creative writing describing a blush

WRITING HELP: How To Show, Not Tell

• * Disclaimer *
• 1. Gestures and Body Language
• 2. Emotions (A to D)
• 3. Emotions (E to O)
• 4. Emotions (S to Z)
• 5. Voices (Words)
• 6. Body Language (Sentences)
• 7. Pain (Paragraphs)
• 8. Dialogues (Show, Don't Tell)
• 9. Words For 'Said'
• 10. Say 'Said' With Emotions + Adverbs
• 11. Synonyms For Sexy
• 12. Describing Anger
• 13. Signs Of Anger
• 14. Types Of Sighs
• 15. THE ULTIMATE LIST OF WRITING RESOURCES
• 16. Dictionary of Interjections
• 17. Words to Describe Facial Expressions

18. Ways To Say 'Blush'

• 19. Ways To Say 'Cried'
• 20. Ways To Say 'Look'
• 21. Ways To Say 'Walk'
• 22. Ways To Say 'Run'
• 23. Words To Describe A 'Smile'
• 24. Ways To Describe Fear
• 25. Breathing Sounds And Words
• 26. Describing Sight And Eyes

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A collection of useful words and sentences used to describe scenes or characters in writing a story. Plus, any useful things I encounter like how to write dialogues, flashbacks, and more.

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Actions speak louder than blushes. A blush could be caused by:

adulation, arousal, embarrassment, fear, insecurity, receiving a compliment, remorse, repressed hatred, shame, shyness

A well-placed gesture or action draws readers into narrative. Here are a few ways to show motivation without a single blush.

Parted lips

Enlarged pupils

Hanging on every word spoken by subject

Complimenting the subject of adulation

Sparkling eyes

Flirtatious dialogue

Running tongue over lips

Heavy breathing, accompanied by racing pulse

Embarrassment:

Shuffling feet

Biting fingernails

Fidgeting or picking fluff off clothing

Trembling hands

Holding one's breath

Accelerated breathing

Insecurity:

Slumped posture

Focusing gaze on floor or toes

Fidgeting with jewelry or clothing

Clenching bottom lip between teeth

Receiving a compliment:

Speechlessness

Expressing thanks

Verbal denial of self-worthiness

Flattering the person who bestowed the compliment

Frequent swallowing

Nausea and/or minimal appetite

Looking away from a wronged person

Repressed hatred:

Bared teeth

Folded arms

Narrowed eyes

Lips pressed together in a thin line

Stooped shoulders

Minimal eye contact

Biting fingernails or chewing on pen

Pinched lips

Limp handshake

Quick Alternatives for Blush:

Tear-soaked cheeks might glisten red.

Slight embarrassment could pinken the face and neck.

Wherever the word red appears, it could be replaced with colors such as:

Hydrant-red

Valentine-red

Choose a shade that suits your character's personality and circumstances.

Verbs and Verb Phrases to Replace Blush:

blossom with fire

blossom with red

color with red

erupt with red

explode in red

flood with red

glisten red

go red in the face

radiate red

seethe with red

suffuse with red

tinge with red

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Guide: How to Say a Character Blushed

Blushing is a natural physiological response triggered by a variety of emotions such as embarrassment, shyness, excitement, or attraction. When it comes to describing a character blushing in your writing, it’s essential to choose the right words and phrases to effectively convey their emotions. In this guide, we will provide you with formal and informal ways to describe a character blushing, along with various tips and examples to help you enhance your writing.

Table of Contents

Formal Ways to Say a Character Blushed

When writing in a more formal style, it’s important to use refined vocabulary and elegant phrases to illustrate the character’s blushing. Here are some sophisticated ways to describe blushing:

• The character’s face flushed a deep shade of crimson, revealing their innermost emotions.
• A rosy hue suffused their cheeks, betraying their feelings to all who witnessed.
• Their countenance bloomed with embarrassment, each petal of blush making their emotions palpable.
• A slight warmth tinged their cheeks, like the first blush of sunrise painting the horizon.
• A telltale blush swept across their face, an involuntary confession of their hidden desires.

Informal Ways to Say a Character Blushed

Writing informally allows for a more casual tone and allows you to use everyday language to describe a character’s blushing. Here are some informal yet effective ways to express blushing:

• Their face turned beet red, as if they were caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar.
• Their cheeks flushed with embarrassment, making them resemble a ripe tomato.
• A shy smile accompanied the rosy glow of their cheeks, as if they were flirting with the sun.
• Blush creeped up their face like a playful kitten, creating a warmth that couldn’t be ignored.
• They blushed uncontrollably, their face resembling a stop sign in a bustling city of emotions.

Tips for Describing Blushing

Now that we have explored both formal and informal ways to describe blushing, here are some general tips to help you enhance your descriptions:

• Show, Don’t Tell: Instead of simply stating that a character is blushing, describe the physical and emotional sensations accompanying the blush. This allows readers to experience the scene more vividly.
• Consider Context: The reason behind the character’s blush can significantly impact how you describe it. Is it due to embarrassment, attraction, or another emotion?
• Use Metaphors and Similes: Comparative language can help readers visualize the blush more effectively. Comparing it to natural phenomena, objects, or animals can add depth to your descriptions.
• Observe Body Language: Describe other accompanying physical reactions such as a rapid heartbeat, fidgeting, or avoiding eye contact. This reinforces the intensity of the blush.
• Show Internal Dialogue: Provide insight into the character’s thoughts and feelings as they blush. This helps the reader understand their state of mind and adds emotional depth.

Example (Formal): As he listened to the unexpected compliment, a scarlet suffusion spread across his cheeks, resembling the vibrant hues of a blazing sunset. Example (Informal): When his crush caught him staring, his face flushed a deep shade of crimson, like a cherry-flavored popsicle on a scorching summer day.

Describing a character’s blush effectively is crucial for engaging storytelling. By using the formal and informal ways mentioned in this guide, along with the provided tips and examples, you can vividly convey the emotions and intensity associated with blushing. Remember to adapt your descriptions according to the overall tone and atmosphere of your writing, while also staying true to the character’s personality and the context of the scene. Happy writing!

Related Guides:

• Guide on How to Say Your Character Blushed
• Guide: How to Say Anime Character Names
• How to Say “Builds Character” in Spanish: A Comprehensive Guide
• How to Say “Character” in Japanese: A Comprehensive Guide
• How to Say “Character” in Spanish: Formal and Informal Ways
• How to Say “Main Character” in Italian
• Guide: How to Say “My Favorite Character” in Japanese
• How to Say NSFW in Character AI: A Comprehensive Guide

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Steamy yet Sophisticated: How to Write the Perfect Kissing Scene

One of the most difficult scenes to write is a kissing scene, or really any scene when when things get hot and heavy.

Writers worry about being too obscene (will my mother read this?), or even worse, not vulgar enough (no one wants to be labeled a prude). 

Humans are private creatures when it comes to lust, and illustrating an intimate scene can still make the most seasoned writer nervous.

The perfect kissing scene is found smack dab between these two adjectives in the title — steamy and sophisticated — as it is the balance of coy and crude that can develop into a beautiful scene.

In order to craft the perfect kissing scene, it is important to look back on the work of others in order to see what works. I’m going to give you two examples and explain why both of them work.

Wait one second:

All writers absolutely need to read the best post I’ve ever written: “ 12 Steps to Write a Bestselling Novel. ”

Pause on your obsession with kissing and plunge headlong into the best guide post on novel writing.

You won’t regret it.

Dolphin-Slippery Kissing in Sophie’s Choice

Considered by many to be William Styron’s magnum opus, this story chronicles the friendship between a young Southern writer and a polish Auschwitz survivor. In this scene the young writer, affectionally named Stingo, is observing a painting beside a young jewish girl named Leslie.

“In the shadows her face was so close to mine that I could smell the sweet ropy fragrance of the sherry she had been drinking, and then her tongue was in my mouth. In all truth I had not invited this prodigy of a tongue; turning, I had merely wished to look at her face, expecting only that the expression of aesthetic delight I might find there would correspond to what I knew was my own. But I did not even catch a glimpse of her face, so instantaneous and urgent was that tongue. Plunged like some writhing sea-shape into my gaping maw, it all but overpowered my senses as it sought some unreachable terminus near my uvula; it wiggled, it pulsated, and made contortive sweeps of my mouth’s vault: I’m certain that at least once it turned upside down. Dolphin-slippery, less wet than rather deliciously mucilaginous and tasting of Amontillado, it had the power in itself to force me, or somehow get me back, against a doorjamb, where I lolled helpless with my eyes clenched shut, in a trance of tongue.”

In this selection Styron’s masterful description keeps the reader glued to the page for every swirl of young Leslie’s tongue. So let’s analyze what exactly worked …

Styron uses the element of surprise to initiate this kissing scene. The main character is still in the process of describing the odor of Ms. Leslie when she startles him with a kiss. By abruptly launching into the kiss mid-sentence, Styron is able to catch his readers off-guard. This helps allow the reader to experience the shock of an unexpected peck.

Another use of Styron’s unpredictable writing style centers around the metaphors and similes that take the reader by surprise with their effectiveness.

Who would of expected that describing a tongue as a “writhing sea-shape” trying to squirm its way out the back of your head would actually work? Or that, keeping with the nautical theme,  Styron would be able to make it sound natural when he illustrates a tongue as “dolphin-slippery”? 

Yet these depictions are such colorfully unconventional ways to describe the act of kissing, that they actually work despite their less-than-arousing sound.

Let’s take a look at another iconic kiss scene.

Star-Struck Kissing in The Great Gatsby

In “The Great Gatsby,” Fitzgerald’s story about wealthy Jay Gatsby’s ill-fated infatuation with the already married Daisy Buchanan, this scene describes a kiss between the two on a cool moonlight night.

“His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips’ touch she blossomed like a flower and the incarnation was complete.”

What makes this scene so compelling is the distinct and bizarre analogy Fitzgerald employs in order to describe the moment. A tuning fork struck upon a star? That’s utterly unique.

But remember that the majority of this kissing scene is the anticipation before the kiss. This is what writers most often forget. They go straight to the physical action and forget that the literary foreplay is the majority of the pleasure.

His figurative language in the second sentence makes the process of leaning in for this kiss almost metaphysical, as the speaker explains how this kiss will act as an act of therapy to cure all of the anxieties that plagued his mind. 

In Fitzgerald, a kiss is never just a kiss.

It can be a cure, an epiphany, a disaster, a transformation.

Kiss & Tell: 7 Takeaways From These Kisses

So what have we learned by analyzing these two scenes side by side?

• Spend some time describing in straightforward language what is happening, but don’t shy away from using strange and unusual metaphors for a kissing scene. 
• Don’t rush. Only bad writers treat a kissing scene as just the physical action between two sets of lips. A true kissing scene is the tension between two people before the kiss, the psychology during the kiss, and the reactions afterwards.
• A kissing scene isn’t just about the physical act of kissing. It’s really about the relationship between these two characters. What are they thinking? What do they really want (and it’s not always sex. It could be a connection, it could be avoiding the feeling of loneliness). 
• There is the early sexual tension, the physical act of lips meeting, and the climax can come either in the character’s thoughts about the kiss or in what they do after they’ve separated from each other (like the lightening in the Jane Eyre example below).
• Both in Gatsby and in the Siddhartha example below, the act of kissing becomes something more: it becomes a kind of revelation, an epiphany. Don’t be afraid to have your kissing scene lead your character into a profound realization.
• Is one enjoying it and the other hating it? Is one overthinking it and the other swept up in the passion? 
• In the Lolita example below, you will find an example of a kissing scene where you don’t trust the person describing the kissing. In Humbert Humbert’s version of the kiss, 12-year-old Lolita is the instigator of the kiss. But can we really trust his version of events?

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5 Bonus Kissing Scenes

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Before she could withdraw her mind from its far places, his arms were around her, as sure and hard as on the dark road to Tara, so long ago. She felt again the rush of helplessness, the sinking yielding, the surging tide of warmth that left her limp. And the quiet face of Ashley Wilkes was blurred and drowned to nothingness. He bent back her head across his arm and kissed her, softly at first, and then with a swift gradation of intensity that made her cling to him as the only solid thing in a dizzy swaying world. His insistent mouth was parting her shaking lips, sending wild tremors along her nerves, evoking from her sensations she had never known she was capable of feeling. And before a swimming giddiness spun her round and round, she knew that she was kissing him back.

Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse

She drew him toward her with her eyes, he inclined his face toward hers and lay his mouth on her mouth, which was like a freshly split-open fig. For a long time he kissed Kamala, and Siddhartha was filled with deep astonishment as she taught him how wise she was, how she ruled him, put him off, lured him back… each one different from the other, still awaiting him. Breathing deeply, he remained standing and at this moment he was like a child astonished by the abundance of knowledge and things worth learning opening up before his eyes.

Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides

The rims of Clementine’s eyes were inflamed. She yawned. She rubbed her nose with the heel of her hand. And then she asked, “Do you want to practice kissing?”

I didn’t know what to answer. I already knew how to kiss, didn’t I? Was there something more to learn? But while these questions were going through my head, Clementine was going ahead with the lesson. She came around to face me. With a grave expression she put her arms around my neck.

The necessary special effects are not in my possession, but what I’d like for you to imagine is Clementine’s white face coming close to mine, her sleepy eyes closing, her medicine-sweet lips puckering up, and all the other sounds of the world going silent — the rustling of our dresses, her mother counting leg lifts downstairs, the airplane outside making an exclamation mark in the sky — all silent, as Clementine’s highly educated, eight-year-old lips met mine.

And then, somewhere below this, my heart reacting.

Not a thump exactly. Not even a leap. But a kind of swish, like a frog kicking off from a muddy bank. My heart, that amphibian, moving that moment between two elements: one, excitement; the other, fear. I tried to pay attention. I tried to hold up my end of things. But Clementine was way ahead of me. She swiveled her head back and forth the way actresses did in the movies. I started doing the same, but out of the corner of her mouth she scolded, “You’re the man.” So I stopped. I stood stiffly with arms at my sides. Finally Clementine broke off the kiss. She looked at me blankly a moment, and then responded, “Not bad for your first time.”

Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov

Hardly had the car come to a standstill than Lolita positively flowed into my arms. Not daring, not daring let myself go — not even daring let myself realize that this (sweet wetness and trembling fire) was the beginning of the ineffable life which, ably assisted by fate, I had finally willed into being — not daring really kiss her, I touched her hot, opening lips with the utmost piety, tiny sips, nothing salacious; but she, with an impatient wriggle, pressed her mouth to mine so hard that I felt her big front teeth and shared in the peppermint taste of her saliva. I knew, of course, it was but an innocent game on her part, a bit of backfisch foolery in imitation of some simulacrum of fake romance, and since (as the psychotherapist, as well as the rapist, will tell you) the limits and rules of such girlish games are fluid, or at least too childishly subtle for the senior partner to grasp — I was dreadfully afraid I might go too far and cause her to start back in revulsion and terror.

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte

The rain rushed down. He hurried me up the walk, through the grounds, and into the house; but we were quite wet before we could pass the threshold. He was taking off my shawl in the hall, and shaking the water out of my loosened hair, when Mrs. Fairfax emerged from her room. I did not observe her at first, nor did Mr. Rochester. The lamp was lit. The clock was on the stroke of twelve.

“Hasten to take off your wet things,” said he; “and before you go, good- night — good-night, my darling!”

He kissed me repeatedly. When I looked up, on leaving his arms, there stood the widow, pale, grave, and amazed. I only smiled at her, and ran upstairs. “Explanation will do for another time,” thought I. Still, when I reached my chamber, I felt a pang at the idea she should even temporarily misconstrue what she had seen. But joy soon effaced every other feeling; and loud as the wind blew, near and deep as the thunder crashed, fierce and frequent as the lightning gleamed, cataract-like as the rain fell during a storm of two hours’ duration, I experienced no fear and little awe. Mr. Rochester came thrice to my door in the course of it, to ask if I was safe and tranquil: and that was comfort, that was strength for anything.

Before I left my bed in the morning, little Adele came running in to tell me that the great horse-chestnut at the bottom of the orchard had been struck by lightning in the night, and half of it split away.

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139 comments

How does it feel to really kiss?

Its like opening up your soul, tasting feeling and seeing every colour of the rainbow in their own sensual way, almost like catching a smile in a bottle, its softness, its sweetness… Like breathing in the person like a cool inhalation of oxygen to warm the soul.. Like nothing in the world exist but u and the person… This feeling like ur levitating off the ground floating in the air… What ur feeling cannot be put into words, nor has there get been any part of speech or figure of speech invented to describe it.. Its like an aphrodisiac, mixed with a Pandoras box effect , fireworks glowing inside u from the touch of the persons lips on u.

Woah, dude. That’s deeper than any of the kissing scenes in the article.

That was beautiful.

Wow. That’s quite deep.

Kissing feels like pressing your lips against slightly slimy cardboard and waiting to get on with the reasoning behind the kiss

You should write a book

Wooaaaahhhhhh…. that is some deep stuff but I do find myself agreeing with you.

Love it, you have enlightened me, now back to work and this time I know i need to engage senses

Damn. I’m shook from how deep that was.

that was beautiful…

this was so beautifully written it made me tear up and crave to feel it firsthand

*ahem* could I use this for the book I’m writing because I have no other ideas??

i ask the same thing cause i havnt experienced

It feels as if your whole world has been waiting for this moment. As if all the love inside your soul, as well as your body (with the right person) combine into lust and passion. The feeling of a good kiss is when your person your kissing wraps their arms around you, you feel as if you were safe but are complete aware of how you look, and wanting to impress them. A TRUE GOOD KISS, is the feeling when you feel sick to the stomach but strong as well. That, Sadie, is what I consider to be a good kiss.

I think how it feels, is when they lean in and look you in the eyes, before their lips fall on yours. The feeling of love and passion fills your soul. As if that kiss was meant to be yours. As if the person and you were meant to kiss. When that person grabs you and holds you close and kisses you so passionately, it makes you feel safe and completely venerable to that person. You feel as if your body will explode with the feeling of happiness, the feeling of being rarely safe in the persons hold. As if this pacific person was meant for you. And when it’s over, you just know. No kiss will ever compare. That is a real kiss. To me at least, Sadie.

She leads me to a small clearing. I see the starlight, those beautiful pinpricks of light in the infinite dark expanse of the universe. “Wow…” I stutter. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” she asks, slipping behind me. She hugs me around the waist, and I cringe instinctively away from the unexpected contact. “It’s… stunning” I grasp desperately for the correct word. “Turn around, I have one more surprise” she commands. I turn around, and all I see is her, her vibrant, fiery hair glowing with the silver cascade of the moonlight, the glow of the stars in her amber eyes, her delicate smile and the deep blushing on her face. “You were right, babe, it’s beautiful” I say, and her cheeks redden further. “There’s more” she says, and leans in quickly. Her lips touch mine gently and affectionately. My mind immediately crowds with a million thoughts, but I push them away for the moment, desiring nothing more than to enjoy this moment. Almost immediately, she recoils shyly and blushes uncontrollably. I stand in shock, the swarm of thoughts flowing into my mind. She begins to retreat, fearing that she may have taken things too far, too quickly. I move quickly to her, brushing away her hair. I lean in and gently guide her head toward mine. Our kiss lasts mere moments, but it feels great. Thousands of thoughts are forced away to make room for one single idea. Hold on to this moment forever. I release and rest my forehead against hers. “I love you, babe.” I say, barely more than a whisper. She blushes more. “I love you too” she whispers. Our lips connect once more. Each moment, the feeling of her soft, perfect lips becomes more and more provocative. It is in this moment that I truly realize that I am hers and she is mine. I was meant for this, I was meant for her. This is the first time that I have ever felt that I truly belong. I swear to god, we actually transversed the infinite planes to one in which time does not exist, because I am sure that if we were in the world, my passion for her would be enough to stop time, to hold this moment, to hold her, for ever. I wish to stretch this moment out into a thousand, just to feel her body against mine. She is Ember, she is my Ember, and I belong entirely to her. The world is gone, and we float through an infinite expanse of nothing, just the two of us, Abby and Ember. We love each other and that’s all that we need. We can stay here through all time and eternity. Sadly, the world of the living was not done with us yet. We release our lip lock. “That was… that felt amazing…” I stumble for words again. “I love you, Abby” she says, and I lay down on the ground. She sets her head on my breasts. After hours of thinking, I finally accept the embrace of sleep.

@Sadie and some others asking what a kiss feels like:

You are, very understandably, asking the wrong question. A kiss is never just a kiss. It’s the circumstances that determine what kissing feels like (and the meaning of the kiss is where your story lies). The first time I kissed a boy, I did it because I wanted to know what it would be like. I’d just turned 13 and worldly deciding it was time, but then the kiss turned out to be a huge disappointment. Wet, gross, my nose awkwardly bumping into his; it wasn’t what I’d imagined at all. The way my classmate’s tongue swirled in my mouth reminded me of the spinning cycle of a laundry machine. Was this what the fuss was all about? I wasn’t in such a hurry to grow up after that.

Fast forward to my first real party as a freshman in college where I kissed a man to distract him from his efforts to rape me. He’d drugged me and I woke up as he was taking my clothes off. I asked him to stop, but he didn’t. The ice-cold fear shooting through my veins overruled the nauseating revulsion of his unwelcome mouth on mine as I frantically bought myself time to think up an escape.

Every kiss in my life was different. I clearly remember the first kiss by a man I was deeply in love with despite my resignation that he would probably never want me. I barely registered the shock of his warm lips on mine because my world imploded, a signal sounded and doors closed between us. When the train slowly left the station, I couldn’t even feel my legs and floated to my seat in the happiest of dazes.

I’ve trembled in fear when I could no longer deny a man who’d been patient through many dates with me. I was terrified a kiss might lead to real feelings for him because I was nowhere near ready for a relationship and the impulse to flee, to actually run out of my own apartment, was battering at me but I locked my knees and braved the kiss anyway.

Speaking of knees: they gave out when my secret lover kissed me behind a curtain at a very public party as he whispered promises in my ear about what would follow later that night.

I’ve hated the kisses that I felt obligated to give, the taste of them like overripe oranges. But I’ve also begged for kisses from the men I loved, both for sloppy ones in the shower and sunlit ones in the morning. I’ve danced like a stripper after midnight to gain the affections of complete strangers when I was drunkenly trying to get over an ex, the anonymous arms around me healing the crumpled pieces of me fearing I’d never be noticed again. Sometimes I missed a man so much, kissing him felt like I was taking my first full breath in days. I’ve tearfully kissed men goodbye. One kiss shattered me with the sudden realisation that the man I loved meant for it to be the last. I’ve steeled myself for kisses intending to leave all my walls firmly intact, deliberately concentrating on perfect technique instead. I’ve kissed men intending a quick peck only to be swept up in a wave of heat. Last year I said “I do” before kissing my husband, all the while gripping his hands- both to let him know I truly meant it and to hold on for dear life. You’d think that almost 2 decades’ worth of kisses would qualify me to tell you what it really feels like, but I couldn’t possibly. Because a kiss is never just a kiss. Trust me on this. A kiss can be a pledge of love or a declaration of war, and sometimes it’s both.

Some writers reduce kissing to a purely physical act, and the result is a bad scene because kissing simply isn’t. Walking or cycling or eating an apple tends to feel roughly the same every time. Why? Because basic stuff like eating or moving from point A to point B usually doesn’t MEAN very much (unless it’s the first time walking after losing your legs in a car accident or there’s suddenly a worm in your apple on a bad day). Kisses never really feel the same because they always mean something. Even if it’s just a hasty smack and a “drive safe” between a husband and a wife, a kiss means something.

I think it’s helpful to see kissing as a way to communicate. Think about it: you never really have the same conversation twice either. If someone were to ask you; “what does talking really feel like?”, you’d probably pause. Because talking is never just… talking. Sure, you’re moving your lips, forming words, noises come out, language is chosen, but that’s not what it FEELS like to have a conversation, nor what a conversation is really about. What talking feels like depends rather heavily on the situation and the person you’re having the conversation with. Kissing is just like that; it’s interaction. It’s human connection. That’s why metaphors work so well when describing kisses. I never really know where my hands are during a kiss, but my brain always automatically processes what the kiss means. So when writing, I’d prioritise meaning over logistics and even sensory input every time. Without meaning, your readers won’t feel much either. Ask yourself: why does this kiss matter to these characters?

