of person they turn out to be.

Now, if you're thinking "what if I don't give the antagonist a painful backstory?", I'll address that real quick. You don't have to give them a super depressing past, but there will always be pain and hurt in their past, even if it isn't something "lifechanging" or there 24/7. There is no such thing as a perfect, happy past.

CONCLUSION

To quickly conclude, a charming villain is often not one who appears visibly evil, but one who appears compassionate, intelligent, well-spoken, and acts like a good leader.

Happy writing~

3hks :)

Write Rivals With Chemistry So Hot It Hurts

╰ Rivalry isn’t hate — it’s obsession True rivals aren't just like, “ugh, I dislike you.” They’re watching each other. Studying. Matching moves. Thinking about each other when they shouldn’t. Hating how much they notice the other person. Rivalry is two sides of the same coin: hatred’s messy little sibling is fascination.

╰ Let them know exactly where to hit—and hesitate The best rivals know exactly where to stick the knife. Childhood wounds. Secret fears. Insecurities no one else sees. But the most powerful moment isn't when they stab, it's when they hesitate. When they flinch. When the reader sees the care underneath the kill shot.

╰ Make every win personal Every victory between rivals should feel like flirting with a knife’s edge. They don't just beat each other; they get under each other's skin. "I outsmarted you" translates directly to "I'm the only one who really sees you." (And no, they're not ready to talk about why that makes them insane.)

╰ Layer the attraction under everything You don't have to write "he found her hot" every five seconds. (Please don't.) Just lace it into the friction. The way they notice each other’s hands. The way a sarcastic smile feels like a slap and a kiss at the same time. Let it be unspoken, which somehow makes it ten times louder.

╰ Give them one private, honest moment and then destroy them for it That one late-night conversation. That brush of honesty. That accidental partnership in a bar fight. That glimpse of trust that leaves them both raw and feral because now it’s personal. Now it hurts. And guess what? Neither of them is stable enough to handle it like adults.

╰ Let them wound each other in ways no one else can Rivals with chemistry are like: “I know your softest place. I know where you hurt. And maybe I’m the only one who could ever touch it.” Terrifying. Intimate. Sexy. Self-destructive. Delicious.

╰ Don’t make it easy to flip to love If they hook up too soon, it’s cheap. If they confess too soon, it’s fake. They have to fight it. They have to screw it up. They have to almost kiss and almost kill each other in the same breath. The reward is sweeter because it’s hard won.

╰ Make them jealous, but make it messy Not cutesy "oh no I'm jealous" moments. Ugly jealousy. Pride-shredding, shame-inducing jealousy. Watching their rival smile at someone else and feeling like they're drowning in acid and denial. Bonus points if they pretend they’re above it and then spiral anyway.

╰ Tension isn’t just in the fighting—it’s in the silences It’s the stare across the room that says “I hate you and I want you” with zero words. It’s the hand that lingers a second too long after pulling them out of danger. It's the unsent text. It's the "accidental" meeting. Sometimes not speaking burns hotter than the screaming matches.

╰ Remember, they don’t want to ruin each other, they want to matter At the core of a rival/chemistry dynamic is one brutal truth: “I want to matter to you more than anyone else does.” And they’ll deny it. And fight it. And wreck themselves over it. (And we, as the readers, will eat it with a goddamn spoon.)

How to write smut ?

(@urfriendlywriter | req by @rbsstuff @yourlocalmerchgirl anyone under the appropriate age, please proceed with caution :') hope this helps guys! )

writing smut depends on each person's writing style but i think there's something so gut-wrenchingly beautiful about smut when it's not very graphic and vivid. like., would this turn on a reader more?

"he kissed her, pulling her body closer to him."

or this?

"His lips felt so familiar it hurt her heart. His breathing had become more strained; his muscles tensed. She let herself sink into his embrace as his hands flattened against her spine. He drew her closer."

(Before proceeding further, these are all "in my opinion" what I think would make it better. Apply parts of the advice you like and neglect the aspects you do not agree with it. Once again I'm not saying you have to follow a certain type of style to write smut! Creative freedom exists for a reason!)

One may like either the top or the bottom one better, but it totally depends on your writing to make it work. Neither is bad, but the second example is more flattering, talking literally. (Here is me an year after writing this post, i think, either is amazing, depending on the context. the type of book you're writing, your writing style and preferences!)

express one's sensory feelings, and the readers will automatically know what's happening.

writing, "her walls clenched against him, her breath hitching with his every thrust" is better than writing, "she was about to cum".

