On an ongoing basis, I maintain a How-To-Describe word document. It’s a list that contains descriptions for emotions, scenarios, and people that I use from time to time in my writing when my brain turns to mush. Lists like these serve the purpose of getting an idea started when my brain turns to mush, which happens when I’ve been writing for eight straight hours.

Below find some lines from my How-To-Describe file that may help your drained brain along.

• Air – The air was clogging her lungs
• Air – The air was painted with fragrance
• Air – The air was crisp, and the smells of a not too distant winter mingled in the air
• Air – The air was crowded with (insert sound e.g. beach) sounds
• Air – The air was sweet with the hints of the incoming spring
• Air – The air held the faintest chill
• Air – The morning was scented with earth and pine
• Anger – A breath hissed out between her teeth
• Anger – The anger took form deep within and sprang hot
• Anger – Anger roiled up inside her
• Anger – Raw anger flared and mingled with posturing toward…
• Anger – A quiet rage radiated through her
• Anger – A simmering rage had her blood boiling
• Anger – As anger spit out of her eyes
• Anger – At the ice in her tone, she responded in defense and defiance
• Anger – Chest tightened into that familiar ball of anger
• Anger – Clinging to anger was simpler than dealing with the grief that was consuming her
• Anger – Everything seemed to wash over her at once: guilt, fright, remorse, fright, anger, denial, shock
• Anger – Fury briefly exposed
• Anger – Fury simmering
• Anger – hands clenched and unclenched, leaving deep crescent marks on moist palms
• Anger – She aimed a look at Bob that could have moved mountains, frozen oceans
• Anger – She carefully filtered out of her voice the anger surging through her
• Anger – She closed her eyes, fisted her hand in anger as the pain came to her
• Anger – Heat flashed in the pale blue eye
• Anger – She let raw temper carry her out
• Anger – She rubbed the knots of tension at the back of her neck
• Anger – Heat balled in her belly
• Anger – Her anger becoming more resilient she was quivering
• Anger – Her blazing gaze was so steady he thought he felt the heat on him
• Anger – Her eyes burned fierce and furious
• Anger – Her eyes spit fire
• Anger – Her eyes were slits when she hissed the words
• Anger – Her face was flushed with fury
• Anger – Her mouth closed, her lips formed a long firm line
• Anger – Her voice cut the air between them like honed Damascus steel

I normally document the information, as it comes to me by category in order to make it easy when searching for the right description.

I will add to the list and post new categories for your reference from time to time.

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