Also: never underestimate a hug or a brush of fingers or other non-verbal interactions. With the right meaning attached, they can be ridiculously powerful. I think it’s one of the great misconceptions of our time that we seem to think that only stuff in the bedroom counts. Also quite idiotic: all the times we label that same stuff as ‘casual’. It rarely ever is.

Just my 2 cents as I’m trying to figure out how to work the first kiss in the story I’m writing. I thought the article was really helpful. It reminded me of the basic fact that the meaning of the kiss always takes precedence.

Oh wWOOOOOOWWWW!! NOW THIS IS BEAUTIFUL. This is beautiful.

God, I needed to write a comment after reading such an enlightening comment. Thank you so much for your thorough examples and explanations, know that somewhere on this planet someone will keep this in mind when they write their kissing scene <3

It depends a lot on the person.

I personally do not feel much stimulated by kissing, for me my partner’s stimulation turns me on af.

It feels warm, soft & very intimate.

Kissing is like communicating with your partner. It makes you feel certain emotions you have never felt before. It is like connecting with your partner’s soul, and feeling the warmth of your partner’s breath. It helps build a stronger bond with your partner, and makes them feel welcomed.

I think it’s like a really awkward moment of sucking face.

Your breath is all entangled (you can’t breath well because you’re so close) and you’re choosing to trust your partners oral hygiene (like don’t they ask themselves??)

But my friends in relationships say it’s addictive.

In truth, a little awkward. A chaste kiss is just a mouth against a mouth – warm, but not really something one has to get very descriptive about. Open-mouthed kisses without tongue are probably my favorite (wow, I never thought of that until now, actually!) because they’re not as invasive as a kiss with tongue but not as chaste as a closed-mouth kiss. This kiss feels soft, unless there’s lip biting involved (which is hot until someone starts bleeding). Warm, of course. It’s almost like a caress. As for kisses with a lot of tongue, I can’t be trusted to describe such a kiss without letting my bias show significantly.

I’m very late to this party, but this is a great article! It definitely helped me while writing these type of scene’s in my story and the examples given from stories were also very helpful.

what’s your story?

So you think that YOU’RE late? I am like late late lol. but nevertheless, the article was helpful no matter how late people come to it.

Yo, you think YOU’RE late? If you’re late late – I’m late late late late late! Gotta agree though, this article has helped out my writing loads.

You think YOU’RE late? if you’re late late late late late, I’m late late late late late late late! Yeah, this helped though

You think YOU’RE late?

You think You’re late? If you’re….. oh, never mind.

I agree with all, this is a fantastic article and has literally just helped my kissing/love-making scene. Thank you.

lmfao what?

Oh, you poor, oblivious souls. These days, Late takes poor, unsuspecting humans and infects them with the plague you know as the opposite of “punctuality”. No cure has been found for Late, unfortunately.

So this is part of a musical that I wrote for fun but…. So Kate and Thomas are married and she has been abused in the past so she locks him in the bathroom once she sees the bed because she gets scared. He escapes through the door that leads outside and has made his way back into the room (Thomas tries to sneak away but Kate spots him)

Kate(spoken): T-Thomas….. I—– (turns away as if to leave) Thomas(running over to her and kissing her, silencing the apology. She pulls back and he lets her): Shhhh…..it’s okay. He did more than just shove you a couple times didn’t he? What did he do to you? I want to know everything. ( Kate stares at her hands) Kate (whispered): Knives can fly (Thomas takes her hands in his and rubs them tenderly in a circular motion): Look I can wait until you’re ready to talk but I’m also not leaving this room until you tell me everywhere he hurt you and how he did it. Kate(whispered): okay (Her shoulders are trembling and he grabs them gently but firmly to steady them) Thomas( soothing): now where do you want to start? …… So the musical continues and he gets her to tell him everything. She is also subconsciously buttoning her blue jean jacket up as she talks …… * so to make this easier I’m turning the rest into a story format on here* Thomas shakes his head in anger,” that man better be praising the Lord that he is in jail because if not HE’D BE DEAD. Kate begins to tremble and pulls away.”Thomas, please you’re scaring me,” Thomas relaxes and a look of worry crosses his face. “Sorry baby, I just got a little mad. Look I can sleep on the couch until you’re ready” he starts to leave but she stops him “Don’t” her voice is steady now, no longer afraid. “We don’t have to, baby” he again goes to leave but she stops him again. ” Please,” she kisses him and he immediately pulls back, worry written all over his face. ” Katy-cat” ” I want to ” (I can’t italicize but the want is emphasized) she kisses him again. Thomas pulls back and stares her in the eyes, ” are you sure?” She hesitates the fear visible in her eyes for a brief second before determination takes over. ” Yes….just….go slow” His voice grows gentle but firm as he says ” okay. If you start to panic, I’m gonna stop immediately and go sleep on the couch. Deal?” “Yes” Thomas scoots closer and starts to unbutton her jacket. [The stage darkens. The last thing visible is Kate’s jacket falling to the floor]

That’s really good. Great job!!

Thanks….really helped.. I’m 15 writing my first novel that is romance but fiction based….looking for someone to sponsor me to act it probably during the August holiday.

17 and working on my own stuff my dude. Keep writing, be as consistent as you can manage. You got this.

15 and writing a novel too. It’s nice to see all the positivity around

14 and trying but keep getting distracted. I am hoping all of you get it done and published.

17 and about to write a romantic and dangerously feisty scene. Helping a ton!

13 and trying as well. It’s a fantasy but there’s lots of romance :happy-face:

I write books in my free time, and they’re romance books, so yeah, this article was pretty useful for future references, thanks so much. does anyone know how to get a book published?

Honestly, anything that uses the phrase ‘gaping maw’ and ‘dolphin slippery’ should not be used as a template for a good kiss scene. Unless you’re into making out with Lovecraftian monsters those aren’t phrases you use to describe kissing. Vore, maybe. Kissing, no.

Thank you. I read that and my nose wrinkled like “whaaaa???” Is it surprising, yes. Is it a scene that would make a reader sigh in bliss. Absolutely no. Wow. That is a descriptor I would 100% stay away from.

Damn it was just mind blowing!!

Yessssss @TheBoi yesssss! Like yesssssssssssssss

“Are you going to be okay?” I whispered. “Yeah. Let’s just get it over with.” She took off her sweater. “Okay.” I breathed. She wrapped her arms around my neck and teased me with her big green eyes. “Okay,” I repeated. I awkwardly put my arms around her waist. We stared into each other’s eyes for an awkward second. I leaned down, and she brought her head up. Our lips connected. She deepened the kiss. With one hand, she took the hat off my head and dropped it on the ground. She ran her hands through my dark pink hair. I had dyed it because I constantly had trouble with being kind. I had little sympathy for people, so the color pink reminded me that some people do hurt like I do. It reminded me to have compassion for others. I got made fun of a lot for having such a “girly” hair color. I never listened, though. It was a decision that I made to better myself, even if I got beaten up for it. We both shifted so that Ash was on my lap. I tugged at the bottom of her crop top. My hand slid up her spine. I felt a tremor go through her body. My hand slid back down her spine, resting at her hip. I unconsciously tilted my head to deepen the kiss. We kissed more and more passionately by the second. After a moment, I unintentionally slid my hand down and lightly touched her on the back of her thigh. She stopped moving. “Stop.” “What?” I pulled away. “What’s wrong?” “Just stop.” She pulled away and got up. Without looking back, she ran away. I stared after her in disbelief. It took a moment for it to click. “Oh, no. I’m a terrible person.” I put my head in my hands. “What did you do?” Victoria’s expression hardened. I beckoned to her. I whispered in her ear, “I touched her where he did.” She stared at me, horrified. “You are a terrible person.”

This is an excerpt of a story that I’m working on. This part is when one of the main characters, Alexei, and his best friend, Ashlynn, are playing Truth or Dare with their class at a party. Before they were playing, Ashlynn got assaulted by a classmate. Alexei knocked the classmate out in an attempt to protect Ashlynn. But anyway, Alexei gets dared to make out with Ashlynn, whom he affectionately calls “Ash.” At first he blatantly refuses, but Ashlynn insists that it doesn’t bother her, and so they make out. Victoria is Ashlynn’s other best friend, by the way.

That’s amazing!! I’m an aspiring (fan) fiction writer and hope to actually be as good as that one day ahahaha….

Same haha, i write alot of fanfiction but i’m moving on to an actual novel soon.

wow!! me too this article helped me a lot. im 13 and i write lots of fanfictions on wattpad and kissing scenes are the hardest to write.

Damn. I want more

I’m having a hard time writing my first kissing scene. This helps lot!

ok…? once i had a dream where i was playing Spin The Bottle (not that I’d ever do that in real life) with some acquaintances of mine, and I had to kiss this one guy that i don’t like very much. it was a pretty weird dream.

Lev snickered slightly as he put his forehead to mine. Our lips were so close I could have easily kissed them. I felt his breath on my lips and closed my eyes, cherishing the moment. He leaned in closer and placed his lips upon mine. We were like that for a minute until he heated things up a little. He Kissed me harder as he gently tugged at my hair. “L-lev!” I exclaimed, pulling away a little and gasping for air. My eyes met his and I relaxed. His Green eyes gave me a lustful look.

What do you think?

That’s cool!!!

personally i don’t believe in the zodiac, but if you use the zodiac kissing/cuddling/flirting styles that match your character it can really help, or at least i think so here’s a part of my writing: Bill and Ford sit on the grass. Bill presses his forehead against the side of her face. Stanford just pokes him in the cheek. Bill smiles and closes his eyes pulling Ford closer. She pushes him back a bit.

“Aw, what’s wrong?” Bill asks with a fake pout.

“Nothing.” She says softly while laying her head on his shoulder and scratching the back of his head. Bill begins to pick the wild buttercups and and evening primroses to weave a crown which he put on her head. Ford gently pecks him on the cheek and chuckles softly. He pulls her in closer again and kisses her. Her eyes widen at the surprise but she soon became familiar with his fiery aggressiveness. As they fell into the grass Stanford broke from his iron grip and started giggling.

“I know you’re incapable of fun, but you should try laughing more, its so cute.” He smiles.

She just chuckles some more. “I don’t know how to respond to that.” He grabs her chin and kisses her again, this time she expected the bite. He presses his forehead against hers and looks at her. “Your eyes are like swirling galaxies.”

“I’ve heard it before.” She says pulling his tie and poking his nose.

“I should become an an astronomer because I can’t stop studying them.” She hits him on the back of the head before giving him another peck on the cheek.

“Do you know how hard it is when you have no one to talk to? When you are the only one that is different? Do you know what it feels like when nobody is there to love you? I don’t think I can do this anymore.” Vladimir put his hand underneath my chin and made me look at him. His bright green eyes lit up by the mini him. “No one and nobody?” I could feel his fire burn through the coldness that I was feeling. His hand that was on my chin moved to my cheek and his other moved up my arm. He trailed his fingertips on my forearm barely even touching me. It made me shiver, he didn’t look away from me when a car honked. I was scared lost in the pools of his eyes, I didn’t know if I wanted my first kiss to be with the person I’m not even supposed to be attracted to. Before I could even think of his brother finding out his lips parted mine. It was gentle at first he wasn’t sure if I wanted it, then it got firmer as I didn’t pull back. His hand went behind my neck and pulled my closer to his face, the other hand laying my on the ground. I don’t know if I was expecting fireworks, but this felt different than what I had imagined my first kiss would feel like. My hands wrapped around his neck before I could even think about anything. This is what I wanted. I didn’t want his brother, I wanted him. I felt the sand in my hair as he rolled my on top of him. This is apart of my fiction story where this girl is engaged to the prince, but found out that she is more attracted to his brother. This had happened before with the brothers where Henry’s (The one that the girl is engaged to) ex-wife thought she was in love with Vladimir and Henry had her killed after he had found out that she was sleeping with Vladimir.

I love it so much! Is it being published? I would love to read it.

“Can I kiss you?” I bit down on my bottom lip, nodding. “Close your eyes.” I shut my eyes, tilting my head slightly. Her hand moved to the small of my back, steadying me. She tilted her head, and I felt her hair brush my elbow as her lips met mine. I moved my hand down her face, resting it on the back of her neck. She wrapped her arm around my waist as she moved her mouth against mine, anxiety and worries making way to numbness. It was the kind of kiss that was so intoxicating your brain couldn’t handle thinking about anything else. We only broke when we needed to breathe, and I briefly basked in the image of her heavy-lidded eyes and slightly messy hair before our lips met again. She deepened the kiss, pulling me on top of her so that my legs were straddling hers. It was so much and not enough all at once. A high pitched scream broke us apart, ringing through the entirety of the school grounds.

The second the door closed, Henry was on Michael in a heartbeat, pinning him against the wall. Already it was far out of bounds of public modesty. Michael could feel Henry ever so slightly brushing his tongue over his bottom lip, requesting entrance. Michael denied. Rejected but not disheartened, Henry moved down to Michael’s neck. A small moan slipped out from between his lips as Henry nipped just below his ear lobe, before he made his devious way down to suck a lovebite on Michael’s sunkissed skin. His slender fingers were gently caressing the curve of Michael’s hip, while the other was softly grasping his jaw. Henry suddenly had the power to turn his husband’s legs to jelly, leaving him undone with just a few kisses and some very strategic touching. Michael felt helpless, his eyes shut and his head lolling backwards against the wall in a trance of tongue. At last, Michael gave in to Henry’s wordless requests, and as his sweet lips toyed with his, he was finally granted entrance. Michael struggled to keep his footing as Henry’s tongue softly mapped every inch of his mouth. As they broke apart for air, Michael took the opportunity to sensibly suggest that it probably wasn’t the best idea to get intimate in the hallway, as much as he wanted to. Henry agreed.

“Do you want to take this upstairs, or finish it later?” He smirked, before turning to inspect the delicious red mark he had left on Michael’s neck. He seemed proud of his work, and Michael couldn’t disagree. He was shaking, and felt like if the wall behind him wasn’t there, then he would have collapsed ages ago.

Michael considered his options for a few seconds. He could either go upstairs and be rendered subject to Henry’s magic, or walk away and start cooking dinner, and risk his kids seeing the red mark on his neck. He didn’t think he had enough mental strength for the latter.

“Let’s go up…”

Michael went up the stairs first, so that Henry would be there to catch him if his knees gave way. When he reached the landing without falling, he couldn’t say he wasn’t a bit proud of himself. He opened the door on the left to their bedroom, and Henry stepped in after him. He slowly shut the door behind himself, a kind of hunger in his eyes which Michael couldn’t quite place. It was almost predatorial, but he liked it.

“Come here. Gosh, your lips look…. delicious.”

Michael obliged without word.

“Gosh, your lips are delicious.” Henry murmured, sending sparks and shivers up Michael’s spine.

i can’t stop reading this, it’s really well written. i always reference it when writing because of how good and descriptive it is. great job!

That’s soooooo awesome!!! If that book is coming out, I will buy it. I have been looking trough the comments for so long and this is until now the best of all. I just wrote my first kissing scene and I think it ended up pretty good. This gave me so many ideas and I hope it’s okay, if I copy it? That was just really good job!

I’ve never had the chance to ever kiss anyone so making one up is even more difficult then I could even imagine I don’t know how to describe it but this sort of helped

Same, I’ve never had a kiss before so it’s harder then it should be

he grabbed my hand and pulled me back inside his grip was firm and the next thing I knew he slammed his lips to mine and nearly knocked all wind from my lungs. I hardly had time to react before he pressed his tongue to the seam of my lips I opened my mouth in shock he delved inside my mouth. It was a very sloppy kiss with the strong scent of mint being exchanged in the intermingling of our billowing breaths. He let go of my lips and we took in a deep breath before he dulged back in I could feel his saliva as it rolled off my tongue and seeped down my throat with every push of his tongue against mine.

I’m working on a romance novel and these totally helped!! There are two characters. It’s being told from the girl’s perspective. Neither has had their first kiss. The girl is uninterested, but the boy really likes her. Gradually, she begins to like him but they aren’t dating. There is some low-key flirting and a few romantic moments but nothing serious. I’m planning to have to boy go in for a kiss, but I have no idea how I want to describe it. He’s kind and considerate, but he’s also been having feelings for her for a long time and he wants to go all in. Anyone here have something I can tweak that I can use?

Here is one that I have been working on:

We stared at the sunset for a minute. I stared at the rosy clouds and commented, “It looks like I can just pluck the clouds out of the sky and eat them. Don’t they look like cotton candy?” He laughs. “I love the way you think.” I sigh, stretching my arms above my head and then placing them behind my back on the soft mossy ground. I lean on my elbows, and then, eventually, lie down completely. I fold my hands behind my head and watch the last of the sun’s rays disappear below the horizon. The first stars begin to peek out from the black curtain sweeping above out heads and the light of the full moon. There aren’t any crater or bruises — just a polished sphere of white looking down at me. I glanced at Ethan, surprised to realize that he was looking at me. Or, more specifically, my lips. “Is something wrong?” I ask. “Is my make-up smudged?” “Or something,” he agrees, staring at me with something in his eyes that I hadn’t seen before. I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. “Is something wrong?” my voice caught. He didn’t reply, instead leaning in closer. He lay down next to me, propped up by his elbow. His face was only a hair’s breadth away from mine. I turned to look at him and he pressed forward. He kissed me. I had known in my heart all along. He loved me. And now it it me full force. His hand crept up my spine, pulling me in close. His hand rested on my hip and behind my neck. His lips started to open mine. Trembling, I obeyed. I almost couldn’t breathe as his roving hands swept up my hips. I knew that he wanted me to kiss him back. I wanted to as well, but I was so shocked that I was completely immobilized. He pulled away. “Kiss me,” he whispered. I pressed my lips to his. My hand ran through his dark hair. I felt a tremor go through his body before he wrapped his arm around me. He slid his body on top of mine, bracing himself with his elbows so I didn’t get the full brunt of his weight. He kissed me harder, almost aggressively. His mouth opened mine. I swiveled my head back and forth, mapping out his mouth. I was wrapped up in the kiss, and I didn’t want it to stop. His hands clutched my forearms, preventing me from moving. His arms stopped carrying so much of the weight and he pushed down on top of me. He ran his fingers through my hair. I couldn’t breathe, what with my shock and his weight. I pushed off of the ground and he slid his body off of mine. In the process, his lips parted with mine and we both panted heavily. Then I scooted closer. I hadn’t been this close to someone before, and it made me feel safe. I kissed him gently, nothing fancy. I stood up, knowing that we couldn’t stay here forever. He did the same. “Goodbye,” I murmured, my lips wet. And before he could say anything, I took off, sprinting towards my house.

I really like the writing, just the “swiveled my head back and forth” part is a little weirdly worded.

Okay, I have a fanfiction that I’m working on, and I’m trying with the kiss scene. Please tell me your thoughts. The setting is they are laying on Will’s bed on their sides looking at each other: He cut me off with a sloppy kiss, due to our awkward position on the bed. I kissed back, grabbing his arm to pull him on top of me. Will nibbled my bottom lip making me let out a soft moan, which Will took as an opportunity to slip his tongue into my mouth. We moved in sync, passionately kissing each other. I felt connected to Will at that moment, more than I ever had before. He pulled off my lips and swiftly moved to my neck. He sucked and licked his way down, leaving marks that I’d later have to cover up later. I tugged at the hem of his shirt, and he knew what I wanted. In one quick motion he whipped off his shirt, and I sat up for a second to take off mine. There was a gleam in Will’s azure eyes that made chills crawl down my spine. He shoved me back down on the bed and kissed me again. I ran my hands through WIll’s golden locks, tugging at the back, making Will groan in response. Will had been hovering over me this whole time, but he now layed down, the weight of him crushing me, but in a good way. I could feel his boner digging into my thigh, which just turned me on even more. He left my lips again, kissing down my stomach. I was about to tell him to keep going when there was loud banging on the door. “WILLLLL!!! NICCOOOOO!! DINNER!!” Kayla yelled.

Oh my gods. Solangelo?

Oh my gods!!! Solangelo!!!

OMFG!!!!! SOLANGELOOO! LESSGOOO

wow nice touch really felt real

I am a complete and absolute bookworm. I am writing a novel [trying to] to enter in the young authors award. That article was really helpful as were the comments. I have a brief idea on how to write a kissing scene as though i am actually there. Thanks guys!

I’m writing a story, and I tried to write a kissing scene, but since I’ve never kissed anyone, I don’t know how good or bad this is.

“Well, I don’t know, there’s just something that I really wanna do,” he says, resting his hand on the back of his neck. Before I can ask what, he presses his lips to mine. At first, the kiss is sweet, kind of like a looooong peck. But all the innocence is stripped away as he parts my lips with his. He slides his tongue along my bottom lip, and I moan softly. He slips his tongue inside my mouth, and we battle for dominance as he leads me towards the bed. He gently pushes me down onto the bed. He climbs on top of me, resting on his elbows, careful to not put his full weight on me. He connects his lips to mine once again, and as soon as our tongues meet again, the door opens and we jump apart, Will quickly climbing off of me. I look over to see who interrupted our heated make-out session, and I see Connor standing there, smirking.

so ive been working on this story for a while now in 14 and never been kissed this website gave me a good idea of what to write could I maybe get some feedback . thanks guys 🙂 stay safe .

now im stood here in the middle of the hall looking around frantically , i need to find him right now . i take a step forward because i think i saw him but i was wrong then i take a step back in frustration and i bump into someone as i turn to apologise i see him his perfectly sculpted face.

for whats eens like eternitys we just stare directly into eachothers eyes most people would look at his eyes and see beautiful green baut at this very moment i see mountains and maps and thousands of miles of beautiful senary surrounded by coulors no one even knows exist and only i will ever see. i see myself and i see a future full of love as he looks down at my slightly parted lips. i know whats about to happen we both lean into eachother in slow motion only breaking eye contact for a few seconds to look down at his lips . our mouths touch the slightest bit and i pull away with anxiety then we begin closing the gap even more and then gradually this small peck becomes this much more passionate kiss with its own lifeline surviving by the slight movements of our toungs dancing in our mouths were connected body and soul in this moment the rest of the world spins so fast it becomes nonexistent in my mind . i lean further in to hold him and keep myself from melting into the floor, our eyes are closed but i can see clearer than i ever have. Its asif i can feel fireworks blazing , glowing and igniting something within me . were completely and utterly in sync in this very moment, i can feel his hands running through my hair and im tugging at his this moment couldn’t be anymore perfect. We both slow down and cautiously pull back i noow remember that everyone is staring at us and i can hear them clapping but i don’t care i look up into his eyes as i hug him and i realize he doesn’t care either we were together and thats all that mattered .

This will be the first kissing scene I’m going to write for my book, hope someone can give me a feedback. I’m a bit scared it’s not good enough..

And for a brief moment, they both just stared fondly at each other eyes.

Then Yoongi gently held Aen’s face with his other hand, tilts his head and slowly started leaning towards her.

Aen felt her heartbeat accelerate and when Yoongi’s face was just an inch away from her face, she abruptly close her eyes.

Yoongi felt the same, although his heart has been beating rapidly ever since Aen said she loves him for who he is. And when he saw her close her eyes, he smiled.

And finally the feelings they had for each other was sealed as their lips meet. 

They both felt happy and complete, and the 0 on their wrist glowed at the same time as well indicating their souls have bonded .

Aen feels Yoongi put her hand that was on his face behind his neck, then his hand was on her waist and pulled her a bit closer.

The kiss is sweet and is full of affection.

they shared made them feel like time had stop just for them and that this moment was already predestined to happen.

And as they both parted for a breather, they look at each other’s eyes and smiled.

The suprised studio date was really worth it.

I think it’s great, I myself don’t really like the very graphic kiss descriptions (that’s just me) but this is really good! make it a bit more consistent either past or present tense, as you’ve got “they both just stared fondly” and also “Aen feels Yoongi” so, just choose past or present tense and stick with one or the other is my advice.

I have never been kissed before im also working on something this is really good!!!!