(edit: once again, hi, it's me. Either is amazing depending on ur writing style. Everything at the end is about taste.)

here are some vocabulary you can introduce in your writing:

whimpered, whispered, breathed lightly, stuttered, groaned, grunted, yearned, whined, ached, clenched, coaxed, cried out, heaved, hissed

shivering, shuddering, curling up against one's body, squirming, squirting, touching, teasing, taunting, guiding, kneeling, begging, pining, pinching, grinding,

swallowing, panting, sucking in a sharp breath, thrusting, moving gently, gripped, biting, quivering,

nibbling, tugging, pressing, licking, flicking, sucking, panting, gritting, exhaling in short breaths,

wet kisses, brushing soft kisses across their body (yk where), licking, sucking, teasing, tracing, tickling, bucking hips, forcing one on their knees

holding hips, guiding the one on top, moving aimlessly, mindlessly, sounds they make turn insanely beautiful, sinful to listen to

some adverbs to use: desperately, hurriedly, knowingly, teasingly, tauntingly, aimlessly, shamelessly, breathlessly, passionately, delicately, hungrily

he sighed with pleasure

her skin flushed

he shuddered when her body moved against his

he planted kisses along her jawline

her lips turned red, messy, kissed and flushed.

his hands were on his hair, pulling him.

light touches traveled down his back

words were coiled at his throat, coming out as broken sobs, wanting more

he arched his back, his breath quivering

her legs parted, sinking into the other's body, encircling around their waist.

+ mention the position, how they're being moved around---are they face down, kneeling, or standing, or on top or on bottom--it's really helpful to give a clear picture.

+ use lustful talk, slow seduction, teasing touches, erratic breathing, give the readers all while also giving them nothing. make them yearn but DO NOT PROLONG IT.

sources to refer to for more:

gesture that gets me on my knees !!

(more to comeee, check out my hot or kisses prompts on my master list!)

— COMO BUSCAR TEMPLATES?

Onde e como encontrar templates.

Recebi uma ask pedindo por um tutorial de como encontrar templates, e mesmo que seja um trabalho que não tem como eu facilitar, sei que muita gente chega aqui no tumblr e não sabe onde procurar e por onde começar.

Por isso, nesse guia, vamos discutir onde procurar templates para usar aqui no tumblr, seja em um blog pessoal, 1x1, blogs de personagens ou, até mesmo, em uma central.

Antes de tudo, como eu disse ali em cima, não tem muito como cortar caminho. Se você quer encontrar templates que gosta, vai ter que passar um tempo fuçando nas tags até encontrar o que você está procurando. Aqui você não vai encontrar uma fórmula mágica, e é importante saber que demanda tempo além do que você vai dispor para editar seu template. Dito, isso, vamos começar.

Adendo: o casal do @twilightalks postou um super post com vários blogs e sites pra vocês encontrarem conteúdo pra edições e que vai facilitar muito a sua vida. Clique aqui pra ser direcionado para o post!

RPHs

Primeiro, a maioria (se não todos) os tumblrs de rph reblogam templates. Você pode abrir um rph da rp br ou da tag gringa e vai encontrar resources, isso é fato. Mas se você não sabe o que procurar, abrir um blog não vai te ajudar tanto assim, já que é impossível ir olhando página por página.

Para facilitar a sua vida, eu vou colocar aqui algumas tags de helpers brasileiros onde você encontra templates:

jackhelps

#char psd; templates específicos para introdução de personagens. #ps template; templates em geral. #icon borders; templates para banners & ícones. #psd; psd para aplicar em imagens. #dividers; divisores para posts.

sakurajjam

#( templates ) #( psd ) # ♡ · ❄️ : photoshop

neozhelps

#⊰ 🍄：photoshop resources ˎˊ˗

desireeh

#templates

yeagrist

#* ⠀𓈒 ׄ ✮ ﹕ 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 ⸝⸝ template . # *   ⠀𓈒       ׄ     ✮     ﹕     𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬       ⸝⸝    psd      .

gwldcnz

#m: templates. #m: dash icons. #m: graphics. #m: colorings. #m: ps resources. #r: templates. #r: colorings. #templates. #colorings.

yixinc

#template

twilightalks

Mega post de help com vários links úteis, incluindo perfis de criadores de conteúdo.

Tags

Certo, mas onde esses rphs procuram esse tipo de coisa pra reblogar? E se não encontrar nada ali, como procurar?

Pra ir direto na fonte, você vai precisar usar as tags do tumblr. Se você notou ali pelos links, temos termos específicos mas em geral usamos template em rph. É assim com todo conteúdo? Não, você vai precisar pesquisar tags específicas pra encontrar algo que você procura.

#rph

Essa é a tag geral de helpers do tumblr, então você pode encontrar conteúdos em geral, como templates, gif packs, pngs, etc. Não é frequentemente que vejo templates por ali, a maior parte dos posts é de gif packs, mas pode ser que você encontre algo se der uma olhada pela tag.

#rp resources

Resources variadas, desde pngs, templates, ícones, etc. Aqui você vai encontrar tudo mais misturado, e com outros tipos de resources como starters e etc. Se você está procurando algo mais específico, pode dar um trabalhinho. Se não, vai encontrar bastante coisa bacana.

#rp template #psd template #rp psd template #graphic template #photoshop template

Nessas tags você encontra templates gerais. Acontece de ter alguns posts irrelevantes, mas, em geral, são só templates que você pode usar, só precisa filtrar conteúdo gratuito.