Omg, guys! These are so good! I’m writing a novel, however, I have never been kissed before. Tell me what you think:

I stared at the sunset, the swirling twilight mixing with the dark purples and oranges and the red sun to make a spiraling masterpiece. I sighed with content, propping myself up with the heels of my hands. I turn my head to scratch an itch when I see Andrew staring at me. “What?” I ask, nervous. Then I clear my throat to try and remove the squeak in my voice. “Is something wrong?” It doesn’t work. Why am I nervous? I shouldn’t be nervous—nothing’s going on. After all, I’ve known him for a month now, and there haven’t been any sparks. Have there? My knees start trembling, and in an effort to retain our friendship—and my dignity— I smooth my skirt over them. In an effort to look casual, I say, “This looks like something you’d paint, Andrew.” He shakes his head and doesn’t elaborate. Eventually, he stands up and holds his hand out. I take it and gently pull myself up. “Audrey, there’s… something I should tell you.” He stares at me with that intense look in his eyes, that look where you can tell he’s thinking hard. His wide, blue eyes stare at me, and I reach for his hands. There’s something so irresistible about his stare. And before I can stop myself, I lean forward until my face brushes up against his. I wait a moment, in case he wants to pull away, but he doesn’t. And for a second, I doubt myself. My emotions are so tangled, no comb could straighten them. But there’s something that could. So I close that last bit of space and press my lips against his. I can tell he’s been waiting for this moment. And strangely, semi-consciously, so have I. He slides his hands down my hips and I shiver, and he senses it. He cradles me in his arms, tilting his head to deepen the kiss, and I part my lips. I wrap my arms around him, closing every last bit of space, and he picks me up; I’m much shorter than him. I run my hands through his thick, brown hair and smile. I never thought I’d be touching him like this before. He carries me to his house, setting me down on the porch. We part for a moment, breathing in, before indulging ourselves once more. I’ve always been so shy, but that part of me melts away. I tug at his shirt, urging him to take it off. With a sexy smile, he takes my hands, evading my efforts and leads me inside. We make it to his bedroom, not bothering to close the door before he scoops me up again. I feel so… brave in his arms. His hand slides up my back, warm and soothing. I melt into his touch and squeeze him to me. I want more but… I just can’t seem to get it. I pull away, and our eyes meet. He understands. He feels it too. And with that, he’s on top of me, tugging off my shirt and his. I run my hand down his chest, hard with muscle. I’m so indulged I vaguely sense him working at the button on my jeans. I lay back on the bed, stretching out my arms, inviting him to join me. He does, pressing his lips to mine, his minty breath is intoxicating, pulling me in, I scoot closer, my heart pounding. His lips part mine, and our tongues meet. I map out his mouth, feeling every inch. I slide my hands down his waist as his hands tangle in my hair. I haven’t been this close to anyone, ever. I don’t want anything else. I just need him. There’s no distractions, we dissolve into each other’s bodies. It all happened so fast, but I can’t feel anything else. There’s nothing else but Andrew.

Ok, are you a proffesional writer? Because it sure seems like you are . I mean seriously. How do you evn get that good?!

Ok, so this is a story that I finished a while ago, and I’m just gonna type up the kiss scene here, that is, if anyone can see it. My comments are kinda unapproved, so here goes. This story is about a girl named Amethyst who is secretly a hero named the Black Jaguar (not the Black Panther, that’s someone else.). She is friends (okay… more than that) with a guy named Easton. And as a superhero, Black Jaguar has a partner named Blue Tiger. This is the kissing scene between Amethyst and Easton, where they are in the woods, and (for some as yet unknown reason) they’re talking about their favorite types of kisses. This was my very first kissing scene I ever wrote, so please just read, and don’t judge. (the word are slightly changed from the original for this, btw.)

“I like the really slow kisses, the kind that go for a long time,” Easton said. “Shall I demonstrate?” Now Amethyst was completely shocked. Her heart began to hammer in her chest. “On me?!” she squeaked. Easton waggled his blonde eyebrows at her. “Of course on you, silly! Who else is there?” Easton said. Around them, the woods were mostly silent, except for the occasional bird song. “So do you want to?” Amethyst blushed fuchsia. In a very small voice, she said, “OK.” Easton then scooted over to her, his sea-green eyes filled with a smoldering passion as he came closer and closer, until he was less than an inch away from her. Amethyst’s heart was thumping hard, and her soft, freckled cheeks were a fiery shade of red. Easton placed his strong hands gently on her small shoulders, and lowered his face to hers. His forehead touching hers, he brought his lips to hers, and he kissed her gently, pressing his mouth to hers. The feeling of fire completely consumed Amethyst, and she was lost the kiss they shared. Their first kiss was a long one, full of mutual passion and a shared love. Easton buried his hands in her dark hair, running his fingers through it as he kissed her with an unearthly fire and passion. Amethyst felt herself falling backward, landing on the mossy ground with a slight thud. Amethyst ran her hands up his chest, it being surprisingly muscular for someone so slim, and Easton rolled to be on top of her, letting out a groan of delight. Easton’s hands moved out of Amethyst’s hair to keep himself up, and Easton gently opened Amethyst’s small mouth to let his tongue in. Amethyst’s violet eyes opened in surprise at the feel of his tongue in her mouth, but she eventually succumbed to Easton’s ministrations. Easton lifted his head up, long enough for him to whisper, “Amethyst, why don’t you kiss m–” but the rest of his sentence was cut off by Amethyst pressing her lips to his. Amethyst felt like her skin was on fire, as heat coursed through her veins, but she kept it up. She always wanted to be with this boy, she realized. Placing her hands on Easton’s strong shoulders, she sat up, and they stopped for a moment, the kissing having made them breathless but grinning. Amethyst swooped towards him, her mouth making contact in a moment, and she landed on top of him. With her on top of him, and Easton taking advantage of this moment to run his hands down her skirt-covered legs, and Amethyst placing her slender hands under his shirt and up his back. Finally, they broke apart, breathing heavily and lying on top of each other. “That was…great, for a first, second and third kiss,” Amethyst panted, getting off of Easton. Then they got up and ran hand in hand, into the distance, where destiny was calling their names.

In my book, it is pretty different than the rough draft, where someone sneaks up behind them and takes a picture of them kissing. And in the book, they have to cut the make-out session short to go change into their superhero costumes (but neither knows that the other is a superhero). Also, shouldn’t there be a stopping point in the kissing? I mean, I have standards for this stuff, so….. yeah. Anyway, hope you like it, and I hope I did it right!

(I’m a 15 year old girl and this is my first “spicy” scene as I like to call them XD.)

His breath is hot on my neck and I can feel a bulge pressed on my lower back. “What do you want me to do?” He whispers in my ear. Tingles shoot through my body from hearing those words. “I want you to show me you love me.” I say breathily.  His hands snake around my lower back to my stomach slightly pulling me closer. Soft kisses trail up my neck as he turns me around planting a passionate kiss on my lips.  Our lips move in unison changing from passionate to fiery lust. My hands touch his face bringing him closer to me deepening the kiss. He pulls away breathing heavily looking into my eyes.  “Let’s go to the bedroom.” He says with a husky voice. In one smooth sweep, I am carried into the air. We share teasing kisses as he walks slowly to the room. Sitting on the bed I straddle him, he grins before flipping me over with him on top. With a look in his eyes for approval, I nod. He kisses from my neck to between my breasts to my stomach then stops to look at me. He kisses lower and lower teasing my hot skin before opening my legs… (So, how was the scene?)

It goes very quickly. I think its too short. I don’t know where the clothes come off or if she’s nervous or if he’s excited or…

i would suggest maybe describing how the kisses feel (tingling, shocks, sparks, etc.) if you’re going to make this type of scene i advise to put more details in how they look. if they are blushing if they are taking in each other’s eyes (what colour are they?). adding what type of clothes they wear.

wow 😳 it’s crazy

Hey everyone, I’m really late to this, but please tell me what you think! I would love any feedback – this is just the middle bit of a kiss description. I realise it’s not that good but the only way I will improve is from your feedback.

Her skin was soft but her lips were chapped and weathered. As Michael ran his hand across her cheek he felt an irregularity, a scar of some kind. In his opinion it made her more beautiful and unique, like a gorgeous butterfly. She was new, yet felt oddly familiar. She fit perfectly into his arms, her lips seemed moulded to the shape of his and his hands curled around hers so perfectly he felt they had been made for him. Close up, she smelt familiar, somehow: wine, roses, honey… she reminded him of his home. She tasted like anything amorous. She tasted like tenderness, warmth and intimacy – he imagined holding her by a bonfire, watching the reflection of the flames dancing across her skin. She tasted like pure, clear water, as though it came straight from a spring. She tasted like passion, like pure, unrestrained passion. Whatever she tasted like, it made Michael want more.

Dang! This is soooo good. It’s really deep and descripitive. You don’t even need feedback!

DANG! It’s brilliant! Really deep and descriptive. I tried to think of feedback but it doesn’t need any; it’s so perfect. Great job dude!

Wow that’s awesome! I’ve never written a kissing scene before nor have I been kissed but I’m doing my best to figure out the best way to do mine.

wow, that was really good!!! you put the right amount of decryption in every little action and you pinpoint every single detail beautifully

“Can you come here Ezlyn?” “Sure David.” We walked into the woods and David started speaking. “Over this year I have realised how I need you in my life. I realised that I woke up to see you smile and laugh. I can’t live without you, I need you by my side.” “David,” This was very odd for him. “No let me finish. I need to love you. You are so special to me, you can’t even know how much I love you. I love you so much.” He leaned forward and I took a step back to find my back against a tree. My nose breathed in his sandalwood cologne and I was immediately calmed. He wiped a strand of hair from my face and gently began to kiss my lips. He wrapped his hands around my neck and the kiss became more aggressive. My stomach flipped and knotted and my knees became weak. Time stopped and both of our personalities changed. David became bold, I became shy, and I loved it. David stopped to breathe and then came back to my face. His kisses were like black holes pulling you in until you are lost. It was a sweet but bruising kiss that left me wanting more, but it wasn’t enough. I grabbed his collar, pulled his blue shirt and himself closer. I slipped my hands through his hair, getting caught on knottes. He picked me up and leaned me against the tree. I wrapped my legs around his waist, supporting myself. His tongue pressed against my lips, asking for permission to enter my mouth. I granted it to him. His mouth tastes like a sweet mint, spicy but not overwhelming. His grip slipped and we fell to the ground, he chuckled. “Hey, that was n-not fun-ny.” I whispered in between kisses. “Then let me kiss the pain away.” “Deal.” He laid on top of me kissing me and making me forget. He made me forget the past year almost completely. David slowed down until he stopped, leaving a searing heat on my lips. “Well, that was, uhh, hot.” “Hot, that is the word you came up with David. What about ravishing, heated, sweet, thrilling or even exciting.” “Yeah those words are better.” “Consider yourself lucky.” “Why, Ezlyn?” “Well I don’t kiss a lot of people.” “You haven’t kissed anyone before me have you?” “No. That is very rude to say, but, it might be true.” I whispered. “I haven’t kissed anyone either.” I smiled knowing that David was mine and only mine. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and I rested on his chest. We fell asleep like that and I slept better that night than I ever did in the past year. I am 12 and a horror writer. I have copyrights to the book.

It’s really good. David’s sweet and Ezlyn is super cool. Nice job!

These stories are awesome! You should all be very proud of yourselves! From Starlight,11

i am writing a book about a girl and a boy who have been friends forever and everyone ships them. she is asexual sadly. im going to be 13 in a few weeks, I’ve never been kissed before and don’t think i ever will cause im hideous, and writing kissing scenes are the hardest since ive never experienced it before i hope ya like it, (sry if it’s kinda cliche) so here it goes: it started to snow. i started to shiver to try to calm myself down so Luis wouldn’t notice, but he did. he grabbed his jacket and put it on my shoulders as we kept walking down the sidewalk. this was normal for us, to flirt a bit, we had been friends since we were 4 and i didn’t want that to change. “so i’ve been wanting to tell you something, for a while now, . .um” he said breaking the awkward silence “yeah?” “i really really… really like you, and i know what people say about us and that we’re only friends but i can’t hold it anymore” “don’t, no please, were just meant to be friends nothing else, i don want to ruin that” “Please, i have loved you ever since” his voice started to break “im sorry, i really am” “please, can we just try?” “im sorry im just, im really sorry i just can’t fake me feelings towards you, i can’t it would crush you. we would ruin it all! we wouldn’t be like the cute couples in movies where we just end up together” “can’t we just try” he was trying to hold back tears, challenging to fall down his cheeks “no we can’t, i would ruin it all, with my temper and and with everything that i am i would break you! even more than you are now!” “so now were just going to forget everything?” he said in a fierce tone “no! i love you i really do, but not in that way! i reall-” he cut me off by kissing me. iaccept the kiss. it started slow and passionate. i dipped my head getting a better angle of his mouth. we fought for lower lip but eventually calmed down. he took in my gray eyes when i pulled back. “what?” he asked “i thought we where-” “im sorry i can’t” i cut his off looking into his pale blue eyes “wait what?” he asked in confusion “im really sorry, i really am but you know what i am i can’t do this to you” “i can’t believe it. i can’t believe that i actually thought we where going to work out” “no, i don’t mean in that way!” “so we can try?” “no, im sorry i really am, but i cant” ~ this wasn’t really a true kissing scene i just want feedback on what i should do to make it more interesting, it’s terrible, i know but please leave critisism blow i would love to get more ideas…

I think one thing you could try is to make the dialogue less…just them talking, maybe describe how they’re feeling, what they’re doing, etc. It’s good!

Thanks! Your support helps me write.

I’m 12 and I’m attempting to write a romance/mystery novel. I haven’t ever been kissed before so do you guys have any tips for writing a kissing scene? If you do please comment them and I’ll try to use them in my scene. ONce I finish I’ll post it.

I just finished my kiss scene from the novel that I’m writing. So basically Niko and Cinder are from another universe but Cinder let and came to our universe. Niko is a shy soldier with a fierce side. She gets kidnapped and brought to our universe (more commonly known as Universe 27B to her) and is experimented on. She escapes and finds Cinder. There is a special bond between her and Cinder. So here it is.

Everything about her was perfect. The sheer softness of hair running through my hands like water running through a stream. The feel of her lips on mine is just like before. Just like the way she didn’t want to do this or the way that she passionately kisses. I push against her lips and I can sense this is what she wanted, no needed. I feel the pressure of her lips pushing me very slowly towards the edge of the couch. Her skin is cool like the air on an early morning walk. Ohh this is what I needed. I pull away knowing I’m about to fall off the couch. I grab her arm and pull her into the dark corner because that’s where it’s about to get even better. “Ohh Cinder” I hear her moan. All I’m focused on is her beautiful body. I slowly pull her arm towards the corner while still caressing her shoulders and neck and lightly press her against the wall. I pull away to tell her something but she just grabs me and presses her sweet lips against mine even harder to silence whatever I was trying to say. I don’t even know at this point. It’s so overwhelming I can’t remember what I was going to say. All I can think about is how much I’ve missed her. I open my eyes as she pulls away. “No baby, don’t leave.” “Never said I was.” She says with a smirk as she tugs at the hem of my shirt and slowly pulls it off. So this is what she wants.

This is just a first try so please let me know what you think. Thanks! I groan and try to get up. “Woah, Theo. You were just shot. Hold still and let me try to.” I start to chuckle, inducing another wave of pain. He nicknamed me Theo, short for Theodosia. Kinda always had a crush on him since that day 3 years ago. He knows that I’m more private, so he’s stuck playing nurse. “There are worse things than patching up a bullet wound you know,” he says as if reading my thoughts. “Like what? Having fun fighting?” I groan again as he pulls away the layers of clothes. He pauses for a second. “I’m going to roll your tank top, but it’s probably going to hurt. If the blood has started to dry yet, the wound will reopen. I nod and grit my teeth. He pulls up my tank top along with some dry blood. I gasp loudly and he grimaces. “Hey, at least it was just a graze.” “Shut up. You’re going to make me laugh and that hurts.” He smiles. “Okay I have some alcohol and that will work. Just don’t focus on it.” “Yeah, that made me pass out!” I say, closing my eyes. But he was already pouring it. I didn’t have time to think about something else before it started stinging. Until I felt lips on mine. I opened my eyes to him kissing me and my brain almost exploded. He pulled me closer to him, deepening the kiss. I loosely wrapped my arms around him. His rough hands slid up my back and helped support me upright. Cautiously moved my hands up to his face, and eventually his hair. My fingers tangled in until I couldn’t breathe anymore and broke the kiss. I could barely feel the gunshot now.

I’m writing a story, too. I’ve just posted the scene I’m writing and you guys have really helped me write it. I’m so grateful…thank you! your’e guys’s scenes are so great.

This is my story, and basically this girl is having her first kiss in the forest with her boyfriend.

My heart skips a beat and my knees get wobbly. I wasn’t standing up, so I couldn’t fall, but I’m sure I would if I was standing. I curl my hand around his neck, and the other one in his soft, curly hair. I open up and kiss him back, but I’m not quite sure if I’m doing it right. I close my eyes when it happens but secretly open one to see if he’s staring at me. His eyes are closed, too. I feel his cold hand touch my back and pull me a little closer. Shivers run down my spine. I feel my heart racing and my stomach jumps repeatedly. I’m pretty sure I just opened my mouth too wide. His warm breath on my face feels inviting. I can’t put in words how this kiss really feels. It’s like I’m floating, drifting away, and I feel happy…ready for this to end, but not just yet. I know it can’t work out with Caylen. I just want to cherish this one moment. We go on for a while…

What was that? Oh, he stopped. I make an uneasy face. When he smiles hopefully, I make a satisfied face. Caylen stands me up, walks me to my house, and gives me a kiss on the cheek before I excitedly run off to tell Emeline about the romantic adventure I had this afternoon.

Sorry, my story didin’t get posted. its unnaproved or something. but philo’s story is really good! amazing.

Wow. The talent you guys have is mind-blowing! I decided to write a bit of a kissing scene. So ya.

“What are you doing?”, hissed Noah, shutting the door behind them, his mind racing. “You weren’t there yesterday”, Kieran breathed, his eyes looking unearthly in the moonlight, “I wanted to see you”. Before he could reply, Kieran kissed him with such force that he was slammed against the wall. Noah didn’t resist, couldn’t resist, even as Kieran’s knee slipped in between his legs, parting them. The sweet smell of the boy he loved filled his nostrils, the scent calming his troubled mind, clearing it of all thoughts. Noah dragged him onto the bed, and they fell into each other, Kieran’s lips against his, tasting like peppermint and coffee and spices all rolled into one. Kieran paused to take his shirt off, and Noah shivered as he realised how broad his shoulders were. The shape of him, Kieran, took his breath away. And he wanted him all the more for it.

What do you think? It is only a snippet, but I think that it illustrates the characters’ relationship nicely. This is a great site. I HIGHLY recommend ‘Jane Eyre’. It rocks.

This is my character’s first kiss, it’s near the end of the book, so, some of the stuff they talk about might not make sense. This book is aimed at teens-preteens, so…let me know if you think this scene is ok for that age group. Well, here’s the kiss: “Hey!” Brook jumped, looking away from where she’d been watching Paleface and her foal Opal grooming each at the other side of the round pen. Dean was walking towards her. “Hey,” Brook replied, leaning slightly against the rails. “Um, it’s a lovely sunset, isn’t it?” Brook waved a hand around them, the farm and bushland around it was bathed in golden light. “Yes. Just beautiful.” Dean said. Brook was too busy gazing at the warm glow the setting sun left of the land and thinking about the wonderful sunset photos she’d gotten in her two week stay to notice Dean was looking at her. “How’s your arm?” Dean asked, pointing at her left arm, which was strapped in a sling. “Fine, it doesn’t hurt anymore unless I bump it or jar it, which I’m getting a little better at avoiding.” Brook said. She remembered the horrible pain when her arm had broken the evening before. “Jackson’s a real jerk doing that.” Dean said. ” But, you did really well, you were so brave.” He moved a little closer, laying his hand on Brook’s. “Thanks. In truth, I was terrified, but I knew I couldn’t just let him do that, I had to save Paleface and Opal.” “Does your arm hurt if I touch it?” Dean asked, reaching out and running his hand from her shoulder down to her wrist. “No,” Brook said. Dean stepped closer and put his arms around Brook, she buried her face in his shirt, there was something so comforting about Dean. He slipped a hand under her chin, raising her face. Brook gazed up at him, she noticed how gently he held her so he didn’t hurt her arm, and his smile, then he slightly titled his head, Brook did the same, in the other direction. Then she shut her eyes. Dean’s lips brushed softly against hers, she felt their lips lock, his breath soft on her cheek. She could stay like this forever. Then Dean pulled back gently and released her. “You…you kissed me?” Brook gasped. “Yes, I thought it would be okay…I’m sorry.” Dean looked flustered. “No, it’s fine, I was just surprised.” “I’ll really miss you when you leave tomorrow.” Dean whispered before turning and hurrying back to the house, leaving Brook gazing after him, unsure what to do next, or what would even happen next.

That’s it. What do you think? There is a lot of talking not much kissing, but, yeah…it is for younger readers. I’m not into all the “gaping maw” and stuff of one of the examples. I nearly puked when I read that. Anyway, Dean and Brook have known each for two weeks and been through a lot together (they’re teenagers, not adults, btw) and they have flirted a little but not anything serious. I’m thinking this will be a series and they may kiss again, but similar sort of kisses to the one I’m sending.

I think your kiss is great!

Okay, so I know I’m pretty late here, but here’s a scene from the novel I’m writing. I’ve never kissed anyone, so I was looking for some feedback. It’s a flashback of a time that the two main characters, Levi and Callisto, kissed. It’s told from Callisto’s perspective, and for a bit of background, they have been friends since they were seven. They had a falling out when they were thirteen, but the year before that is when the flashback takes place. In the current year (When L+C are 16) Callisto’s older sister, Emmeline, is getting married, so Callisto is kind of thinking about romance and the only time she’s kissed someone (which was Levi). So yeah, here it is:

I kissed Levi, once. It was about a year before the fight, back when Emmie had been dating Tristan for just a little while. We were sitting together on a set of concrete steps, near where we had first met. We weren’t really doing much, just sitting around, talking, enjoying one-another’s company. Or at least, I was enjoying his. I think he enjoyed my company, too, but I couldn’t quite tell. It was always hard to tell with Levi. “Has Henry ever kissed anyone?” I asked Levi. Henry was the same age as Emmie, so I figured he might have. Levi wrinkled his nose. “No.” He said it simply and matter-of-factually, like that was the end of the conversation. “Oh. Emmie has a boyfriend, now. His name is Tristan. He’s okay, but he and Emmie spend a lot of time kissing.” “That’s disgusting,” Levi said, shaking his head slightly, like he was disappointed that my sister would participate in such vulgar activity. For a moment, his face screwed up in thought, “No, Henry hasn’t kissed anyone.” He sounded as though he was trying to convince himself. “Have you ever kissed someone?” I asked. It seemed like the next question in what I thought was a rather logical train of thought. If it was possible, he looked even more disgusted. “No.” “Oh,” we were both quiet, for a minute, then I asked, “Do you want to try?” He looked confused. “Try what?” “Kissing.” He turned a little green. “No.” We were both quiet for another minute. I noticed he seemed unsure. Then, he seemed to be considering it. “Okay, maybe we should try it,” he resolved, speaking slowly and methodically, as though Congress had just reached the biggest decision of the century. “Great!” I exclaimed. I was excited to try it. Emmie sure seemed to like it. I leaned in towards him, but he pulled away. “Wait!” He yelped, “I don’t know how! I’ve never seen anyone kiss before.” That thought hadn’t occurred to me. “Never? Not even your parents?” He shook his head, his cheeks flushed pink. “Well, that’s okay, I’ll show you. I’ve seen Emmie do it, and Mama and Papa, too.” I leaned in again, and this time, he only shrunk back slightly. I put my hands on his shoulders. “There. And you put your hands on my waist.” He did what I said, looking immensely uncomfortable. “What now?” “Now, we close our eyes.” He squeezed his eyes shut, and I did the same. I leaned in slowly towards him. I opened my eyes slightly, to make sure he hadn’t leaned away. When our lips touched, he shrunk back a little, but we stayed like that for a minute, and he seemed to be more comfortable. Maybe it wasn’t a real kiss. Maybe we weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend like Tristan and Emmie, and maybe we never would be, but I felt a lot closer to him in that moment. I felt my heartbeat quicken and smelled the missing half of the butterscotch pudding I’d shared with him earlier. Then, the moment had passed, and we leaned away from each other. I was smiling, but he looked confused. “That was it?” he asked. “Did you like it?” He shrugged. “I don’t get what the big deal is.” That was when I realized that maybe he hadn’t felt it. Maybe he hadn’t felt the closeness, hadn’t felt his heartbeat quicken, or smelled the butterscotch on my breath. “Do you wanna do it again?” I asked. He shook his head. “No.” No, never again.

So yeah, it wasn’t much, just an innocent two-kids-kissing scene, but I’d still like feedback if anyone happens to read this. And I do have other stories where there will probably be more romance than this one, but I really don’t have much experience with writing kissing scenes (or kissing) so I thought this would be a good place to start. Anyway, let me know what you think of the scene!

Hey Katie, your story rocks. That’s all I have to say. You write like a pro. Have any tips for aspiring young writers?

Also, I like the way your character has a lot of personality. It really brings the story together and makes it more relatable. The comment about the butterscotch pudding is spot on, because it brings back the fact that they’re only twelve and still trying things out. This is my interpretation of the story; Levi is a mysterious and (possibly?) mildly autistic character. I say this because I’ve written and read about people like him, but it’s hard to know without context. Callisto is a slightly insecure, intelligent (but she doesn’t know it) and loving young girl in the story. My impression is that she is possibly now hardened by life and that she was hit with it in one big explosion of self-realisation. Possibly her fight with Levi? It she a soldier or someone who was exposed to a high level of experience all at once? Because that would make a lot of sense. If not, what is her story? It seems like it would be a really interesting one. Anyway, sorry about all this, but I couldn’t help myself. You’re writing like an experienced adult. Are you?

Okay, so basically, this is mine. So Jenny and Caylen travel to this magical world, and theres akwardness between them, but soon, Theres this war and stuff. (I’m not gonna get into the details.) But they both might die, so Caylen just goes for it. Although it’s told in Caylen’s perspective. Um…lemme know for comments and stuff. Hope u like it. today is my birthday anyway.

I stare deep into his hazel eyes. Did he feel the same way about me? As I did him? The truth is, I love him. He’s sweet, and kind…gentle, brave, handsome, funny, and he’s just…amazing. As he leaned closer, and closed his eyelids, I stared at him. Was he going to kiss me? He likes…me? Out of all the girls he could choose from. His lips get closer to mine, and I lean forward.

Our lips touched, and I somehow knew, from the moment, that he felt the same way. Time stopped and no one else existed but Caylen. My lips parted, and I kissed him. It was soft, at first. His lips brushed mine delicately, like butterfly wings. Then he pressed his lips on mine, a little harder, then he stopped, unsure. He kissed me again, and each time, I felt the excitement, and craving, of the kiss.

Lightning passed through me, and I felt lost, in a different universe, slowly flying away. I finally shut my eyes and really kiss him back. I curl my fingers into his brown, curly hair, the other around his neck. My heart beats fast, and my knees wobble. His cold hand creeps from my neck to my back, and he pulls me closer, deepening the kiss. A shiver runs down my spine as his other hand tangles in my hair. His delicate, innocent kiss, makes my heart flutter, and wiggle. Then my heart races, and my stomach jumps repeatedly, as his lips press against mine again. I breathe through my nose, so I don’t run out of breath. I let him kiss me as long as he wants. I let go, but then go back, and kiss him softly, determinedly, sweat dripping down my face.

No, you can’t. You have a war to fight.

I tell my conscience to let me cherish this moment. I curl both my arms on his neck, and put my hands together. I then get uncomfortable and put both on his shoulders. He stops kissing me, and I wonder if I moved too much.

“I…I can’t, I’m not sure if I..” I start, then trail off. I look away as I say it.

“I am sure,” Caylen says.

“Of…Of what?” I ask, worriedly.

“Of one thing..” He puts his arms on my shoulders, and he looks determined. “I…I love you, Jenny. You’re just…just awesome.”

I stare deep into his eyes again, until I kiss him again. This time it’s one peck, and we put our foreheads together and stare at the ground. I pant, until I look up at him and make an uneasy face. I ran out of breath. He picks me up, and I wrap my legs around his torso. I kiss his lips repeatedly, and then I stare down at him. He’s happy. That’s all I want right now. I kiss him another time, and then tell him,

“I have to go, I have to fight,” I say. I hold his hand and we walk to the battlefield.

Across the plain, I see Quests, Icicle people, Cavemen, dragons, bears, everyone fighting, with scratches, blood, and pain everywhere. There is a mixture of yells, screams, yelps for help. One person punches another, as somebody slices a sword through one. A bear with long claws slices a cavemens face. I worriedly look around for my mom, and Emeline, but I notice Rachel on top of a tree, hitting a caveman in the head, then kicking his balls, yelling in achievment. I start to run out to fight too, but I stop. I turn around.

“I love you too, Caylen.”

Thats it. You probably don’t understand, since it’s pert of the story, but you know. The kiss is the best part. Hppy late valentines day, now that I think about it. Thanks for your ideas, comment if u like it

This last one is told in Jenny’s perspective. I was thinking about the wrong thing. It’s a boy and a girl. And they’re not…you know, gay. So…yes

Ruby’s is really good. I never kissed anyone. before and it made me feel like i was actually there. and I like katie’s too, it feels like the kids are a little younger, and it wasn’t very….in the book, but it was a very good. scene. Very. I am an experienced writer, but I’m not THAT good.

I know this is super late, but This is from a fantasy story I am writing about crossover souls (fairies mixed with humans). Isaac and Nyx are on the way to the hospital under a white lie because Nyx doesn’t want to expose her position (who she is) and Isaac just been possessed in the pier bookshop.

As we wound round the different streets we had been to at some point or had no idea of, towards the hospital, the summer sun high in the late afternoon sky, I took his hand stroking it softly. Then as if were the opposite poles of a magnet we leaned in our faces touching. I could smell the sweat of the day’s memory on him, but I didn’t care. I could smell the off brand washing powder his mother used, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was his warmth against mine, to feel his wind chapped lips on mine. It was the sweetest few seconds, before he pulled back.

‘I’m sorry, I…’ he continued to contemplate a stray cat for a few minutes before moving on to the seemingly mundane green bushes of number 12. He was doing his best to avoid the awkwardness of looking in to my eyes. There was an awkward silence between us where the seconds, felt like hours. In that silence I contemplated the moss grown crack in the pavement and the smell of dogs breath that clung to the sea air. Then I spoke, I said what I knew he felt.

‘It was long overdue’, I pulled his face to look at mine, our lips meeting once again. We kissed in quicks succession under the dabbled light of the plane tree. It was as we were drowning in the elixir of love, stopping only to inhale the cold sharp air of the sea.

‘I love you’ he spoke with such sincerity it almost took me by surprise.

‘I love you too’ I said our hands interlocking

‘Well maybe that’s enough medicine…’ I cut across him

‘You’re still going to the hospital and don’t you dare try to wriggle out of it’ I said in a mock stern voice.

he chuckled ‘That’s why I love you’

I have never kissed (romanticly ) anyone before, so it would be good to get feedback on the start of this scene. sorry if there are any spelling or gramHe chuckledmar mistakes. I guess because I am 15, it is sort of like teen fiction. But I haven’t really put it in any age box because they are not always correct or need.

OK, so I know I’m a little (a lot ) late but I just want to say, Katie, your kissing scene was phenomenal. You write like a pro. I was here earlier, so here is my scene revised.

“What are you doing?”, breathed Noah, shutting the door behind them, his mind racing. “You weren’t there yesterday”, Kieran whispered, his eyes unearthly, the sharp edges of his jawline highlighted by the moonlight from the window. “Why didn’t you meet me?”, he whispered, as he forced his knee between Noah’s legs, parting them. “What were you doing that was so much more important?” Noah thought of the day before, of Livia, of Alex. The whirlwind of events. The memories. He had forgotten all about Kieran. Before he could reply, Kieran kissed him with such force that he was slammed against the wall. Noah didn’t resist, couldn’t resist. The sweet smell of the boy he loved filled his nostrils, the scent calming his troubled mind, clearing it of all thoughts. He didn’t have time to think. Noah dragged him onto the bed, and they fell into each other, Kieran’s lips against his, tasting like peppermint and coffee and spices all rolled into one. All too soon, Kieran tore himself away and Noah could see how hard it was for him, like he was starving and he was putting aside the only piece of food he had. Noah shivered, breathless, as he realised how broad Kieran’s shoulders were. It was late and the exhaustion in Noah’s eyes must have begun to show because the other boy lay down beside him and whispered in his ear, “Shh, go to sleep”. Noah closed his eyes. And he had no nightmares.

Sorry, I forgot to explain. Before this scene, Noah is friends with Alex (a girl) who likes him and he is wondering how he can tell her that he doesn’t back. But what he doesn’t know is that she has already seen Kieran and him together. Noah usually has nightmares because he was in a war with Alex(that was when they met). Noah and Kieran break up later on but it seems sad to talk about that now when their relationship is gong so well. As far as you know….. obviously that isn’t the whole plot of the story, but the rest of it is demons and death and betrayal and blood and I’m sure you don’t want to hear any of that 0.o

Sorry if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes, and I know it’s late but I wanted to test out and see if this would work as a kiss that never happened or should have.

Maybe If they had been older and not seemed like brother and sister, this is when they would have kissed. I would be telling you about the warmth of his lips, about the pimple on the left side of his nose, the smell of conditioner and the way the seconds felt like hours . I would try to imagine, what it felt like to be lost in someone’s breath, but then I wonder if maybe all  they would find would be an awkward silence. So in some ways I’m happy it never happened , at least not now. I’m  happy he only whispered ‘I love you’ before he  disappeared in to the silent street  lit only by the orange sodium lamps, until they merged into the bright white LED light, that the council have started putting up. All along his words felt right because kissing might have ruined the bubble they had created. But they had never asked each other if they wanted  the bubble to burst.  He had never asked her if she wanted to find his heart beating on her Brest and his lips making lasting memories . Maybe all along she had needed to find the courage to ask him herself because it seemed they each in turn had felt there was no path to ponder on.

They had all-ways just excepted it wasn’t to be.

That is really cool, Iris! I love the way you describe the kiss how it would have been and how all the little details come together. Love. Just, love it.

Out of a sudden impulse of mine I moved my head right next to his while we were laying down and I kissed him. It was like a simple peck, in which he flinched and moved back. I got up swiftly and said in a panicky voice “Oh no I shouldn’t have done that, I-I’m sorry.” He got up and stared into my eyes intensely before grabbing my waist, pulling me in and pressing his firm lips against mine. In that moment it was like the world was still. It was just us against the world. The kiss became more intense as he started using his tongue as if claiming me he started moving his hand down to my lower back and continuing down. I felt as if this was right. He was the one, no doubt about it. I needed him; It didn’t matter if I chose him or Urca in that moment because it was just us. Us in this moment. We were the moment. I felt as though I would never need to come back up for air. I would drown in the deep unable to breathe for this kiss.

“We were the moment”. Love it.

woah this is truly amazin , every one of you have written so well, have put in you’re whole heart to it .I’m so happy as well as proud of y’all , kudos !! so I my writing is published on the platform Wattpad under the username : cursedsunshine. All my three books were well published last year , got so much hype but unfortunately someone hacked my account and I lost everything , but I didn’t stop there , writing gives me the freedom like no other .Hence I decided to go from the dust , it would mean a lot to me , if you are able to check out my story on Wattpad, thank you !

Just a side note, I have never kissed anyone or anything and this is my attempt at a kiss scene.

His breath is hot on my neck and I can feel a bulge pressed on my lower back. “What do you want me to do?” He whispers in my ear. Tingles shoot through my body from hearing those words.

“I want you to show me you love me,” I say breathily. 

His hands snake around my lower back to my stomach slightly pulling me closer. Soft kisses trail up my neck as he turns me around planting a passionate kiss on my lips. 

Our lips move in unison changing from passionate to fiery lust. My hands touch his face bringing him closer to me deepening the kiss. He pulls away breathing heavily looking into my eyes. 

“Let’s go to the bedroom.” He says with a husky voice.

In one smooth sweep, I am carried into the air. We share teasing kisses as he walks slowly to the room. Sitting on the bed I straddle him, he grins before flipping me over with him on top. With a look in his eyes for approval, I nod. He kisses from my neck to between my breasts to my stomach then stops to look at me. He kisses lower and lower teasing my hot skin before opening my legs…

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

My hand shoots up to turn off the alarm on my phone while a loud groan escapes my mouth. God, my alarm couldn’t have waited a few more minutes. Nick hasn’t been on my mind for a while, that was a nice dream that I wish continued. I open one eye at a time adjusting to my bright room, curtains are next on the list of things to buy. With a stretch, I push my covers off and sit to get out of bed. If you are interested in reading the rest of the story, here is the link to it: https://booknet.com/en/book/outstanding-b144301 The story is free to read. 😛

I just recently turned 15 and I’m curious as to what different skill paths I should take to better my schooling and personal life. I’m not very confident in my writing skill, personally I think I’m not that good and what I write is a bit choppy, if I could get some feedback I’d be really appreciative (AKA I crave validation so feed me peasants). Also I changed the names of people so I don’t get killed. Tyler and Brandon it is.

“Never Tyler. Never ever. You’re amazing, and so strong. You hold all this pain in and still get up each day and push forward. I’m so inspired by you and how you are able to hold your head up from the water and get through each and every minute. You’re incredible, truely. I wish I had been there earlier, maybe then I could have helped you through everything thing you’ve been through, and I’m sorry that I wasn’t. But I’m here now and i’m not letting you go, even if you scream and push me away, I need you to know that I’ll always be here. I want to see you happy. I want to make you as happy as you make me and Ty… you make me really, really happy.” Brandon smiled, grip tightening around Tyler’s neck as he stared into the taller boy’s eyes.

Tyler’s brain short-circuited as he started into the pale blue of Brandon’s eyes, watching as the boy’s eyes shifted towards his own, pupils growing and flush rising up his cheeks. He slowly lifted his hand so it was resting on the side of Brandon’s jaw, rubbing his cheek delicately as the world around them slowed, freezing until it was just the two of them. Nothing else mattered in that moment as they stared into each other’s souls, their hearts. No words were spoken and yet, everything had been said. If any moment in his life had anchored his soul, Tyler was sure it would be this very second, gazing into the innocent and yet so devious eyes of the boy before him. He could all but feel his heart crumbling and falling into the hands of the other, every thought, every emotion that ran through his mind like a plague was now in the hands of the only person he would ever expect them to fall into. Because of course, who else to let himself be vulnerable with then this boy? How could he not trust him with his whole being? Tyler glanced down, watching as the boy licked his lips subconsciously. Raising his gaze once again he looked to Brandon for permission, letting out a harsh breath, he questioned. 

“Angel, if it’s okay with you, I’d really like to kiss you right now. May I?” The brunette spoke, tongue darting out over his own lips in anticipation as he sat, one hand on Brandon’s cheek and the other resting softly against his hip. “Please Ty.” The boy all but whispered in return, gripping slightly higher at Tyler’s hair from under the taller boy’s beanie. Tyler smiled slightly at the feeling of it, leaning in to let his lips just barely graze the other boy’s.

It was Brandon that closed the gap between them, fingers locking into place in Tyler’s hair as he pushed his lips against the older boy’s. Tyler felt like an addict, Brandon slowly becoming his drug. The smaller’s lips just felt so soft and plush against his own cracked and dry ones, creating a contrast that Tyler never expected to feel, but now that he had gotten a taste, he couldn’t get enough of it. In one swift movement the two of them became one, they clung to each other as if they were the only other thing in this world, and in a way, Tyler supposed they were. Brandon gripped him tighter, pulled him closer like he was the only solid being in a spinning world and Tyler in turn, let both his hands fall over the younger’s curves and onto the dancer’s waist, fearing that one wrong move would leave everything around them shattering to pieces. Both the boy’s took their time, holding onto one another and allowing themselves to fall into a rhythm. Breathing the other in like they had been deprived of air their whole lives, it was sweet, it was soft, and it was their’s. Their moment to forever hold and cherish. Their’s to dream of and smile at. Tyler felt as though nothing could ruin this. This was special, a moment that he would forever hold close to his heart. Just him and Brandon.

Late as all hell, and while I’ve been kissed, I haven’t done it enough to capture it well. I’m also writing this from a man’s perspective, instead of a woman’s, so I worry I’m doing it wrong…if there’s feedback, that would be lovely! Otherwise, feel free to make fun of my shoddy work, haha! (Please note, this is a fantasy/sci-fi narrative, with a mention of a fictional language in it!)

Could he tell her? Yes, he could. Should he was perhaps the question he was asking. His mind floundered for a single, logical thought. Find the pros and cons, weigh the outcomes, that was what he was supposed to be doing, but his brain had faded into a sluggish mush. He could recognize nothing but her hair, dotted with tiny jeweled snowflakes; her eyes, that held far too much softness for someone who was so unpredictable; her hands, trembling against his face.

Thantil took them, folding them within his. Her skin remained soft, even in the cold. He had seen how other’s hands had cracked, the flesh scuffed like rocks. Hers did not feel that way. It made him wonder, not for the first time, if she held some sort of magic within her. Surely she did. She had enchanted him in a way he had never thought possible.

He held her gaze, waiting for her to say no. It never came. Not when he pulled her closer to him. Not when he lifted her hands. Not even when his lips brushed over her knuckles. He watched her eyes close, her lips part –

“Nor ver ch’ah, vah bta rect’tin’ecot,” she mumbled.

Just kiss me.

He let go of her hands, yanked her forward, and did just that. Damn feeling, damn passion, it damned him to the thousandth depth of hell as yet another piece of the man he was meant to be crumbled into the vast ocean that was her.

Wow! All of your scenes are amazing! You are all really talented! Here’s one that’s a part of the novel I’m writing. But before that, I guess I should give some background. Basically, the story’s about the best track & field team in the state. Two of the best runners – Asa and Whitney – are pretty good at annoying the hell out of each other, but they’ve always kinda liked eachother. During an away meet against their team’s rival school, Whitney hides in the bathrooms for a couple minutes to get away from Asa, but he’s sent to look for her. They end up talking a couple things out and eventually kissing – and Whitney misses her event. Then Joseph, their coach, walks in on them Despite the trouble they’re already in…well, I mean, I’m not gonna spoil anything, so here’s the scene:

*CVHS = cade valley high school, that’s the team*

Surprisingly, we weren’t banned from sitting together on the bus. Joseph was at the very front, and instead of my usual seat with Laurel and Ashlyn, I sat in the very back with Asa. Luckily, I had the window seat. His arms were wrapped around me and I was holding both of his hands, a position I never expected to feel so comfortable. I looked up at him and we both smiled – just a little. I put my head on his shoulder and glanced out the window from the corner of my eye. I watched as we passed cars and trucks and houses, nothing I’d never seen. As soon as we pulled into CVHS, Asa and I got off the bus along with everyone else. But instead of walking me to my own car, he pulled me to his. Still wrapped up in each other, we slid into the backseat, and before we could bother to close the door, his mouth was on mine. It was dark outside, so it was likely that people could see us due to the lights that turned on in Asa’s car. But it didn’t matter, nothing mattered. Soon, he was on top of me and I was sinking into the leather car seats. I didn’t know where Joseph was or if he’d yell at us, but neither of us seemed to care. For a moment, Asa pulled away and muttered; “God, why did I wait so long to do this?” I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him back down to me. We pressed our foreheads together and I whispered “I don’t know” softly. I pressed my lips against his and ran my fingers through his thick hair. He lightly brushed his finger across my cheek, sending a tremor through my body. I didn’t care what the first or next person to see us thought, so what if I was kind of, sort of, definitely kissing my sarcastic and admittedly hot ex-enemy? Our lips separated and Asa got off of me, giving me room to sit up. I glanced at him, only to find that he was staring at me, smiling. “What?” I asked. “All this time spent annoying the shit out of you and I never took the time to notice that you’re really pretty,” he answered. I laughed weakly. I wanted to say I never thought you were capable of making me feel this way, but instead, I managed a quiet “thanks.” “I- th-this is crazy, I-I-I never thought-” he shook his head. “Never mind.” I’d never heard Asa stutter before. I laughed softly and kissed his lips. When I pulled away, he slid out of the open car and I followed. Then, in one swift motion, he pushed me against the side of the car and kissed me harder than the last time. Much harder. From there, everything went from affectionate to aggressive. Passionate to something more than lustful. Sweet and harmless to addicting and intoxicating. We were under some sort of trance, and I couldn’t breathe. Then, right there in the school parking lot, he pulled off his sweatshirt and then his jersey, tossing them both into the open car. It probably wasn’t the best idea to get this intimate considering our current location, but I was too caught up in the pleasurable pain Asa was inflicting on me. I felt like I could barely keep my footing, and if it weren’t for his grip on me, I’d be on the ground by now. He made his way down to my neck, placing rough kisses as he went. Breathing heavily, I felt his boner that I somehow hadn’t noticed digging into my leg, which only aroused me further. I lightly ran my thumb over his rough lips, and that made him grab my wrists and kiss me again. Suddenly, he let go of me and tugged at my jersey. Again, my mind went straight to the fact that we were in the school parking lot and anyone could be watching, but I removed it anyway. Asa closed every inch of space between us by wrapping his muscular arms around me and kissing me with an open mouth. We were skin-to-skin, and it felt good. Asa slid his hand into my bra, and for some reason I let him. We both slipped our tongues into each other’s mouths, and when they touched, it made me tingle all over. He tasted like spearmint gum and the red Gatorade I’d seen him drinking during the 4×4 relay. It wasn’t the best combination, but I still wanted more. I hoped I tasted alright. After all, I’d pounded popcorn and Kit-Kats after Joseph told me I wouldn’t be running my next event. Speak of the devil, Joseph’s car rolled right past us. I wouldn’t have noticed if it weren’t for him shouting, “What the hell? Asa, put a shirt on! Who’s that – Whitney? Wait, come on. Seriously, you two?” Both of us turned and stared in shock like a deer in headlights. “Honestly. Again? I JUST talked to you about this. Not okay.” Joseph shouted. “If you can’t keep your hands off each other, I’m going to have to separate you and kick one of you off the team. Or both of you. I don’t care.” “I- Joseph, Asa is one of our fastest runners.” I managed. “You can’t kick him off the team.” “You can’t kick Whitney off either. If we’re going to win fucking state again this year, then you’ll need both of us.” Asa added. Joseph shrugged. “We have others. And watch your language, Byers. AND I believe I told you to put a shirt on. You too, Whitney.” I picked my jersey up off the ground and slipped it over my head while Asa pulled his sweatshirt out of the car. “Are you happy now?” Asa snapped. “Watch your tone,” I warned him in a whisper. “We’re already at risk of being kicked off.” Asa shook his head. “See you at practice, Joseph,” he groaned, and started to walk away. “Nice try,” Joseph stopped him, “I’m suspending you from the team. Either you or Whitney.”

So there we go. It was obviously a little more than they both expected, but it turned out badly again. What do you guys think?

Okay, so it’s not exactly the ✨big kiss✨ but it’s the first kiss that doesn’t count, if you will. But it triggers a lot of contemplation later in the story.

I stood, hands on the rails of the fence, waiting for him. He’d told me over text he had a note to deliver to me. Why he couldn’t just text me the contents of the note, I wasn’t sure. Eventually, I felt a tap on my shoulder. “It’s me.” I easily recognized Aiden’s voice. My eyes traveled to his hand, balled up into a fist. The note. I expected him to hand it to me, but he didn’t. He grabbed my shoulder, pulled me up to him, and pressed his lips against mine. I knew it was just a coverup. Something to hide the exchange. I could tell by his hand slipping into my back pocket, shoving the crumpled note in there. It was only a coverup. But out of all the coverups, he kissed me. But then, he pulled away and slowly removed his hand from my pocket, careful not to make the note visible to the public. Aiden gave me a small nod as he walked away and I did the same, but walked in the opposite direction. The whole way down the trail, the note burned a hole in my pocket and the thought of our kiss burned a hole in my head. I told myself it didn’t count as a kiss, not a meaningful one. The kiss didn’t count. And that was the way it would be.

SoOoOoOo…whatcha think?