#character graphic #character template #character psd #char psd

Character psd/graphic/template são aqueles templates que se encaixam em fichas. São especificamente feitos para mostrar personagens, e podem ser usados como fixado também. Alguns têm espaço para nome e outras informações, outros são focados só em imagens. Quando você estiver buscando esse tipo de template, as tags acima são ideais para essa busca.

#rp psd #psds #free psd #psd

Quando você quer encontrar ajustes de cor para colocar nas suas imagens, e não templates, as tags que usamos são as de psd. Nelas você encontra psds gratuitos e pagos, alguns que só alteram coloring e outros que alteram as cores de forma mais extrema.

Outras tags úteis:

#faceless gif pack para packs de gifs de cenários, pessoas que não mostrem os rostos, objetos, etc.

#aesthetic pngs #transparent png #png icons #transparent icons para ícones em png. Podem ser usados em templates e como ícones.

#dividers #tumblr dividers #aesthetic dividers #post dividers são os divisores de posts em png.

#icon border #free rp icon border #icon borders sendo bem sincero eu só me deparei com esses templates recentemente, vejo eles sendo usados (e já usei) como banners.

#dash icons template são os templates pra fazer ícones transparentes pra dashboard.

Deviantart

Se você pretende usar templates com frequência, vai ter que se acostumar a usar o Deviantart. É um site onde criadores postam arte, mas também armazenam templates, psds, e etc, e disponibilizam para baixar. Alguns criadores aqui do tumblr armazenam lá, e você recebe um link para baixar pelo deviantart, e outros você só encontra por lá.

Para baixar, você vai precisar criar uma conta, o que é bem simples de se fazer, e depois ir até o link do que pretende baixar. Embaixo da imagem do template, você vai encontrar esses botões:

Você clica na seta de download, e o conteúdo vai ser baixado. Algumas vezes vem direto como psd, outras em uma pasta com arquivos, ou até mesmo um arquivo zipado. Depende do criador.

Mas atenção, se você entrar em um conteúdo em que no lugar da seta, apareça o valor, assim:

Significa que esse conteúdo é pago, infelizmente.

Mas, além de ser direcionado para o Deviantart apenas para download, você também pode pesquisar templates diretamente por lá. Eu considero até um pouco mais fácil, pois você consegue especificar exatamente o que está buscando.

Exemplos:

É claro que vai surgir algum conteúdo que não interessa, mas você consegue fazer uma busca mais direcionada ao que você está buscando.

Aconselho sempre adicionar o termo template no final da busca para garantir que você filtre por templates mesmo, e buscar usando termos em inglês pra ter mais resultados. Depois é só ir selecionando os que você gostar e conferir se não são pagos. Não se esqueçam, é claro, de dar uma olhada na descrição do conteúdo para saber como o criador gostaria de ser creditado.

No post do twilightalks também tem uma lista ótima de usuários que postam templates, o que facilita essa busca.

Buscar templates é um trabalho um pouco cansativo, não tem muito como correr disso, infelizmente. Mas sabendo onde buscar facilita bastante e poupa um pouco do seu tempo. Então espero que esse guia ajude, e qualquer dúvida, só chegar na ask!

Making a Character Whine in Monologue

I’m a big believer in letting characters bleed quietly. You know, the kind of emotional tension that simmers just under the surface—not the dramatic “I am torn!” speeches. Here’s how I like to sneak internal conflict into my writing without making my characters feel like they belong in a bad soap opera... Have Fun! (｡♥‿♥｡)

╰ Saying the opposite of what they feel. Like insisting they’re fine while gripping a coffee mug like it personally insulted their ancestors.

╰ Pausing before responding to something simple. Because sometimes the silence says “I’m thinking too hard about this” louder than a whole paragraph ever could.

╰ Changing the subject when things get too close to their emotional soft spot. Classic evasion. Bonus points if they pretend it's for someone else’s sake.

╰ Making choices that contradict their stated goals. "I swear I’m over them"—cut to them rerouting an entire road trip to pass by their ex’s hometown.

╰ Being too nice. Yep. People-pleasing? Avoidance in a trench coat.

╰ Fixating on a tiny, irrelevant detail while avoiding the bigger thing. They can’t deal with their grief, but they can definitely spend 12 minutes lining up pens perfectly.

╰ Snapping at someone they trust—then immediately regretting it. Because pain has to leak out somewhere, and it’s usually not in a convenient monologue.

╰ Doing something “just in case,” but obviously hoping for the opposite. Packing a goodbye gift they never plan to give. Writing a message they never send.

╰ Rewriting memories in their head. “It wasn’t that bad. They didn’t mean it. I probably deserved it.” A spiral in slow motion.

╰ Being hyper-aware of how others are reacting to them. Internal conflict often turns into external paranoia: “Did she flinch? Was I too cold? Did he see that?”

sometimes you need dialogue tags and don't want to use the same four