I have been writing Christian stories since I learned the alphabet. This is an excerpt from an old story I dug up when going through my computer. I was young, so not sure if this is any good, but let me know! Back story: The girl, (Corsorvia Blanche, AKA Page) and her crush who hasn’t spoken to her in months (Job Morgan) have been magically transported to the world of Obathia to help the creatures of the 7 Realms be freed from the eternal winter. Page thinks it’s just for them, but in reality, it’s drawing her closer to Elohim…and to Job. In this scene, they just escaped near death from Cloakers (tractor-sized wolves) and are continuing on their way through the barren, frigid wasteland of Obathia. The title of the book is ‘Edge of Obathia’ so this is the very last page and a half of the book. Everything inside of the *stars* is Elohim speaking to Page’s heart and mind, calming her fears. Anything in caps is what her fear is telling her. Let me know your thoughts, thanks! God bless!

“Do you remember snow days in England?” I laughed. “We would be so excited each morning it would snow, and the night before we would be fervently praying for snow. Now…oh well, now all that excitement is bloody gone.” “Ah, yes.” Job sighed. “This trip has certainly changed many things for us.” I smiled as I thought of the serene calm flowing through me. Yes, I knew there’d be danger ahead. Yes, I knew there’d be peril. But I was not afraid. I had the love of Elohim in me. *The Lord is your light and salvation—so why should you be afraid? The Lord is your fortress, protecting you from danger, so why should you tremble? I have loved you and protected you all the way, Corsorvia. I will love you and protect you the rest of the way, too.* I heard the small voice in my mind, never anything but a peaceful whisper. Meanwhile, the voice of fear always shouted in my mind. I CAN’T DO THIS. CLOAKERS WILL ATTACK ME, OR I’LL FALL IN ANOTHER LAKE AND SURELY DROWN THIS TIME! I CAN’T DO THIS! I CAN’T DO THIS!!! Still the whispering voice came like a soothing blanket. *Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Do not fear them, for the Lord your God is the one fighting for you. The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but mine. Lay your burdens down with me! and I will take care of you. I will not permit the godly to slip and fall.* Tears came to my eyes as I answered Job quietly, “Yes. Yes they have.” He slipped his hand into mine and squeezed it. He knew what I was hearing. He had heard it many times, too. “What has changed for you?” I asked him, swiping at my eyes. He let out a heavy breath. “I’ve only just begun to see the way Elohim sees; even though I took this journey years upon years ago.” He seemed to pause before adding, “I’ve also realized that those I love are always closest to me, no matter where I am.” This stopped all the voices I was hearing and almost stopped me. I tried not to hope for what that meant, but what could I do to help it? I kept walking, and tripped over nothing. “Woah!” He said, leaning over and offering me his hand. “Are you alright?” My face went red. “Yes.” I helped myself up, brushing snow off my parka. “Not sure what caused that.” Job grinned, raising an eyebrow. “I might.” I set my hands on my hips and glared at him. “You wish.” “I won’t deny it.” His answer caught me off guard and I tried not to show it. “Let’s not get cheeky.” “You say cheeky, I say honest.” The look on his face was sincere. I could only hope my own expression portrayed calm. My heart was beating wildly fast. “Ellie May interrupted me, and I intend to finish what I started.” He took a step closer. My mouth fell slightly open as I whispered his name. I didn’t get to finish my sentence before his strong hands were gently holding my neck, his lips pressed against mine. We were kissing. I was kissing Job. JOB was kissing ME. I had wanted to for years. It felt perfect, as if we were made for this moment. The moment his lips touched mine, my brain very nearly exploded and the air was smashed out of my lungs. My knees were weak and my hands trembled. All my senses seemed elevated, but I could barely think. To stop my hands from trembling, I slid them up his head and tangled my fingers in his long hair. He slid his foot forward just half a step, tilting his head. I took in a shaky breath through my nose and leaned into him. He assaulted my senses; the taste and smell of him closer to me than ever before left me wanting more and more. His caress on my neck was gentle but his kisses were rough and unapologetic, showing he had wanted this for a while. And so had I. My knees were about to give and I clung to him for dear life. Sheer delight shot through me as his hands glided down my body to the small of my back, then to my hips, sending shivers down my spine. The world (if there was one, because it seemed like only he and I existed as we stood there kissing for what felt like an eternity) was spinning around me like the tumbling cycle on a dryer. But his strong arms wrapped around my waist and held me tightly. I knew he wouldn’t let me fall. I nodded my head, deepening the kiss, showing him how much I needed him. He responded with a soft groan at the back of his throat. He drew me closer. Minutes later, he slowly pulled away as the sound of rushing water suddenly became known to us. I had been so caught up in the kiss I hadn’t heard the roar of the waterfall we both turned to look at. I held him a little tighter, staring at the monstrous outpour of icy water. “J-job…” I whispered. For some reason, it felt dangerous to speak at normal volume. “Where are we?” He looked at the waterfall like it was much more than it was. He replied in the same soft tone I had used. “We made it to our first benchmark, Page.” He swallowed. “We’ve reached the edge of Obathia.”

I’m a young writer and I’ve never been kissed. This is my first attempt at writing a kissing scene and I wanted to know what some other people think that aren’t my friends lol

I slowly walked to the doors and placed my sweaty palm on the doorknob, turned it, and pulled it open aggressively. When it swung open I saw Flynn standing there with his hand up like he was about to knock. We stared at each other for what seemed like hours. Neither one of us was sure what to say. He came in and closed the door behind him, slowly. I noticed him taking turns between looking me in the eyes and looking at my lips. “Hi-” I started to say something but when I blinked something made contact with my lips. I opened my eyes wide and saw Flynn, his eyes closed and relaxed like we were a married couple that has been doing this for years. All at once, it was like I was feeling, tasting, and seeing every color of the rainbow at the same time. My heart skipped a beat, and my hands got hot and sweaty. My emotions were so tangled, no comb could straighten them. He wrapped his strong arms around my waist and rested them on my hips. The kiss had enough power to force Flynn’s back up against the closed door. We stood with our bodies forced together against it as our lips were pressed into one. He pulled away from me and I stood with my hands relaxing on his chest. I stared into his deep brown eyes and he stared back, lovingly. He leaned his head down and kissed me again. This time, his lips didn’t separate from mine for a long time. They were warm and soft. I tangled my hands into his silky smooth ginger hair. When I pulled back for air, he smiled. No one said anything, but nothing needed to be said. I just hoped it wasn’t just a dream. Without moving off of him, he searched for the doorknob with his free hand. I untangled one of my hands from his hair and placed it on his. “I’ll let you know,” I whispered. He picked me up and carried me to my bed. When he gently threw me down, we sat next to each other. Just like I had hoped, he kissed me once again, stopping repeatedly for gasps of air. I felt him grab my knee like he needed help not falling over. He pressed his lips against mine with a fiery passion. I felt like I was in a Disney movie. I felt alive again. Like my parents still had their apartment, and my grandpa was still alive. This was my home, next to Flynn. The last thing I remember was combing my hand through his soft hair and him whispering to me: “I love you,”

Quote: This helps allow the reader to experience the shock of an unexpected peck.

A peck? A measly PECK? You read something of this caliber and that’s how you describe it?

A little further along, quote: Who would of expected that…

“would HAVE” — and this, on a website purporting to dispense advice?

Please don’t judge!

Jayla grabs my hand. I turn to her, eyebrows raised.

“What?” I ask. She flinches.

“I… Kagen… I… really like you.” She holds her breath, eyes not daring to meet mine. I straighten, and she takes my silence as a bad thing. Jayla shrinks away, shaking her head. I put out my hand to stop her from leaving.

“You like me?” It’s the only thing I can think to say. My mind is buzzing with thoughts. Then a small smile curls the corners of my lips up. I lift her chin with my finger, and pull her face towards mine. Our lips connect, hers warm and soft. I move my hand behind her neck and pull her closer, deepening the kiss. She places her hand in my hair, curling her fingers into it so she sends shivers racing down my spine. We brake away too soon. Her cheeks are rosy and her eyes are shining. I want to say something, but my mind is blank. Then, with a small smile, she scurries of.

I’m trying to write a romantic book where a couple struggle to survive because of an abhorrent war. How does this paragraph sound?

As Peter approached Layla, Layla began to shy away. “It’s ok.” Peter reassured. Layla stepped out of the shadows, and held Peter’s hand tightly. “Are you sure they’re gone?” Layla asked, searching the dark alley. “Yes,” Peter replied. “I’m sure.” Layla sighed. She laid her hand on Peter’s face, and then hugged him. “Thank you,” she said, motioning for a kiss. She placed her hand gently on Peter’s face, and then brought his face close to her’s. Then, she reached in for a kiss. Her pale, swollen lips gently brushed against Peter’s lips. Then, Layla nudged her lips closer to Peter until they finally kissed. People gathered around and cheered. The sky cleared away the thick layer of smoke. The war was finally over.

I’m trying to become a writer but have never been kissed before, so bear with me!

The world awakened as I wondered, staring as she flew, bounding through the forest like a doe. Her hands were flown out beside her as she danced through the rain, smiling at me through her sorrow. “Parch! Come here,” she beckoned, twirling around as she laughed. I slowly approached her, smiling unsurely as I stumbled about. “How can you be still while the world is so alive?” she cried, taking my hand and spinning me about. I hesitated, why, still today I do not know. She frowned, releasing me. “How can it be that you still are embarrassed with me?” I shook my head. “I’m not embarrassed, I’m just-“ “Then dance!” she laughed, shaking her head full of shiny wet hair. I sighed. What was I truly afraid of? Hurting my pride? She was right, I was a cowardly thing. But I wanted to please her, I guess that’s why I did it. I began to dance, twirling and spinning with her, my arms stretched wide as I began to sing. I was there, with her, and I would remember that moment for the rest of my days. In my mindlessness I stumbled, falling to the wet leaves of autumn. “Parch!” she shrieked, appearing at my side. “I’m ok-“ I started, before she lay down next to me. “Look at the sky,” she sighed, stretching her hands out as though if she tried hard enough she could grab the clouds and weave them into some beautiful dress. She then grabbed my hand. “Parch, you are unlike any boy I have ever met.“ Her eyes met mine. “ What do you mean?” I slipped my hand out of her’s, propping myself up under my elbow. “You, my friend, are afraid of me.” She laughed once more, sitting up herself. “A-afraid?” I sputtered, bilking out the rain. “Yes! You are. Or at least, if falling in love. Or perhaps to lose someone again.” “Again?” I looked at her. “Yes. Yes, I believe that is why you haven’t let down your guard. You are scared of accepting me, only to lose me. And suddenly I knew she was right. “But I won’t let you go, Parch Grant. I will keep you if you keep me.” And I knew she would. I nodded. She leaned into me, her breath sweet as the falling autumn rain. I squeezed my eyes shut, holding my breath. I didn’t know what this would bring, what this would mean- and then she kissed me. Her lips brought forth a marvelous firework of protection, of care. Her hand held my face as I relaxed, kissing her back. And the we broke apart, held by that moment until the end of all time.

This is my first attempt at a kissing scene. I’d love to know someone else’s feedback on it!

An arm strong and gentle stole about Katelyn’s waist, pulling her towards him. Liam’s hands gently grabbed her slender waist. She fit perfectly in his arms. The warmth of his touch drew her closer. So close she could feel his soft breath against her cheek. His eyes were a magnet the desire in his eyes drawing her towards him. Liam’s fingers brushed her cheek. She flinched at his touch. For an instant, he hesitated, afraid that she might pull away. Then, leaning towards him, she surrendered herself to him. His eyes searched her face in a questioning gaze. Her expression held no reserve or hesitancy, only perfect trust, and tender love. As Liam pulled her close, her hands slid up his chest around his neck. A shy, gentle touch. His gaze traveled to her lips. He glanced into her eyes, silently asking permission. She nodded. Tender and affectionate, his hand caressed her cheek. Willing herself to stop trembling, she leaned into him. Slipping his hand under her chin, Liam drew her lips towards his. She yielded to his touch as if the whole world melted away in the embrace of his arms. His lips brushed hers. The touch was hesitant. A tremor ran through her body. The rush of warmth surged through her, drawing every sense towards him in that impassioned moment. She pressed her mouth to his, the sensation of his lips against hers assaulting her senses. His left hand glided up from her waist to the small of her back, pressing her body to him. Liam held her in his arms, willing the moment to go on forever. He felt her longing, reserve, and passion, melt away in the safety of his arms. He drew back, their lips parting, but he didn’t let go of the delicate frame. Her heart beat against his chest. She was his. So small, so weak. And in that moment he swore to protect her from every pain and heartbreak he could keep her from. He would love this girl for eternity. Brushing back her hair, he kissed her forehead and whispered to the angel he held in his arms, “I love you.” He spoke in low, tender tones, his eyes saying far more than his words. Katelyn’s voice was soft but unhesitating. “I love you too, Liam,” she murmured shyly.

Listen, I love your insight. And it’s right. Yes! It really is. The stages are okay. It’s just that the examples used have to be the most boring kissing scenes.

They focus more on before and after the kiss instead of emotions during the kiss. Which I find a bit boring.

Maybe it’s not the vibe I’m looking for.

The first kissing scene is like, yes a surprise but, it’s as if a fish out of water (literally). those tongues flip and they flop and they wiggle. GHAADD!

The next kiss is like the character couldn’t wait to get it over with then buttered it up with a bunch of nice words. Like how you’d describe a nice soup that you’re not really in the mood to have.

But personally, I did like the stages you put out. It makes writing more of a science but it does give some more insight. So thank you.

I am a young author and I am writing hate-to-love romance for the first time. I would love a few tips on this scene. The setting is that they are lying side by side on a bed while Ethan reads a book to Skye.

Please, i’d like your comments on this.

Suddenly he became very aware of their position, there on the bed, under the sheets. Ethan’s gaze slid to Skye, who looked back. ‘Only … Only if you want it,’ he said uncertainly. ‘Kissing a prince is not on my to-do list, mind you,’ she replied flatly. Ethan blushed violently and turned away from her, holding the book in front of his face as best he could. ‘Did I embarrass you now?’ said Skye. ‘You’re mean,’ he said. He swatted at her with the book before hiding behind it again. She laughed softly. ‘Well, kissing a prince may not be on my to-do list, but…’ Ethan’s heart skipped a few beats as she pushed his book down. The lump in his throat widened as Skye’s face came closer. He stiffened completely and didn’t dare move a fin, afraid of doing something wrong and thus breaking the magic of the moment. He knew nothing more and then just waited, completely overwhelmed. ‘Only if you want,’ she whispered, her lips even more a few millimeters from his. He felt her warm breath brush past him and get lost in the storms of her eyes. Of course he wanted it, with all his body and all his heart. But his yes came out in the form of a choked squeak, since his throat was completely constricted. She smiled and leaned in even further. Ethan’s heart thudded against his ribs and his head exploded. Skye’s mouth was surprisingly soft. She smelled of the crisp night air and the stars, if that made any sense. Electric shocks slid down his spine, obscuring his thoughts. The one, scattered particle of his brain that still made an attempt to work told him to do something. Ethan flung the book away, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, answering the kiss passionately. Skye put her hands flat against his chest and pushed him down on the bed. He gasped against her lips, displacing all thoughts, and let his hand slide into her raven-black hair. He tilted his head and deepened the kiss. Their surroundings became a blur until only Skye was there, the girl he loved. She tugged at the hem of his shirt, whereupon he sat up straight for a moment to pull it off, catching his breath in the process. As soon as he had it off Skye kissed him again. He let himself fall back into the sheets. It all happened naturally, as if it was meant to be. It wasn’t hard to believe that, either. His hands slid to her vest and unbuttoned it. He couldn’t care less about the consequences. It made them feel good to be able to be bad. He had jumped off the cliff. All he could do now was hope there was a safety net.

Terrific article, and very interesting comments. A very important thing is missing, though. Consent. It’s so important (and sexy!) to ask for permission to touch another person. I’m not sure why it’s left out here – maybe because the examples are from older novels – but there are so many reasons why touching another person without their permission can harm them. If we want to see more compassion, respect, and healthy sexual relationships in the world, we as authors, need to model them. It doesn’t “kill the mood” to ask to touch or kiss or anything else – harming someone with your touch kills the mood far worse.

Thank you for the tip! I will see what i can do

Sorry if this is even worse. I am a bit nervous when writing stuff like this and most of the time i just hope its not stupid or childish. But anyway, here is the fixed version of it. I hope it is better.

Suddenly he became very aware of their position, there on the bed, under the sheets. Ethan’s gaze slid to Skye, who looked back. ‘Only … Only if you want it,’ he said uncertainly. ‘Kissing a prince is not on my to-do list, mind you,’ she replied flatly. Ethan blushed violently and turned away from her, holding the book in front of his face as best he could. ‘Have I embarrassed you now?’ said Skye. ‘You’re mean,’ he said. He swatted at her with the book before hiding behind it again. She laughed softly. ‘Well, kissing a prince may not be on my to-do list, but…’ Ethan’s heart skipped a few beats as she pushed his book down. The lump in his throat widened as Skye’s face came closer. He stiffened completely and didn’t dare move a fin, afraid of doing something wrong and thus breaking the magic of the moment. He knew nothing more and then just waited, completely overwhelmed. ‘Only if you want,’ she whispered, her lips even more a few millimeters from his. He felt her warm breath brush past him and get lost in the storms of her eyes. Of course he wanted it, with all his body and all his heart. But his yes came out in the form of a choked squeak, since his throat was completely constricted. She smiled and leaned in even further. Ethan’s heart thudded against his ribs and his head exploded. Skye’s mouth was surprisingly soft. She smelled of the crisp night air and the stars, if that made any sense. Electric shocks slid down his spine, obscuring his thoughts. The one, scattered particle of his brain that still made an attempt to work told him to do something. Ethan flung the book away, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, answering the kiss passionately. Skye put her hands flat against his chest and pushed him down on the bed. He gasped against her lips, displacing all thoughts, and let his hand slide into her raven-black hair. He tilted his head and deepened the kiss. Their surroundings became a blur until only Skye was there. Suddenly she pulled back. She looked at him breathlessly, and for a moment he had no idea of time or place. ‘Is … Sorry, I’m too quick.’ She wanted to scribble straight already. ‘No, it’s okay,’ he said, before he knew it. She stiffened. ‘Seriously? ‘I wouldn’t say it otherwise,’ he smiled. He had never seen her so shy. ‘I-I’ve just never really done this before-you know…’ “Do you trust me? She hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. He realized how hard this had to be, after Leo and all the things that had happened. He let his hand slide down her neck and kissed her again, but more quietly, more calmly. He felt her relax. He leaned back a little. “Sure? I understand if you’re…’ ‘Yes, yes I’m sure.’ ‘Okay.’ She tugged at the hem of his shirt, whereupon he sat up straight for a moment to take it off, catching his breath in the meantime. As soon as he had it off Skye kissed him again. He let himself fall back into the sheets. It all happened naturally, as if it was meant to be. It wasn’t hard to believe that, either. His hands slid to her vest and unbuttoned it. He couldn’t care less about the consequences. It made them feel good to be able to be bad. He had jumped off the cliff. All he could do now was hope there was a safety net.

Your examples suck, two were about underage characters, one involved way too much tongue propaganda, and the others were just boring to read. Maybe next time try reading a book by a woman and not an incel from the 1920s.

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Writing with Color: Words for Skin Tone

A blog dedicated to writing and resources centered on racial & ethnic diversity.

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How do you describe the color of someone’s skin? This page is all about that. “This final portion focuses on describing skin tone, with photo and passage examples provided throughout. I hope to cover everything from the use of straight-forward description to the more creatively-inclined.”​ (I wanted to give a URL but this insists on inlining the content) ​

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Very useful reference. Skin color is something I typically have trouble with.

Like TVTropes, Springhole, and Wikipedia, an author could spend hours following one link (Black Panther Fanfic Writing) to the next (Bad to have a Disabled Love Interest?) and the next (Baby Banks in an Infertile World, Eugenics and Racism) into the wee hours of the morning, only this one is tailored specifically to people who want their fiction to have as much positive impact as possible on the real people who are reading their stories in the real world.

Love this! I had it bookmarked a few years ago on my old computer, then lost it. Thanks for posting it. I've used this as a reference in many of my novels over the years. It's incredibly helpful in coming up with creative ways to describe characters.

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When writing in first person, I have the narrator say, "My face turned red" and "a blush spread across my cheeks." Is this okay? She's not looking in the mirror so she can't see it happening, but she's embarrassed and knows it's happening.

When writing in first person, a quick way to lose the reader’s trust is to venture outside the narrator’s experience. You’re right; the narrator doesn’t see her own face turn red or the blush spread across her cheeks. Can she make that claim? Sure, the narrator can come to this conclusion based on what she knows about the experience of blushing. Still, these visual details aren’t a good representation of the narrator’s experience.

Consider what you experience when you blush. You probably don’t immediately imagine your face turning red. You’re likely more attuned to other sensory experiences, such as your face feeling hot, or a prickly heat around your ears. Those sensations are a truer glimpse of the narrator’s experience in the moment. You might even use the focus on that flash of heat to make the room feel tighter or the person she’s talking to seem very close, adding to the discomfort of the moment.

If the changing appearance of the narrator’s face is somehow important to the scene, you can stay true to the perspective by acknowledging that the character is assuming this information. A line as simple as this would work: “I’m sure my face turned red.” Or you might pair the description of the sensation with action or observation that reinforces the narrator’s discomfort at her reddening face. She might turn away or notice her companion chuckle.

All that being said, be careful when using obvious indicators for emotions. Embarrassed characters blush. Nervous characters have shaky hands. Frightened characters cower. While these are certainly common physical reactions, they don’t tap into what’s individual about your character. Instead, focus on what makes your character unique. What does she notice? What small gesture might betray the emotion?

In Robert Olen Butler’s short story “The Ironworkers’ Hayride,” the narrator reluctantly agrees to accompany a woman who has a wooden leg on a hayride. The night of the hayride—when they first meet—he finds she’s radiant. His nervousness doesn’t come through shaky knees or a flipping stomach. Instead, Bulter turns our attention to the orange poppies the narrator is holding: “She pauses there, aflame from the lamps of the Ford, and I feel like the flowers are wilting. . . I’m squeezing the life out of the flowers in my hand, I realize, crushing their stems in my fist.” Not only does this convey his nervousness, but it also shows his feelings of inadequacy. Even the flowers he’s brought for her don’t seem good enough as they wilt in her presence.

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WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Helping writers become bestselling authors

Writing Emotion: Does Your Hero Shrug, Smile & Frown Too Much?

March 8, 2014 by ANGELA ACKERMAN

Crutch gestures can sometimes get in the way of good writing.   They come in all shapes and sizes–maybe an eye roll, a clenched stomach, curled fists or shrugs–cues we writers tend to overuse while trying to convey what our character is feeling.

Coming up with fresh emotional description is tough. Some writers rely heavily on the face to show feelings: smiles, eyes that narrow and widen, lips that pinch into a thin line. Others delve inside their hero to their heart rate , showing how it speeds up, slows down, skips, etc. And let’s not forget about breathing –hitched breaths, quick breaths, gasps and gulps.

Are these types of descriptors all bad? Certainly not. The fact is, each of these is a real way people express their emotion. It’s only when we rely on a clichéd rendition of showing these cues or we turn to them again and again throughout the story that they hurt our writing.

Writing fresh, compelling description to convey character emotion is one of the hardest jobs we face. It’s why Becca and I wrote The Emotion Thesaurus –we wanted a way to help writers get past that mind block that causes them to recycle the same tired gestures and instead strive to create something that fit their character’s emotional range perfectly.

To pull readers into the story, we have to provide an experience that grabs them in the gut and doesn’t let go. Writing emotion in a raw, real way triggers this, and an empathy bond forms, tying readers to our characters. Achieving this level of depth means showing, not telling, emotion and using everything in our arsenal including body language and actions, dialogue, thoughts and visceral sensations.

If you struggle with emotion, you aren’t alone.

TIP: Writing rich emotional scenes comes with practice. If you get stuck on how to express a feeling, don’t be afraid to put yourself into the writing. Think about when you experienced something similar to the character, and how it felt. How did your body react? What thoughts went through your mind? What decisions did you make? Choose a few details from real life that fits your character’s personality and put them on the page!

And, if you need some brainstorming help, check out The Emotion Thesaurus to see if it might be a good tool for you.

photo credit 1: Bergadder @ Pixabay

photo credit 2: Evil Erin via photopin cc

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers , a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

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Reader Interactions

March 19, 2014 at 8:46 am

Oh my…. the frowning, the head-nodding, the shrugging, the eye-narrowing… I have this so bad I’ve even given it a name – ‘Thunderbird Puppet Syndrome.’ However, I am at least aware of it, so hopefully that will enable me to flush the heck out of it in subsequent rewrites of my current w-i-p… before I do anything dumb like try to publish it in that state!

I’d looked at both of your Emotion Thesaurus books and toyed with the idea of getting them, but I wasn’t entirely sure what their function was from the title (were you listing new emotions I’d never heard of before?) Now I know, I can see they’re a must-read for someone like me… get ready, Kindle, they’re comin’ at ya…

March 16, 2014 at 7:04 pm

Yep. Need to pay attention to this. I found I hate reading other writers who over use one or two expressions, or have all their characters do the same thing. I try to watch it in my writing but know I can always use help and new ideas, or new ways to find new ideas and descriptions… Great post. Thank you.

March 13, 2014 at 6:32 pm

I find myself struggling to convey emotion, and all too often, I rely on the dismissive shrug or toothy smile repeatedly. I really enjoyed your insight, and I’ll be keeping your advice on my writing shelf. Thanks!

March 10, 2014 at 6:56 pm

I’m featuring your books on my post for the Blush and Tell blog on Wednesday. I’ve been using the Emotion Thesaurus for a year now, and am just getting into the other two. Thanks so much, Angela & Becca!

March 10, 2014 at 8:14 pm

Thank you so much Susan! Very kind of you. And one of these days, email me or blog about how it’s going after a year with the book! I hope that it’s moving with you project to project!

March 9, 2014 at 10:59 pm

I’m a nitpicker by nature but usually I pass on crutch gestures. He/she frowned/ smiled/laughed or even shrugged don’t bother me as long as they are not overdone. However, when characters raise their eyebrows or shrug too many times I get annoyed. Another that has become generic is a smile of his/her face. Where else would a smile be? This goes for any facial gesture.

March 10, 2014 at 11:47 am

I don’t notice crutch gestures as long as (like you’ve stated) they aren’t overdone. They become noticeable when writers overuse or only use them. A beautiful piece of emotional description that has a smile or frown included can be a wonderful thing to read.

These gestures are really only crutches because we overuse them or write them without imagination. 😉

March 9, 2014 at 6:38 pm

I’m teaching a class on this at a conference next month! Like Jacquie above, Margie Lawson’s lessons helped me to tune into this, too. Now I use a Word Macro to cut and paste every sentence with a given term into a new document so I can read them all through. (I have the macro do this with all of the gesture crutches mentioned here and dozens more, using Find All Word Forms.) Going through the document is like scraping my eyeballs out of my head with a dull spoon, but it makes the book better 😉 .

March 9, 2014 at 7:53 pm

I love the idea of using the macro. That would definitely take some of the “tedious” out of this part of the process.

I grabbed one of Margie’s lectures a few years ago and it was great–I highly recommend her as a teacher. Good luck on your conference presentation–I know you’ll rock it! 🙂

March 9, 2014 at 4:43 pm

Great post and oh yes, as an editor, these crutches drive me nuts! As a writer I have my own – many of my characters are happy, so there is far too much smiling going on. Your book sounds very interesting and one I will suggest to my clients. Well done!

March 9, 2014 at 7:54 pm

Thanks, Susan!

March 9, 2014 at 1:41 pm

My YA series is about a psychic empath. As you may guess, all I do is write about emotion. Your Emotion Thesaurus has helped me so much, that I credited you in the acknowledgements. 🙂

March 9, 2014 at 2:33 pm

Wow. That’s very cool. I’m so glad The Emotion Thesaurus helped you in such a practical way!

March 9, 2014 at 8:24 am

Angela, will the transcript of the event be available for purchase online if we cannot attend? Thank you for this series. Crutch gestures have been a particular problem in the latest WIP.

March 9, 2014 at 2:37 pm

Hi, Tina! Yes, anyone who registers will be able to view and hear the entire presentation—-slideshow, chat comments, and Q&A. So if you can’t make the date, you can see the webinar afterward at your leisure.

March 10, 2014 at 6:08 pm

Awesome! Thanks, Becca!

March 13, 2014 at 6:30 pm

This is just what I wanted to hear. Thank you so much 🙂

March 9, 2014 at 8:14 am

I run across so many “raising of the eyebrow” and “smirking” which are two of my biggest pet peeves. I don’t mind the jaw clench, but only when it’s followed by dialogue that indicates the conflicting emotion. Example would be after the clench, something like, “Did he kiss you?” To me, that would show the reader in a more concrete way that the clenching of the jaw had a direct correlation to him wanting to know the answer to this question.

Great post! Makes me want to flesh out my characters a bit more.

March 10, 2014 at 11:49 am

Smirking is one that drives me bonkers, too. Especially when the writer uses it more than once. I think you can get away with a single smirk in the entire novel, and IMO, it needs to be set up first what that’s character’s personality is like, so the smirk feels organic. But people who use it to characterize a jerk character? ACK.

March 9, 2014 at 8:04 am

Raw emotions are the best! How they grab your heart and throw it around!

March 10, 2014 at 11:50 am

Yes that’s exactly it! I love thinking WOW when I read an emotional description.

March 9, 2014 at 3:44 am

I’ve used all you examples (often)… Oh dear!

March 10, 2014 at 11:53 am

Wendy, we all have! LOL, trust me, you do not want to see some of my early novels, or even my first drafts now. I will use crutch gestures as placeholders in the first round, just so i stay in the flow of writing. Later i’ll be able to go back and think about how I really want to show that emotion, but first drafts, gestures work fine.

the trick is being alert for what you overuse, and then challenging yourself to go back and rewrite those emotions. Let’s say you use find and replace and discover you have 40 smiles in your manuscript. Challenge yourself to cut 20 to start. This will help you review each scene and decide where smiles are really needed, and where something else can be done. Soon this type of practice will have you doing this automatically as you revise. 🙂

March 9, 2014 at 12:55 am

I have been told I make readers feel. I don’t ever think of these fillers you have mentioned. I feel when I write, so I can’t write in any different way. MOOD creates everything. That means thoughs, very powerful. The best way to write feelings is to keep a journal. You can’t beat it. All emotions you experience should be jotted down. You’ll never be the same writer again.

March 10, 2014 at 11:55 am

Mood is very powerful. there are so many ways to bring emotion into the scene. Subtext, symbolism, the setting, weather…just a ton outside the body language/thoughts/actions/visceral sensations/dialogue grouping. 🙂 Glad you are finding great success through the techniques you use!

March 8, 2014 at 1:47 pm

Oh, yes. I have discovered my MC sighs with relief and his eyes fill with tears far too often. I’m working on it. At least I’ve learned to recognize it. That’s the first step to writing rehabilitation, right?

March 8, 2014 at 11:59 pm

Once we become aware of our crutch gestures, it gets so much easier! Two biggies for me are frowning and shrugging. Now I permit myself one or two frowns a novel. At first it was SO HARD, but now it’s pretty easy. I see ‘frown” and I immediately question whether I can do something better! 🙂 Good luck!

March 8, 2014 at 1:01 pm

Angela, I’m so glad I found you and your blog 😀 😀 😀

March 9, 2014 at 12:00 am

Me too! Thanks so much, Donna!

March 8, 2014 at 12:06 pm

Definitely something I need to research my manuscripts for!! I know it’s so easy to slip into these and it’s nice to get the reminder.

March 10, 2014 at 11:56 am

The more we remind ourselves to be on the watch for lazy writing, the less we do it! Half the battle is knowing we do it, and discovering what our weaker crutches tend to be. Then find and replace lets us target these and write something so much stronger. 🙂

March 8, 2014 at 11:51 am

I’m just taking a Margie Lawson course right now on this very subject, perfect timing. She had us go through and do a find of facial gestures, smile(ing, ed),grin, frown, smirk, scowl, brow, grimace, eyebrows and lips. I was shocked by how many smiles I had, 84, lol Guess I like my characters to be happy 🙂

March 8, 2014 at 12:23 pm

Smiling is my biggest crutch, too. Even after all these years… 🙁

March 8, 2014 at 11:37 am

I’ve learned so much from Writers Helping Writers. Thanks for the time, effort, and information you ladies put into this blog. I would like to take the webinar, are there any course materials included with the webinar?

March 8, 2014 at 12:22 pm

Hi, Yolanda! Thanks for the kind words. I’m glad you’re getting some use out of our ramblings ;). As for the webinar, there aren’t any materials or requirements. It’s a presentation style format with a Q&A at the end. On your end, you just need to show up with some way to take notes, and you’ll be golden. If you have trouble registering, message me at [email protected] and I’ll walk you through it.

March 8, 2014 at 9:31 am

This is one of my biggest writing crutches. It was actually painful to read your post! Thanks for the timely reminder.

Hi Beth! Don’t beat yourself up–this is something we all struggle with, and being aware of it is the biggest step. 🙂

March 8, 2014 at 9:28 am

I love all of your advice on not using crutches. Nothing will slow down a story more for me than obsessing over the fact that the writer has used the word gargantuan four times in three chapters. Thank you!

March 10, 2014 at 11:57 am

Weak descriptions and repeats really hurt writing. We just have to be diligent in finding them in our own writing as we are to the writing of another, right? 🙂

March 8, 2014 at 6:59 am

What does one do when s/he is so close to their story that they can’t, or just don’t have experience with, seeing these crutches? What would you recommend?

March 8, 2014 at 7:11 am

Well, I know that I never noticed my characters smiling too much until I noticed Angela’s characters repeatedly doing something (can’t remember what it was). Noticing it in her writing made me realize that my characters were being repetitive, too. This is why critique partners, and critiquing other people’s work, is so important. It makes you see things that you didn’t before, and kind of opens your eyes to problems in your own writing. A good place to start is maybe with the Crutch Words list on our Tools page. Do a search in your doc for some of those commonly overused cue words (smile, hand, face, etc.). If you see that you’ve got a bunch of smiles every chapter, you know you need to rework some of those.

March 8, 2014 at 7:16 am

Thanks, Becca. I’ll definitely do that today. I appreciate it.

March 8, 2014 at 6:35 am

Helpful post. I do have one question. How is this different from a character mannerism. For example a clinched jaw or fisted hands to indicate suppressed anger. And is that cliche’ to repart those mannerism in various scenes?

March 8, 2014 at 7:24 am

A mannerism is a person’s particular way of talking or moving. So by that definition, the clenched fist or jaw can be considered a mannerism——something that your character does under certain circumstances. Unfortunately, those things are also done by tons of other people under the same exact circumstances. Because of this, they don’t really tell the reader anything about your character’s personality. It’s my belief that you want your mannerisms to be meaningful, to reveal something about the character. You also want them to be unique, to show individuality. This is why I’m not a fan of the clenched fist or jaw—-because they’re done by so many characters during times of frustration or anger. Instead, why not have a character who does something unexpected when she’s approaching anger? Maybe her voice gets really soft and quiet. Or maybe she backs away, seeming to capitulate but is really seething on the inside, internalizing the anger. There are so many ways a character could respond based on her personality. Dig deep and figure this out, and you’ll have a unique character with interesting responses who makes sense to readers. I hope this helps 🙂

March 8, 2014 at 6:09 am

Yeah, I feel like on my first drafts at least there’s way too much of that smile/frown/shrug thing going on. Sometimes it’s hard to know when it’s too much.

March 10, 2014 at 11:58 am

First drafts are fine for crutches–I use them there too. I find that if I have to slow down and think up the exact fresh way to express an emotion, it pulls me out of the writing flow. So I will use these as placeholders and fix them in later drafts. 🙂

[…] further information about how to use The Emotion Thesaurus, click here. Angela Ackerman is giving a webinar on it TOMORROW, March 13, 2014 on the WANA International […]

[…] Writing Emotion: Does Your Hero Shrug, Smile & Frown Too Much? | WRITERS HELPING WRITERSWRITERS … […]

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Beyond Tall, Dark, and Handsome: How to Describe Your Characters

• May 26, 2021

The ability to describe is the key to great storytelling, but when it comes to depicting characters, our first impulse is often to go straight to the basics (height, hair color, clothing) and leave it at that. It’s not that those descriptions are bad, it’s just that they provide surface-level characterization rather than truly   characterizing .

Dwight Swain, in his book   Creating Characters , says, “When your wife says a woman is ‘loud and pushy,’ she defines her far more sharply for story purposes than any description of blue eyes, blonde hair, or pug nose.”

The reason “loud and pushy” is meaningful is because it tells us what is going on inside the character, not just what appears on the outside. And the description tells us not only what the woman is like, but reveals something about the wife who characterizes her so.

Which means when you describe your characters, your descriptions are deeply tied to who is doing the describing. A rambunctious kindergartener will be represented quite differently by a patient grade-school teacher than a cranky principal.

And this is true whether you’re writing a story narrated in first or third-person, because even in third-person we see the world through that character’s eyes.

Remember that the goal in creative writing isn’t to give your readers information, but to give them an experience. Here are some tips that will help you tap into what is significant in your characters so that you can evoke feelings in your readers and make the characters in your story come to life.

Tip 1: Choose a dominant impression

Take inventory of the traits of the character you’d like to describe. Are they lazy, sexy, insecure, irritable? Choose qualities that are particularly noteworthy about the character and actually relate to your story. Think about what the character is   like , as much as what they look like. Keep in mind that the earlier you get to these qualities in relation to the character’s appearance in the story, the better. 

In J. Ryan Stradal’s   Kitchens of the Great Midwest , the protagonist has been lamenting his sorry luck with women. On page four, through a third-person narrator, we get more of the character’s perception of himself:

“By this time, he was twenty-eight, growing a pale hairy inner tube around his waist, and already going bald.”

This isn’t an objective description. Stradal conveys the insecurities of the character through the way the character chooses to describe himself.

Tip 2: Convey the attitude of the describer

Pin down the current outlook or perspective of the character doing the describing. Zero in on their state of mind (lonely, curious, offended, prone-to-exaggeration, etc.) at this exact moment in the story. Now write your description through the filter of the consciousness of the character who is doing the describing. 

The male point-of-view character in Grace Paley’s short story “The Contest” is a bit of a player. Here’s how he describes his latest kind-of girlfriend:

“A medium girl, size twelve, a clay pot with handles—she could be grasped.”

Clay pot? Grasping? There’s one thing on this character’s mind and it isn’t a chaste afternoon at an ice cream social. In one short sentence we have insight into his sensibilities about women.

Tip 3: Lean into diction

Now’s the time to get picky with your word choices. The trick here is to pin down not only your character’s perception of other characters, but which words will best convey them. Think about how your character might verbalize the description, even if they aren’t speaking aloud. Choose words from their lexicon that will reveal them as a particular person.

Mattie Ross, the formal-speaking protagonist in Charles Portis’   True Grit , uses words like “beast” and “morn” in describing her father on his horse:

“He was a handsome sight and in my memory’s eye I can still see him mounted up there on Judy in his brown woolen coat and black Sunday hat and the both of them, man and beast, blowing little clouds of steam on that frosty morn.”

Portis could have left out the parenthetical “man and beast,” and of course he could have had Mattie say “morning.” But his attention to the particulars of diction allowed him to characterize this unforgettable fourteen-year-old girl.

Tip 4: Go for gesture or bodily movement

If you tend to use static descriptions when you describe your characters, think about putting them in motion so that the reader can see them doing something. Action adds another dimension to your descriptions. It allows you to take physical traits, which may be general, and incorporate them into specific behaviors.

In “The Lunch Lady and Her Three-Headed Dogs,” essayist Sonya Huber writes about her conflicted relationship with her upper arms and describes them like this:

“I raise my arms to write on the chalkboard, and the skin draped over bone and muscle swings in contrapuntal melody.”

Huber isn’t just present in her classroom setting, she’s active in it. And the boldness of putting that upper arm skin in motion takes the visual from good to great.

Tip 5: Try something figurative

This is a tricky one because a bad metaphor or simile can be cringe-worthy. But a good one will delight your reader. A simple comparison can clarify your image, allowing the reader to think,   Ah, I know exactly what you mean .

Paulette Jiles skillfully uses metaphor in her novel   News of the World   during a scene in which kindly Captain Kidd is first assessing the young girl who is to be his charge:

“Her eyes were blue and her skin that odd bright color that occurs when fair skin has been burned and weathered by the sun. She had no more expression than an egg.”

When you describe your characters, with just a little extra work, you might be surprised at how deeply you can get into the minds of your story people, and how much better your reader will connect to them. More than plot, it’s your characters who are going to sweep your readers away into the world of your story.

Written by  Kim Lozano

Kim Lozano is an editor and creative writing coach from St. Louis. Her work has been published in The Iowa Review North American Review DIY MFA CRAFT and many other publications. You can find out more about her classes and the writing resources she offers at kimlozano.com.

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BLUSH in a Sentence Examples: 21 Ways to Use Blush

Have you ever felt a warm, rosy glow spread across your cheeks in response to embarrassment, shyness, or admiration? This natural reaction is known as a blush – a sudden reddening of the face often accompanied by a feeling of heat.

Table of Contents

7 Examples Of Blush Used In a Sentence For Kids

14 sentences with blush examples, how to use blush in sentences.

Blush can add a touch of warmth and emotion to your writing. To use blush in a sentence, simply describe someone blushing or use it as a metaphor for rosy cheeks.

Here is an example of using blush in a sentence: “She felt her cheeks blush as he complimented her beauty.”

Remember to place blush in a sentence where it describes the act of someone blushing or signifies a rosy appearance. Alternatively, you can use the word in a figurative sense to describe the color or feeling related to blushing.

Do not use blush as a verb in a way that does not relate to the act of blushing or the color of one’s cheeks. This will ensure that your sentence accurately conveys the intended meaning of blush .

The use of the word “blush” in sentences effectively conveys heightened emotions and provides a vivid image of a person’s response. Whether it is a character blushing in a romantic moment or someone feeling bashful in a social setting, sentences with “blush” capture the nuances of human behavior and add depth to storytelling by illustrating subtle emotional cues.

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204 Words That Describe Colours – A Resource For Writers

This post includes interesting facts about colours and a selection of words writers can use to describe colours .

Writers use the  five senses  when they write. We are able to see, smell, hear, taste, and touch exactly what the characters in the story experience.

I have written about words that describe  taste ,  touch ,  sound , and smell  in previous posts.

One of the best ways to describe what we see is through colour and in this post, I have included words that describe colours.

Note: ‘colour’ is British spelling and ‘color’ is American spelling.

What Is Colour?

Collins Dictionary says: ‘The colour of something is the appearance that it has as a result of the way in which it reflects light.’

The visible spectrum of colour as we see it, consists of seven main colours:

But we can only see three of these visible colours: red, blue, green. These three colours are mixed in our brain to create all of the other colours we see.

Colour Affects Us

Colour affects our moods . For example, blue is calm, red is aggressive, pink suppresses anger and anxiety, bright yellow is the most irritating colour because of its excessive stimulation on the eye. Colours also affect consumers .

According to Sally Augustin in an article in  Psychology Today , research has shown the “powers” of particular colours.

She writes about five colours:

• “Green: Seeing the colour green has been linked to more creative thinking—so greens are good options for home offices, art studios, etc.
• Red: People seeing others in front of red backgrounds generally find those other individuals are more attractive than when they see them silhouetted against other colours, so reds are great for a bedroom wall. Having a red surface in view also gives us a burst of strength, so reds are good choices for home gym areas, etc. Seeing red has been linked to impaired analytical reasoning, though, making it a bad option for offices.
• Violet: People link a greyish violet with sophistication, so it can be a good selection for places where you’re trying to make the “right” impression.
• Yellow: Using yellow in a home can be problematic. Many people dislike the colour, so if you have a lot of yellow rooms in your home or a yellow front door, you may be advised to repaint to get the best price for your home should you sell. An exception: Many people use yellow in kitchens—with no negative sales repercussions. Yellow may be accepted in kitchens because warm colours stimulate our appetite.
• Blue: People are more likely to tell you that blue is their favourite colour than any other shade. That makes it a safe choice. Seeing blue also brings thoughts of trustworthiness to mind; always a good thing.”

Writing Tips

• A character who lives in a colourful home is very different to one who lives in a monochromatic home. The use of colour can help you to show who the characters are.
• A colour-blind character can add an interesting twist to a story.
• A character with chromophobia has an irrational fear of colours. This can stop them from performing daily activities and can affect their lives.
• A bleak, grey setting works well for a crime scene. A sepia-tinged setting works for memoirs. A vivid setting works well for romance. Use colours to set the mood for your books.

204 Words That Describe Colours

General colour-related words.

• ablaze – bright and full of light or colour
• a riot of  [colour] – a lot of different bright colours together
• bleached – made very pale by chemicals or strong sunlight
• bleak – gloomy; sombre
• blotchy – discoloured, patchy
• bold – very bright, clear, or strong in colour and therefore easy to notice
• brash – big, bright, or colourful in a way that is not attractive
• bright – strong but not dark
• brilliant – vivid, intense
• chintzy – too colourful and in poor taste
• clean – light and fresh
• cold – colours such as white, blue, and grey that make you think of things that are cold
• colour-coded – marked with different colours to make it easy to see different features or uses
• colourful – has bright colours or a lot of different colours
• cool – cool colours, such as white and blue, give an idea of cold instead of heat. Colours with blue or green in them are called cool colours
• dappled – covered with or forming areas of lighter and darker colour or light and shadow
• dark – strong and not pale in colour
• deep – dark and strong
• delicate – pleasant and not too strong
• discoloured – changed in colour and no longer looks new, clean, or healthy
• dusty – used for describing a colour that is not bright because it has some grey in it
• electric – bright, metallic
• fast – colours that are fast will not become paler when clothes are washed
• festive – bright and colourful in a way that makes you think of a celebration
• fiery – very bright in colour, especially bright red, orange, or yellow
• flamboyant – brightly coloured or decorated
• flaming – brightly coloured red, orange, or yellow
• fluorescent – very bright and seems to reflect light
• fresh – clean colours
• gay – brightly-coloured or attractive
• glistening – sparkling or shining like glitter
• glittering – shining; sparkling
• glowing – glowing colours are bright and look warm
• harmonious – harmonious colours or parts combine well with each other
• harsh – very bright
• iridescent – showing changing colours in different types of light
• jazzy – bright, colourful, and attractive
• loud – very bright in a way that does not show good taste
• matching – with the same colour, pattern, or design
• medium – neither light nor dark in colour
• mellow – soft and warm in colour
• multicoloured – consisting of several different colours
• opalescent – seems always to be changing colour slightly
• pastel – having a pale soft colour
• prismatic – multi-coloured, brilliant, bright
• psychedelic – brightly coloured and have big unusual patterns
• pure – a pure colour is very clear and beautiful
• restrained – not too bright in colour, or not decorated too much
• rich – strong in a pleasant way
• sepia – sepia photographs are old and are a red-brown colour
• showy – brightly coloured and attractive
• soft – pale, gentle and pleasant to look at
• sombre – dark in colour, especially grey or black
• splashy – brightly coloured
• tinged – something that is tinged with a colour, feeling, or quality contains a small amount of it
• tinted – containing a small amount of a particular colour
• two-tone – two-tone shoes or clothes have two colours
• vibrant – bright and colourful
• violent – very bright and almost painful to look at
• vivid – a vivid colour is strong and bright
• warm – warm colours have red, orange, or yellow in them.
• watery – pale

Words That Describe A Lack Of Colour

• colourless – dull or lacking in colour
• dotted – a series of small spots or marks
• faded – less bright
• flecked – having a spot or small patch of colour
• light – lacking brightness or saturation
• monochromatic – having one colour
• monotone – all one colour
• muted – subdued or softened colours
• neutral – having very little colour
• opaque – incapable of allowing light to pass through
• pale – something light in colour or washed out
• primary – basic colour
• rustic – plain; simple
• tinged – a small amount of colour
• tinted – slightly coloured
• translucent – allowing light to pass through
• transparent – clear; see-through
• watery – containing too much water; diluted

Words That Describe Specific Colours

• alabaster – very white and smooth.
• amber – between brown and yellow in colour.
• amethyst – light purple.
• apricot – a shade of pink tinged with yellow
• avocado – with a pale green colour.
• ash – the colour of ash
• azure – bright blue.
• baby-blue – light blue in colour.
• beige – very pale brown in colour
• black – having the darkest colour, like the sky at night when there is no light
• blue – something that is blue is the same colour as the sky on a clear sunny day.
• bluish – similar to blue or slightly blue in colour
• bone – a shade of white the colour of a bleached skeleton
• bottle green – very dark green
• bronze – an attractive brown colour
• brown – something that is brown is the same colour as wood or coffee
• brownish – similar to brown or slightly brown in colour
• burgundy – dark red
• canary – having the colour of a canary; of a light to moderate yellow
• caramel – light yellowish-brown in colour
• cerise – bright red-pink in colour
• chalk – a pure flat white
• charcoal – something that is charcoal is dark grey in colour
• chartreuse – bright green-yellow in colour
• cherry – a red the colour of ripe cherries
• cinnamon – light red-brown in colour
• claret – dark red in colour
• cobalt blue – a shade of blue tinged with green
• copper – red-brown in colour
• coral – with a colour between pink and orange
• cream – yellowish-white in colour
• crimson – dark purple-red in colour
• Day-Glo – extremely bright yellow, orange, pink, or green in colour
• dove-grey – light grey in colour
• dun – between brown and grey in colour
• ebony – dark black in colour
• ecru – very pale brown
• eggshell – like an eggshell, for example white-yellow in colour, not very shiny, or thin and delicate
• electric blue – very bright blue
• emerald – bright green in colour
• fawn – light brown in colour
• flesh-coloured – the colour of white people’s skin
• gold – something that is gold is the colour of gold
• golden – bright yellow in colour
• green – something that is green is the same colour as grass.
• greenish – similar to green or slightly green in colour
• greige – between very pale brown and grey in colour
• grey – between black and white in colour (gray – the American spelling of grey)
• hazel – light brown and slightly green or golden in colour, used especially for describing someone’s eyes
• ice blue – a very light blue colour
• indigo – between dark blue and purple in colour
• inky – mainly literary black, or a very dark colour
• iron-grey – dark grey in colour
• ivory – something that is ivory is a yellowish-white colour
• jet-black – very shiny and black in colour
• lavender – light purple in colour
• leaden – dull and dark grey in colour
• lilac – pale purple in colour
• lily-white – pure white
• lime-green – bright yellow-green in colour
• livid – mainly literary dark purple or blue-grey in colour
• magenta – purple-red in colour
• maroon – dark red-brown in colour
• mauve – pale purple in colour
• milk-white – the colour of milk
• milky – the colour of milk
• navy blue – very dark blue
• nut-brown – medium brown in colour
• off-white – slightly yellow or grey
• olive – dark yellowish green in colour
• olive – dark grey-green in colour, like many military uniforms
• orange – between red and yellow in colour
• orangey – similar to orange or slightly orange in colour
• peach – yellowish pink in colour
• peacock blue – dark blue-green in colour
• pea green – bright green in colour
• pink – between red and white in colour
• pinkish – similar to pink or slightly pink in colour
• pitch-black – completely black or dark
• plum – between red and purple in colour
• puce – between dark brown or dark red and purple
• purple – between red and blue in colour
• purplish – similar to purple or slightly purple in colour
• red – the same colour as blood
• reddish – similar to red, or slightly red
• rose – dark pink in colour
• roseate – pink in colour
• rose-coloured – pink in colour
• rosy – pink in colour
• royal blue – deep blue
• ruby – a deep red colour
• ruddy – red in colour
• russet – red-brown in colour
• rusty – red-brown in colour
• saffron – between bright yellow and orange in colour
• salmon – orange tinged with pink
• sandy – pale yellow in colour
• scarlet – bright red in colour
• sea-green – green-blue in colour
• sepia – something that is sepia is a red-brown colour
• shocking pink – very bright pink in colour
• silver – light grey in colour
• silvery – like silver in colour or appearance
• sky-blue – the colour of the sky on a bright clear day
• smoky – light grey in colour
• snow-white – very white
• sooty – black or dusky in colour
• steely – steely blue is grey-blue in colour
• straw-coloured – pale brown-yellow in colour
• tan – light brown in colour
• taupe – a brown-grey colour
• tawny – between yellow and brown in colour
• teal – between blue and green in colour
• terracotta – brown-red in colour
• turquoise – bright green-blue in colour
• ultramarine – very bright blue in colour
• umber – yellow or reddish brown in colour
• vermilion – bright red or red-orange in colour
• violet a- blue-purple in colour
• white – something that is white is the same colour as milk or snow
• whitish – similar to white or slightly white in colour
• wine – something that is wine is a dark red colour
• yellow a- something that is yellow is the same colour as the middle of an egg
• yellowish – similar to yellow or slightly yellow in colour

Top Tip : Find out more about our workbooks and online courses in our shop .

© Amanda Patterson

If you enjoyed this post, read:

• 20 Fun Ways To Find An Idea For A Plot
• Where Should You Begin Your Memoir?
• Use These 7 Gaslighting Phrases To Make Your Antagonist More Manipulative
• 75 Words That Describe Smells
• 106 Ways To Describe Sounds
• 20 Words Used To Describe Specific Tastes And Flavours
• 209 Words To Describe Touch
• Three Simple Ways To Show And Not Tell
• 12 Crucial Things To Remember About Setting

Sources: https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/grammar/word-lists/list-of-words-to-describe-colors.html https://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/words-used-to-describe-specific-colours https://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/general-words-used-to-describe-colours

• Description , Show Don't Tell , Writing Resource , Writing Tips from Amanda Patterson

2 thoughts on “204 Words That Describe Colours – A Resource For Writers”

Great post, I especially loved the idea you mentioned of a colour blind character, something I never considered before – that would make an interesting disability to write about. The one thing I’d be afraid of is getting too carried away with colours and mentioning something that would pull the reader out of the book, wondering ‘What color is that?’

Thank you, Barry. Let us know if you write about a colour-blind character. We agree that adding too much colour would be a bad thing.

Comments are closed.

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Describing Words

This tool helps you find adjectives for things that you're trying to describe. Also check out ReverseDictionary.org and RelatedWords.org . Here are some adjectives for blush : . You can get the definitions of these blush adjectives by clicking on them. You might also like some words related to blush (and find more here ).

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Words to Describe blush

Below is a list of describing words for blush . You can sort the descriptive words by uniqueness or commonness using the button above. Sorry if there's a few unusual suggestions! The algorithm isn't perfect, but it does a pretty good job for most common nouns. Here's the list of words that can be used to describe blush :

• faint carnal
• pardonable soft
• painful but happy
• ready delicate
• transient and hectic
• faint, incipient
• new and livelier
• slow, modest
• sudden and modest
• ripe vermilion
• crimson shameful
• sharp, pink
• thick, cheap
• vivid, guilty
• dark, high-blood-pressure
• natural habitual
• durable and unstained
• faint and delicious
• flush and rosy
• sweet confusing
• beautiful and earliest
• bold reformer
• uncalled, beautiful
• slight, rosy
• charming modest
• deepest and most comprehensive
• prettiest girlish
• painful or guilty
• loveliest faint
• painful or anxious
• yellow, brownish
• slight but momentary
• deep but transient
• deep distressing
• sweet and conscious
• loveliest rose-pink
• faint, traitorous
• exquisite incarnate
• tell-tale guilty
• soft, permanent
• dusky, painful
• rich and cheery
• invariable but nevertheless flattering
• nevertheless flattering
• faint customary
• slow, unaccustomed
• quick, transient
• infrequent, vivid
• enormous, rural
• faintest pink
• peculiar scarlet
• constant, chronic
• steady, painful
• soft tell-tale
• delicate swift
• feminine, unprofessional
• faint rose-pink
• fierce, unaccustomed
• faintest rose-pink
• slight guilty
• perpetual fine
• tell-tale crimson
• slightest rosy
• charming avian
• adorably familiar
• faint, self-conscious
• stinging crimson
• intolerable, overwhelming
• vivid and beauteous
• bright, virginal
• deep uncomfortable
• quick painful
• large, creamy
• deep guilty
• warm and healthy
• faint, conscious
• quick crimson
• slight uncomfortable
• faint, girlish
• warm sudden
• slight timid
• painful, miserable
• quick faint
• faint momentary
• inevitable painful
• faint and almost boyish
• faint scarlet
• sweetly pleasing
• imcomparable
• vivid, painful
• peculiar livid
• sweet bridal
• sudden pink
• true inflammatory

Popular Searches

As you've probably noticed, adjectives for " blush " are listed above. Hopefully the above generated list of words to describe blush suits your needs.

If you're getting strange results, it may be that your query isn't quite in the right format. The search box should be a simple word or phrase, like "tiger" or "blue eyes". A search for words to describe "people who have blue eyes" will likely return zero results. So if you're not getting ideal results, check that your search term, " blush " isn't confusing the engine in this manner.

Note also that if there aren't many blush adjectives, or if there are none at all, it could be that your search term has an abiguous part-of-speech. For example, the word "blue" can be an noun and an adjective. This confuses the engine and so you might not get many adjectives describing it. I may look into fixing this in the future. You might also be wondering: What type of word is blush ?

The idea for the Describing Words engine came when I was building the engine for Related Words (it's like a thesaurus, but gives you a much broader set of related words, rather than just synonyms). While playing around with word vectors and the " HasProperty " API of conceptnet, I had a bit of fun trying to get the adjectives which commonly describe a word. Eventually I realised that there's a much better way of doing this: parse books!

Project Gutenberg was the initial corpus, but the parser got greedier and greedier and I ended up feeding it somewhere around 100 gigabytes of text files - mostly fiction, including many contemporary works. The parser simply looks through each book and pulls out the various descriptions of nouns.

Hopefully it's more than just a novelty and some people will actually find it useful for their writing and brainstorming, but one neat little thing to try is to compare two nouns which are similar, but different in some significant way - for example, gender is interesting: " woman " versus " man " and " boy " versus " girl ". On an inital quick analysis it seems that authors of fiction are at least 4x more likely to describe women (as opposed to men) with beauty-related terms (regarding their weight, features and general attractiveness). In fact, "beautiful" is possibly the most widely used adjective for women in all of the world's literature, which is quite in line with the general unidimensional representation of women in many other media forms . If anyone wants to do further research into this, let me know and I can give you a lot more data (for example, there are about 25000 different entries for "woman" - too many to show here).

The blueness of the results represents their relative frequency. You can hover over an item for a second and the frequency score should pop up. The "uniqueness" sorting is default, and thanks to my Complicated Algorithm™, it orders them by the adjectives' uniqueness to that particular noun relative to other nouns (it's actually pretty simple). As you'd expect, you can click the "Sort By Usage Frequency" button to adjectives by their usage frequency for that noun.

Special thanks to the contributors of the open-source mongodb which was used in this project.

Please note that Describing Words uses third party scripts (such as Google Analytics and advertisements) which use cookies. To learn more, see the privacy policy .

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1000+ Ways to Describe Colors: A Word List for Writers

Why Is Color in Writing So Important?

Pablo Picasso said , “Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.” Picasso was an artist who evoked emotion with colorful pigments. As a writer, you can do the same with colorful words.

Note the different pictures painted by the following two paragraphs.

Ned gazed at the calypso-orange horizon. A lapis-blue speck sparkled above it in the deepening violet of a new night sky — Planet Vorton, home.

Ned gaped at the corpse-grey horizon. A mold-blue speck festered above it in the deepening black of a smoggy night sky — Planet Vorton, home.

Same number of words, different colors, with complementing adjectives and verbs. One paragraph emanates optimism, the other gloom.

Compound Adjectives Sometimes Require Hyphens

According to The Chicago Manual of Style , if a compound adjective appears before a noun, it should be hyphenated.

Compare the following examples:

Tristan wore an eye-catching purple tie. Tristan’s purple tie was eye catching .

Wendi modeled a melon-pink dress. Wendi’s dress was melon pink .

Accent Colors With Adjectives

Here’s a list of more than one hundred adjectives from thousands you could choose to produce more vivid descriptions of the colors in your writing.

A to C accented, achromatic, ashen, ashy, atomic, blazing, bleached, bleak, blinding, blotchy, bold, brash, bright, brilliant, burnt, chromatic, classic, clean, cold, complementing, contrasting, cool, coordinating, creamy, crisp

D to G dark, dayglow, dazzling, deep, delicate, digital, dim, dirty, drab, dreary, dull, dusty, earthy, electric, energetic, eye-catching, faded, faint, festive, fiery, flashy, flattering, fluorescent, frosty, full-toned, gaudy, glistening, glittering, glossy, glowing

H to P harsh, hazy, hot, icy, illuminated, incandescent, intense, iridescent, knockout, lambent, light, loud, luminous, lusterless, lustrous, majestic, matte, medium, mellow, milky, monochromatic, muddy, murky, muted, natural, neon, neutral, opalescent, opaque, pale, pastel, patchy, pearly, perfect, picturesque, plain, primary, pure

R to S radiant, reflective, rich, royal, ruddy, rustic, satiny, saturated, shaded, sheer, shining, shiny, shocking, showy, smoky, soft, solid, somber, soothing, sooty, sparkling, stained, streaked, streaky, striking, strong, subdued, subtle, sunny, swirling

T to W tacky, tinged, tinted, tonal, toned, traditional, translucent, transparent, undiluted, uneven, uniform, vibrant, vivid, wan, warm, washed-out, waxen, wild

Enhance Multicolored Objects With Adjectives Such as These

B to L bicolor, blended, braided, cataclysmic-colored, checkered, compound, contrasting, crisscrossed, dappled, disparate, dotted, dusted, flecked, freckled, fused, intermixed, interwoven, jumbled, lined

K to P kaleidoscopic, many-hued, marbled, mingled, mixed, motley, mottled, multicolored, multihued, particolored, patterned, peppered, piebald, pied, polychromatic, prismatic, psychedelic

S to V salted, speckled, splotched, stippled, two-tone, tricolor, varied, variegated, veined

Props Provide More Opportunities to Add Color and Detail

A to D accent, bleach, brightness, brilliance, chroma, clarity, CMYK, coating, color wheel, colorant, coloration, cover, deposit, depth, diffusion, dimension, dispersion, dye

F to I film, finish, flicker, fluorescence, blare, glaze, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glitter, glow, gradation, henna, highlight, hint, hue, incandescence, intensity, iridescence

L to O lacquer, layer, lightness, lowlight, luminosity, luster, monotone, nuance, opacity, opalescence

P to R paint, Pantone, patina, peroxide, pigment, pigmentation, polish, prism, purity, radiance, rainbow, RGB, residue, rinse

S sample, saturation, seam, shade, sheen, shimmer, shine, smidgeon, sparkle, spectrum, stain, stratum, streak, stripe, suggestion, surface, swatch

T to V tattoo, tester, tier, tincture, tinge, tint, tone, touch, trace, twinkle, undertone, varnish, vein, veneer

Perhaps These Verbs Will Provide Inspiration

Colors can blend, clash, or enhance. They might revitalize, fade, or overlap. Choose carefully to provide the nuance you need in your writing.

A to C accent, accentuate, appear, attract, balance, bathe, bespatter, blanch, blare, blaze, blench, bleach, blend, blotch, brighten, brush, burn, captivate, clash, color, combine, complement, conflict, contrast, coordinate, crayon

D to J darken, daub, decolorize, decorate, deepen, dot, draw, dye, embellish, emit, enhance, enliven, fade, flare, flash, flatter, fleck, glare, glaze, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glow, harmonize, heighten, highlight, illuminate, infuse, intensify, jar

L to R light, lighten, match, meld, merge, mingle, mix, outline, overlap, paint, permeate, pervade, plaster, radiate, revitalize

S to W saturate, seal, shade, shine, sketch, smear, sparkle, splash, splatter, spray, spread, stain, suffuse, tinge, tint, varnish, wash

Invent Colors

Your ingenuity is the only limit with invented colors. Consider a few examples.

Yolanda sashayed toward me, hips swiveling in a seduction-red skirt that complemented her bad-baby-black lipstick.

Either Yolanda intends to ravish our narrator, or he hopes she’s a bad girl with seduction on her mind.

Bruise-blue eyes stared out through glasses crisscrossed with cracks. Matching lumps burgeoned from Marco’s chin and cheeks.

Readers will make the connection between bruise-blue and the lumps, imagining someone who has been beaten or injured.

Find color ideas by googling phrases such as “things that are green” or “things that look blue.”

And Now, a Kaleidoscope of Colors

Some of the following lists contain invented colors. Many are based on objects we encounter in our environment. You can use almost any noun to create an adjective that will resonate with readers.

For the next several years, Trump blond or Hillary blonde will produce instant mental images.

Science fiction might use deep-space black , quasar blue, or starburst yellow .

An environmentalist could choose colors such as oil-slick black, smog grey, or acid-rain yellow .

Choose or invent colors that intensify your writing.

You can use many of these words as is, or precede the color they represent to produce a compound adjective. Rather than anthracite , for example, you might prefer anthracite black .

Black anger black, anthracite, bat black, boot black, cat black, cave black, cavity black, charcoal, coal black, crow black, deep-space black, ebony, evil black, funeral black, grease black, ink, jade black, jet, leather black, licorice, metal black, midnight, mildew black, mold black, night black, obsidian, oil-slick black, onyx, pitch black, raven, sable, shadow black, shoe-polish black, silhouette black, smoky, sooty, spider black, tar black, tire black, tuxedo black, uber black, velvet black

Blond/Blonde Although blond can be used for either males or females, many writers prefer blond to describe males and blond e to describe females. Likewise with gender-identified pets and animals.

Blond was adopted into English from French, and the French language uses gender-specific descriptors.

Compound adjectives in the following list are spelled with the feminine form.

almond-crème blonde, amber, apple-cider blonde, apricot, ash blonde, banana-bread blonde, blanched, bleached, bombshell, bottle blonde, brassy, bronze, brown-sugar blonde, butter blonde, butternut, butterscotch, caramel, chamomile blonde, champagne, chardonnay blonde, corn blonde, diamond blonde, dirty blonde, dishwater blonde, electric blonde, flaxen, French-fry blonde, frosted blonde, gilded blonde, ginger, ginger-ale blonde, ginger spice, golden, goldenrod, Hillary blonde, honey blonde, honey-butter blonde, honeysuckle blonde, hot-toffee blonde, macadamia blonde, mushroom blonde, neon blonde, peroxide blonde, platinum, sand blonde, straw blonde, strawberry blonde, sunflower blonde, sun-kissed blonde, sunset blonde, tarnished-gold blonde, Trump blond/e, trumpet blonde, vanilla-malt blonde, vintage gold, wheat blonde

Blue admiral blue, Aegean blue, agate blue, Arctic blue, azure, baby blue, berry blue, blue-jay blue, blue-jeans blue, bluebell blue, blueberry blue, blueberry-juice blue, bluebird blue, blue-jay blue, brook blue, bruise blue, cadet blue, cerulean, china-blue, cobalt, cornflower blue, crystal blue, denim blue, electric blue, forget-me-not blue, galaxy blue, gunmetal blue, ice blue, indigo, ink blue, jellyfish blue, lagoon blue, lake blue, lapis blue, laser blue, lilac blue, lobelia blue, mold blue, moon blue, navy, ocean blue, quasar blue, river blue, robin-egg blue, sapphire blue, sky blue, star blue, steel-blue, swimming-pool blue, teal, toilet-water blue, toothpaste blue, ultramarine

Brown acorn brown, almond brown, amber, auburn, autumn brown, Bambi brown, beige, brandy brown, brick brown, bronze, brunet, buckeye brown, camel brown, caramel, carob brown, cedar brown, champagne brown, chestnut, chipmunk brown, chocolate brown, cinnamon, cider brown, clay brown, coffee brown, cognac brown, cookie brown, copper, cork brown, desert sand, drab brown, dun brown, ecru, espresso brown, fawn brown, football brown, freckle brown, ginger, gingerbread brown, golden brown, hazel, hickory brown, honey brown, infrabeige, kiwi brown, lion brown, loam brown, mahogany, maroon, merlot brown, mocha, mouse brown, mud brown, muddy brown, nut brown, oak brown, orange brown, peanut brown, pecan brown, pekoe brown, penny brown, pigskin brown, pretzel brown, rosewood, russet, rust, sandstone brown, seal brown, sepia, sienna, spice brown, syrup brown, taffy, tan, taupe, tawny brown, teddy-bear brown, topaz brown, tortilla brown, tourmaline brown, umber, walnut, wheat brown, whiskey brown, wood brown

Green apple green, army green, artichoke green, asparagus green, avocado green, barf green, basil green, blue green, bottle green, bright green, cabbage green, camouflage green, cat’s-eye green, celery green, chartreuse, clover green, crocodile green, crystal-marble green, cyan, electric green, elf green, emerald, fern green, frog green, grape green, grass green, hypergreen, jade, jasper green, jelly green, juniper, kale green, khaki green, kiwi green, leaf green, LED green, olive, leprechaun green, lettuce green, lime, lizard green, loden, mildew green, mint, moss green, neon green, ocean green, parsley green, pea green, pea-soup green, peacock green, pear green, Perrier-bottle green, pickle green, pine green, puke green, sage, sea green, seafoam green, seasick green, seaweed green, seedling green, shamrock green, snot green, spinach green, spring green, sprout green, spruce green, tea green, teal, toad green, velvet green, viridian, watermelon green, yellow green

Grey/Gray alien grey, aluminum grey, anchor grey, ash grey, battleship grey, bottle grey, boulder grey, carbon grey, cement grey, charcoal grey, cloud grey, coin grey, corpse grey, crater grey, death grey, dove grey, elephant grey, exhaust grey, fling grey, flint grey, fog grey, fossil grey, fungus grey, ginger grey, granite grey, graphite, gravel grey, gruel grey, gum grey, gunmetal grey, hippo grey, hoary grey, ice grey, iron grey, knife grey, lead grey, mercury grey, meteor grey, mummy grey, nail grey, nickel, otter grey, pebble grey, pepper grey, pewter, pigeon grey, porpoise grey, porridge grey, rat grey, salt-and-pepper, seal grey, shadow grey, shark grey, shovel grey, silver, slate, sleet grey, slug grey, slush grey, smog grey, smoke, steel grey, stone grey, storm grey, stormy grey, stormy-sea grey, sword grey, tabby grey, tank grey, tweed grey, wax grey, wolf grey

Orange apricot orange, burnt orange, butternut orange, calypso orange, candlelight orange, cantaloupe orange, caramelized orange, carrot orange, cayenne orange, cheddar orange, cheese-cracker orange, Chinese-lantern orange, cider orange, citrus orange, clementine orange, coral orange, crayon orange, curry orange, fire orange, flame orange, goldfish orange, mac-and-cheese orange, mango-tango orange, mandarin orange, marigold orange, marmalade orange, monarch orange, nacho orange, nasturtium orange, navel orange, papaya orange, peach orange, peach-butter orange, peach-sorbet orange, popsicle orange, pumpkin orange, safety-vest orange, salamander orange, salmon orange, sherbet orange, shrimp orange, starfish orange, sunset orange, sweet-potato orange, tangelo orange, tangerine orange, terra cotta, tiger orange, traffic orange, yam orange

Pink amaranth, azalea pink, baby pink, ballet-slipper pink, blush, bright pink, bubblegum pink, cantaloupe pink, carnation pink, cerise, champagne pink, cherry-rose pink, coral, cotton-candy pink, crepe pink, cupid pink, cyclamen pink, damask, flamingo pink, fuchsia, geranium pink, grapefruit pink, lemonade pink, magenta pink, mandarin pink, mango pink, melon pink, old-rose pink, oleander pink, parfait pink, pastel pink, peach, peach-blossom pink, peony pink, piggy pink, piglet pink, pomegranate pink, prom pink, punch pink, raspberry-smoothie pink, rose, rosewood pink, rouge pink, salmon pink, seashell pink, sherbet pink, shocking pink, strawberry pink, swine pink, taffy pink, watermelon pink, Zinfandel pink

Purple amethyst purple, amparo purple, boysenberry purple, burgundy purple, Byzantium purple, clover purple, concord purple, coneflower purple, cyclamen purple, eggplant purple, fig purple, gentian purple, gooseberry purple, grape purple, heather, heliotrope, hyacinth purple, indigo, iris purple, jam purple, kazoo purple, lavender, lilac, lollipop purple, lotus purple, magenta purple, mauve, mulberry purple, onion purple, opal purple, orchid purple, periwinkle purple, petunia purple, pillow purple, plum, posy purple, primrose purple, raisin purple, regalia purple, rhubarb purple, royal purple, sage-flower purple, sangria purple, sugar-plum purple, tanzanite purple, Tyrian purple, violet, wild-berry purple, wine purple, wisteria purple

Red apple red, auburn, beet red, berry red, blaze red, blood red, blush red, brick red, burgundy red, candy red, candy-apple red, candy-cane red, carrot red, cherry red, cherry-soda red, Christmas red, cinnamon-candy red, communist red, copper red, coral red, crab-apple red, cranberry red, crimson, currant red, fire red, fire-engine red, fire-hydrant red, flame red, flaming red, garnet red, ginger red, heart red, henna, holly-berry red, jam red, ketchup red, ladybug red, LED red, licorice red, lipstick red, lobster red, maple-leaf red, merlot red, mulberry red, neon red, pepper red, pomegranate red, poppy red, radish red, raspberry red, roan, rose, rouge, ruby, Russian red, rust, rusty, Santa-suit red, scarlet, sorrel, stoplight red, strawberry red, sunburn red, Titian, tomato red, tulip red, Valentine red, wanton red, watermelon red, wine red

White alabaster, angel white, ash white, blizzard white, bone white, bread-dough white, cake white, cameo white, chalk, chaste white, chiffon white, china white, clamshell white, cloud white, coconut white, cornstarch white, cream, crème, dumpling white, eggshell white, fizz white, foam white, fog white, frost white, gardenia white, ghost white, goose-down white, heron white, hospital white, KKK white, ivory, lace white, lather white, lily white, linen white, lotus white, milk white, mist white, moonstone white, noodle white, paper white, parchment white, pearl white, phantom white, picket white, platinum white, polar white, porcelain white, powder white, rice white, salt white, Samoyed white, sheet white, skeleton white, snowflake white, specter white, starch white, sugar white, talc white, vellum white, virgin white, wedding-veil white, winter white, won-ton white

Yellow acid-rain yellow, autumn yellow, banana yellow, bourbon yellow, bumblebee yellow, butter yellow, buttercup yellow, butterscotch yellow, cadmium, canary yellow, chick yellow, corn yellow, custard yellow, daffodil yellow, daisy yellow, dandelion yellow, Dijon yellow, duckling yellow, egg-yolk yellow, flaxen, ginger yellow, gold, goldenrod, grapefruit yellow, hardhat yellow, honey yellow, jaundice yellow, lemon, macaroni yellow, maize, mustard, omelet yellow, pencil yellow, pineapple yellow, plantain yellow, poppy yellow, rubber-ducky yellow, saffron, sawdust yellow, school-bus yellow, scrambled-egg yellow, starburst yellow, sticky-note yellow, straw yellow, sulfur yellow, sun yellow, sunflower yellow, sweetcorn yellow, tallow yellow, taxi yellow, turmeric yellow, wasp yellow, whisky yellow, yield-sign yellow

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8 thoughts on “ 1000+ Ways to Describe Colors: A Word List for Writers ”

I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for this marvellous word list you have provided. Not only has it enriched my vocabulary, but it has also sparked new ideas and inspired me to explore different writing styles. Your resource has become an indispensable tool in my writing journey, and I will continue to cherish and utilise it in all my creative endeavours. 🙂

Thanks so much, Axelle, and good luck with those creative endeavours!

Oh my! These are dripping with creativity. Many thanks.

I’m glad you found them helpful, Kathy. Hey — nice name. 😉

Thanks for stopping by, and stay safe!

I found this while googling whether to hyphenate ash blonde. I am amazed at the wealth of material contained in this blog. Thank you.

Thanks for dropping by, Dwayne. Here’s more information about hyphenation of adjectives .

This is one of the chapters I love most in book 1 – wanted to say THANK YOU for the Master TOC and the .pdf download link.

Thanks, Felicia!

I’m planning a Writer’s Body Lexicon and then probably a third volume of the main Lexicon series. I had considered producing an omnibus, but I think it would have too many pages to make a print version practical. Unless I figure out a way to compact the spacing in some of the chapters. Hmm.

Search for creative inspiration

19,898 quotes, descriptions and writing prompts, 4,964 themes

clouds - quotes and descriptions to inspire creative writing

• cloud forest
• clouds from an airplane
• Cloudy morning
• cloudy night
• condensation
• pink clouds
• snow clouds
• storm clouds
• transpiration
• water cycle
• water pollution

Upon the bus ride that new day, the clouds blossomed pink as if in visual empathy with the poppy red paint below.

From the great windows of the manor the sky was ever-blue, for the schools of clouds that came were ever the fish and rather than the water.

Clouds formed a perfect line-up in the blue, as if they were boats safely mored in celestial harbour.

The clouds were given rosy glow by the setting sun.

Lacy white-edged clouds rolled in over the blue sky, their centres as deep as any shoreline rock.

The nighttime had brought a sky of granite-grey that faded and rose from total darkness, only to find that by true daylight it had fissures of brilliant light. To Amanda it was rock above that had been struck with the hammer of the Gods to let such gold pass through.

A congregation of clouds lit up the blue, each of them sensing the presence of the sun.

Brilliant sunlight shines amid infinite hues of white, the clouds ruffling in ripples as if it were some divine wedding dress.

The clouds are puffs of white magic in acres of blue. They are the brilliance of a new page upon a sky canvas of such consistent hue.

Come the eventide the clouds were cosy in their red-orange pyjamas.

It is from the cracks in the cloud layer that the brightest patches come, shining as if the sun had multiplied into these brilliant sky-puddles, each awaiting the boots of the soul to jump right in.

From white velvet clouds comes sleek rain, strong enough to reach the skin in moments. And though they give, they remain puffed all the same, as if their pride of their fullness is as wide as the sky.

Clouds lay golden and stoney above, for it was not they that mattered, yet the presence or absence of the sun.

Above those tangerine mountains, kissed to their heady blush by the sun, were clouds that moved in shoals. And so the sky was equal parts blue and a chorus of greys, streaked with silvers and golds.

Through the glass was the ever changing art of the sky, the clouds that brought infinite images of beauty. There was something in that feeling of gratitude, for all those gifts given so freely, all for spending a moment gazing into the blue. So in those summer evenings, as I rested in bed, awaiting dreams to dance into my nighttime brain, to bring adventures of silliness and mirth, I watched cloud patterns no eye has ever seen before or will again. Come the dawn it was the same, such a casual beauty, transitory and eternal, changing and constant.

My dreams dwell not upon this earthy plain, yet soar to the clouds and are reborn in the blue above, beneath stars who always shine. So whilst they are the beauty above, an ever changing canvas of silvery swirls, as soft as the finest of cloth - they are simply a thing to fly through as I become heaven-bound.

At the edge of the cloud there was a brilliant white patch, like a turning page catching the sun. The rest was dove grey with a subtle hint of purple, just enough to announce the coming sunset.

The cloud was a white ribbon upon the velvet sky, making a half-spiral as if fluttering in lofty breezes. From below it decorated the sky, from above it decorate the earth, a gift of beauty to surpass any silken or woven cloth.

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• My Painting
• With Galya Varna, ‘Doorway to Art’ Magazine
• With Ritu Kaushal, author and empath
• With writer, Ari Meghlen
• With author, T.R.Robinson

On The Use Of Colour In Creative Writing

I haven’t personally come across much in my reading on this topic in relation to creative writing.  Yes, we’re told to describe colour in addressing the visual senses to make the fictive dream more vivid for the reader, but what else could there be to consider? Well, as an artist, colour is very close to my heart. Like other artists, I mix it, I brush it out on canvas, and I place one colour against another with strategic intent. It’s not just about red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black and white. It’s about tints, tones and shades – adding white, grey or black respectively. It’s about the relationship of one colour to another  – if two colours or their derivatives are opposite in the colour wheel (and therefore termed complementary), they enhance one another to maximum visual impact eg purple and yellow. It’s about an endless infinity of colour mixes. It’s about warm and cool – adding yellow or blue respectively. Any painting course for beginners worth its salt will address the theory of colour. So I thought I’d explore how we can use colour in relation to creative writing, bearing some colour theory and psychology in mind.

Describing Colour

Now we’re not going to get carried away, we’re not going down the route of flowery excess eg. a hint of sweet magnolia with a faint blush of pomegranate, but we are going to get away from the problem of this:

Person A says to person B : What is your favourite colour?

Person B replies: Oh, I just love red!

Person A says: Oh – my favourite is green.

  What is wrong here (and it’s really common in everyday conversation) is that we have no idea what kind of red, what kind of green. Persons A and B know what they are visualising, but they are not expressing it to each other at all. It’s a dead conversation, and it can be dead in creative writing too. We need to ask what kind of red ? Is it a pinky red, like crimson, or a more browny red like a tomato red? And as for green – is it a cool pale pastel or a rich deep green? Is it a turquoise blue green or a yellowy grass green?

So how do we get around this in a simple way for the reader?

Well, the best way is probably to relate the colour you’re trying to describe to a feature of the world around us, natural or man-made, thinking about how it will add a particular feel or mood to that colour in the context you would like to get across Eg A corporate red would convey a strong, flat, responsible, conservative context, whereas a poppy red may suggest a brightly bold, somewhat flighty and optimistic feel, and there again chilli red would take the imagination to exotic, hot and passionate places.

So take the colour you are imagining eg a grey sky, and find something in the world ‘out there’ that does the job of suggesting what you want to convey. So for a grey sky, it may be a porridge sky for a sense of sludgy oppressive heaviness, or a veil of silver sky for something more delicate, mysterious and ethereal.

Another way of describing colour is to do so through the point of view of your character , especially if you are in their heads when the description of colour moment pops up. This can be a particular feature of using your narrative language to convey a sense of your character.

Eg In my novel, On Turtle Beach, my artist character, Lucy, enters a Turkish market where she spots a stand full of ground spices. She instantly associates them with ground pigments, and therefore to a traditional artist’s colour palette. I wanted to have her enthusing, but also with a sense of her showing off, as she begins to list them for the benefit of her bored and unimpressed sister. So we have colours described as burnt sienna, yellow ochre,  vermillion, burnt umber, cadmium yellow…you get the drift.

So you can think, what does the character do for a living or consider the nature of their personality and decide if you can use this when describing colour from their perspective.

More generally, from the theory of colour, cool tints (pastels) suggest distance (both emotional and physical) and relaxation, while also alluding to conservative values. Hot bright colours suggest excitement, stimulation, a zest for life, with hints of eccentricity. Earthy colours convey warmth, trust, security and cosiness. And extreme lights such as white suggest both airiness and coldness. Once you get your head around this, its amazing what will occur to you. In a sense you know all this already, it’s just making use of it.

Colour symbolism: For character, past and present, for setting, and for mood

  Well, here we can really bring in the psychology of colour. And here is a lovely guide.

As an example, let’s take black. I describe an middle-aged lady character of mine as routinely wearing black. Black is her chosen colour for her work suit. She never deviates, so when her husband dies, it  makes little difference to her (both practically and emotionally), black is already ‘her colour’. This colour says a lot about my character and her past, which comes to light later on. Think about what it feels like to wear black. I find it closed off, yet protective, but usually avoid wearing it for its heaviness. Below is what its psychological properties are described as in the above guide from ‘Colour Affects’, and my character wearing black is most definitively encompassing the negative qualities, rather than the positive:

Positive: Sophistication, glamour, security, emotional safety, efficiency, substance. Negative: Oppression, coldness, menace, heaviness.

Black is all colours, totally absorbed. The psychological implications of that are considerable. It creates protective barriers, as it absorbs all the energy coming towards you, and it enshrouds the personality. Black is essentially an absence of light, since no wavelengths are reflected and it can, therefore be menacing; many people are afraid of the dark. Positively, it communicates absolute clarity, with no fine nuances. It communicates sophistication and uncompromising excellence and it works particularly well with white. Black creates a perception of weight and seriousness.’

So I’m pleased I chose black for my character to need to wear because it fits her well, and it may even be used in the title of the novel. I also have her hating red poinsettias (she is quite a repressed person), her home decor is pastel based (for her conservatism) and the car she drives is an understated responsible indigo. You get the idea.

To finish , I’m not suggesting getting hung up on colour, it’s to be enjoyed. But just to have a think, when the moment comes to pick a colour, how to describe it more vividly, more evocatively, and consider using it to represent character qualities, their values, their mood, and the mood of their environment, be it sympathetic or hostile. And have some fun with it.

Here is some more information if you are interested:

Using colour in Creative Writing

Colour Thesaurus , very visual and gets you going in the zone

**Interesting Fact: Stephen king named one of his novels (and the character within) as Rose Madder (a yummy purple pink). Now that must have been a first!

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12 responses to on the use of colour in creative writing.

Yes. It can add an extra dimension to the written word.

Like Liked by 1 person

Absolutely!

In the movie, The Sixth Sense, the color red is used in outlandish ways to show the theme of the story to the viewers. For example, the door on the cathedral is bright red.

I love that film! So red is being used as a symbol here – well spotted!

Thank you for this. Great information. B

You’re welcome – thanks for giving it a read!

great post. yes, Lynne i am often agonising about how to describe a colour in an unusual interesting way. i like your ‘porridge sky’ to suggest sludgy oppressive heaviness. brilliant.

Many thanks, Libby!

An American mystery writer whose name I’ve forgotten (ironically) named her central character, with a full dose of irony since she’s black and very aware of the absurdity of the name, Blanche White. Maybe we should introduce her to Rose Madder.

Hi there, Ellen! Yes names can be great to play with, haven’t done this myself yet, but good for satire and irony!

Interesting exploration and I liked the links too. Yes we communicate so much to each other with the colours we wear and the colours we use in our homes and workplace and yes, we wear colours for the energies they emit and attract. (The Egyptians understood the power of coloured light and used it for healing) It’s generally quite unconscious but as you say, the writer can subtly stimulate the emotions of the reader with the way he/she uses colour to create character or mood. The post also made me think of paint charts and how the descriptive words are used to suggest a fantasy world in which to live. e.g. Buttercup yellow, misty blue, celadon green, English fire red, moonlight bay blue to name a few. Thanks Lynne.

Thanks, Sylvia. You’re absolutely right about paint chart colour names strategically appealing to the subconscious of the customer and being so suggestive of desirable environments. They do this in the fashion industry too where colourways of garment designs can be used to entice buyers eg taupe sounds posher than beige or fawn. Outside of industry pantone numbers and artist’s palettes, we all have taken on board these suggestive names collectively eg peacock green, duck egg blue, olive green, burgundy red. It’s all so mutable, isn’t it? But yes, great for using within fiction when colour crops up.

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What Is Creative Writing? (Ultimate Guide + 20 Examples)

Creative writing begins with a blank page and the courage to fill it with the stories only you can tell.

I face this intimidating blank page daily–and I have for the better part of 20+ years.

In this guide, you’ll learn all the ins and outs of creative writing with tons of examples.

What Is Creative Writing (Long Description)?

Creative Writing is the art of using words to express ideas and emotions in imaginative ways. It encompasses various forms including novels, poetry, and plays, focusing on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary tropes.

Table of Contents

Let’s expand on that definition a bit.

Creative writing is an art form that transcends traditional literature boundaries.

It includes professional, journalistic, academic, and technical writing. This type of writing emphasizes narrative craft, character development, and literary tropes. It also explores poetry and poetics traditions.

In essence, creative writing lets you express ideas and emotions uniquely and imaginatively.

It’s about the freedom to invent worlds, characters, and stories. These creations evoke a spectrum of emotions in readers.

Creative writing covers fiction, poetry, and everything in between.

It allows writers to express inner thoughts and feelings. Often, it reflects human experiences through a fabricated lens.

Types of Creative Writing

There are many types of creative writing that we need to explain.

Some of the most common types:

• Short stories
• Screenplays
• Flash fiction
• Creative Nonfiction

Short Stories (The Brief Escape)

Short stories are like narrative treasures.

They are compact but impactful, telling a full story within a limited word count. These tales often focus on a single character or a crucial moment.

Short stories are known for their brevity.

They deliver emotion and insight in a concise yet powerful package. This format is ideal for exploring diverse genres, themes, and characters. It leaves a lasting impression on readers.

Example: Emma discovers an old photo of her smiling grandmother. It’s a rarity. Through flashbacks, Emma learns about her grandmother’s wartime love story. She comes to understand her grandmother’s resilience and the value of joy.

Novels (The Long Journey)

Novels are extensive explorations of character, plot, and setting.

They span thousands of words, giving writers the space to create entire worlds. Novels can weave complex stories across various themes and timelines.

The length of a novel allows for deep narrative and character development.

Readers get an immersive experience.

Example: Across the Divide tells of two siblings separated in childhood. They grow up in different cultures. Their reunion highlights the strength of family bonds, despite distance and differences.

Poetry (The Soul’s Language)

Poetry expresses ideas and emotions through rhythm, sound, and word beauty.

It distills emotions and thoughts into verses. Poetry often uses metaphors, similes, and figurative language to reach the reader’s heart and mind.

Poetry ranges from structured forms, like sonnets, to free verse.

The latter breaks away from traditional formats for more expressive thought.

Example: Whispers of Dawn is a poem collection capturing morning’s quiet moments. “First Light” personifies dawn as a painter. It brings colors of hope and renewal to the world.

Plays (The Dramatic Dialogue)

Plays are meant for performance. They bring characters and conflicts to life through dialogue and action.

This format uniquely explores human relationships and societal issues.

Playwrights face the challenge of conveying setting, emotion, and plot through dialogue and directions.

Example: Echoes of Tomorrow is set in a dystopian future. Memories can be bought and sold. It follows siblings on a quest to retrieve their stolen memories. They learn the cost of living in a world where the past has a price.

Screenplays (Cinema’s Blueprint)

Screenplays outline narratives for films and TV shows.

They require an understanding of visual storytelling, pacing, and dialogue. Screenplays must fit film production constraints.

Example: The Last Light is a screenplay for a sci-fi film. Humanity’s survivors on a dying Earth seek a new planet. The story focuses on spacecraft Argo’s crew as they face mission challenges and internal dynamics.

Memoirs (The Personal Journey)

Memoirs provide insight into an author’s life, focusing on personal experiences and emotional journeys.

They differ from autobiographies by concentrating on specific themes or events.

Memoirs invite readers into the author’s world.

They share lessons learned and hardships overcome.

Example: Under the Mango Tree is a memoir by Maria Gomez. It shares her childhood memories in rural Colombia. The mango tree in their yard symbolizes home, growth, and nostalgia. Maria reflects on her journey to a new life in America.

Flash Fiction (The Quick Twist)

Flash fiction tells stories in under 1,000 words.

It’s about crafting compelling narratives concisely. Each word in flash fiction must count, often leading to a twist.

This format captures life’s vivid moments, delivering quick, impactful insights.

Example: The Last Message features an astronaut’s final Earth message as her spacecraft drifts away. In 500 words, it explores isolation, hope, and the desire to connect against all odds.

Creative Nonfiction (The Factual Tale)

Creative nonfiction combines factual accuracy with creative storytelling.

This genre covers real events, people, and places with a twist. It uses descriptive language and narrative arcs to make true stories engaging.

Creative nonfiction includes biographies, essays, and travelogues.

Example: Echoes of Everest follows the author’s Mount Everest climb. It mixes factual details with personal reflections and the history of past climbers. The narrative captures the climb’s beauty and challenges, offering an immersive experience.

Fantasy (The World Beyond)

Fantasy transports readers to magical and mythical worlds.

It explores themes like good vs. evil and heroism in unreal settings. Fantasy requires careful world-building to create believable yet fantastic realms.

Example: The Crystal of Azmar tells of a young girl destined to save her world from darkness. She learns she’s the last sorceress in a forgotten lineage. Her journey involves mastering powers, forming alliances, and uncovering ancient kingdom myths.

Science Fiction (The Future Imagined)

Science fiction delves into futuristic and scientific themes.

It questions the impact of advancements on society and individuals.

Science fiction ranges from speculative to hard sci-fi, focusing on plausible futures.

Example: When the Stars Whisper is set in a future where humanity communicates with distant galaxies. It centers on a scientist who finds an alien message. This discovery prompts a deep look at humanity’s universe role and interstellar communication.

Watch this great video that explores the question, “What is creative writing?” and “How to get started?”:

What Are the 5 Cs of Creative Writing?

The 5 Cs of creative writing are fundamental pillars.

They guide writers to produce compelling and impactful work. These principles—Clarity, Coherence, Conciseness, Creativity, and Consistency—help craft stories that engage and entertain.

They also resonate deeply with readers. Let’s explore each of these critical components.

Clarity makes your writing understandable and accessible.

It involves choosing the right words and constructing clear sentences. Your narrative should be easy to follow.

In creative writing, clarity means conveying complex ideas in a digestible and enjoyable way.

Coherence ensures your writing flows logically.

It’s crucial for maintaining the reader’s interest. Characters should develop believably, and plots should progress logically. This makes the narrative feel cohesive.

Conciseness

Conciseness is about expressing ideas succinctly.

It’s being economical with words and avoiding redundancy. This principle helps maintain pace and tension, engaging readers throughout the story.

Creativity is the heart of creative writing.

It allows writers to invent new worlds and create memorable characters. Creativity involves originality and imagination. It’s seeing the world in unique ways and sharing that vision.

Consistency

Consistency maintains a uniform tone, style, and voice.

It means being faithful to the world you’ve created. Characters should act true to their development. This builds trust with readers, making your story immersive and believable.

Is Creative Writing Easy?

Creative writing is both rewarding and challenging.

Crafting stories from your imagination involves more than just words on a page. It requires discipline and a deep understanding of language and narrative structure.

Exploring complex characters and themes is also key.

Refining and revising your work is crucial for developing your voice.

The ease of creative writing varies. Some find the freedom of expression liberating.

Others struggle with writer’s block or plot development challenges. However, practice and feedback make creative writing more fulfilling.

What Does a Creative Writer Do?

A creative writer weaves narratives that entertain, enlighten, and inspire.

Writers explore both the world they create and the emotions they wish to evoke. Their tasks are diverse, involving more than just writing.

Creative writers develop ideas, research, and plan their stories.

They create characters and outline plots with attention to detail. Drafting and revising their work is a significant part of their process. They strive for the 5 Cs of compelling writing.

Writers engage with the literary community, seeking feedback and participating in workshops.

They may navigate the publishing world with agents and editors.

Creative writers are storytellers, craftsmen, and artists. They bring narratives to life, enriching our lives and expanding our imaginations.

How to Get Started With Creative Writing?

Embarking on a creative writing journey can feel like standing at the edge of a vast and mysterious forest.

The path is not always clear, but the adventure is calling.

Here’s how to take your first steps into the world of creative writing:

• Find a time of day when your mind is most alert and creative.
• Create a comfortable writing space free from distractions.
• Use prompts to spark your imagination. They can be as simple as a word, a phrase, or an image.
• Try writing for 15-20 minutes on a prompt without editing yourself. Let the ideas flow freely.
• Reading is fuel for your writing. Explore various genres and styles.
• Pay attention to how your favorite authors construct their sentences, develop characters, and build their worlds.
• Don’t pressure yourself to write a novel right away. Begin with short stories or poems.
• Small projects can help you hone your skills and boost your confidence.
• Look for writing groups in your area or online. These communities offer support, feedback, and motivation.
• Participating in workshops or classes can also provide valuable insights into your writing.
• Understand that your first draft is just the beginning. Revising your work is where the real magic happens.
• Be open to feedback and willing to rework your pieces.
• Carry a notebook or digital recorder to jot down ideas, observations, and snippets of conversations.
• These notes can be gold mines for future writing projects.

Final Thoughts: What Is Creative Writing?

Creative writing is an invitation to explore the unknown, to give voice to the silenced, and to celebrate the human spirit in all its forms.

Check out these creative writing tools (that I highly recommend):

Read This Next:

• What Is a Prompt in Writing? (Ultimate Guide + 200 Examples)
• What Is A Personal Account In Writing? (47 Examples)
• How To Write A Fantasy Short Story (Ultimate Guide + Examples)
• How To Write A Fantasy Romance Novel [21 Tips + Examples)