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Low Level/continuous Pain Tips For Writing
Low level/continuous pain tips for writing
Want to avoid the action movie effect and make your character’s injuries have realistic lasting impacts? Have a sick character you’re using as hurt/comfort fodder? Everyone has tips for how to write Dramatic Intense Agony, but the smaller human details of lasting or low-level discomfort are rarely written in. Here are a few pain mannerisms I like to use as reference:
General
Continuously gritted teeth (may cause headaches or additional jaw pain over time)
Irritability, increased sensitivity to lights, sounds, etc
Repetitive movements (fidgeting, unable to sit still, slight rocking or other habitual movement to self-soothe)
Soft groaning or whimpering, when pain increases or when others aren’t around
Heavier breathing, panting, may be deeper or shallower than normal
Moving less quickly, resistant to unnecessary movement
Itching in the case of healing wounds
Subconsciously hunching around the pain (eg. slumped shoulders or bad posture for gut pain)
Using a hand to steady themself when walking past walls, counters, etc (also applies to illness)
Narration-wise: may not notice the pain was there until it’s gone because they got so used to it, or may not realize how bad it was until it gets better
May stop mentioning it outright to other people unless they specifically ask or the pain increases
Limb pain
Subtly leaning on surfaces whenever possible to take weight off foot/leg pain
Rubbing sore spots while thinking or resting
Wincing and switching to using other limb frequently (new/forgettable pain) or developed habit of using non dominant limb for tasks (constant/long term pain)
Propping leg up when sitting to reduce inflammation
Holding arm closer to body/moving it less
Moving differently to avoid bending joints (eg. bending at the waist instead of the knees to pick something up)
Nausea/fever/non-pain discomfort
Many of the same things as above (groaning, leaning, differences in movement)
May avoid sudden movements or turning head for nausea
Urge to press up against cold surfaces for fever
Glazed eyes, fixed stare, may take longer to process words or get their attention
Shivering, shaking, loss of fine motor control
If you have any more details that you personally use to bring characters to life in these situations, I’d love to hear them! I’m always looking for ways to make my guys suffer more write people with more realism :)
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More Posts from Ostensiblywhump
WRITING ADVICE!!!
"Pain is Plain."
Let's face it; saying " it was very painful," falls just a little flat. You want something that will empower your writing, enrichen it. Using words that vividly describe a situation or feeling will help your readers "visualize" the scene. It will make them wonder " How is the main character going to survive this?" Or, if the hero is inflicting rightful pain on the antagonist, it will cause them to cheer and anticipate what their favorite character will do next. But none of this will work if you describe a deadly wound as "It really hurt." Here are some alternate words for "painful."
Excruciating
Seering
Stabbing
Ripping
Blood-curling
Paralyzing
Unimaginable
Writhing
Twisting
Shot
Shredding
Tearing
Agonizing
Indescribable
Intolerable
Harrowing
Torturing
Torturous
Aching
Cramping
Dull aching
Burning
Cold sensation
Electric shock
Nagging
Intense
Pins and needles
Sharp
Spasms
Splitting
Tender
Throbbing
Tingling
Tiring
Exhausting
Acute
Burning
Chapped
Nauseating
MILD PAIN: PAIN YOUR CHARACTER NOTICES BUT IT DOESN'T DISTRACT THEM.
Pinch
Sting
Smart
Stiffness
MODERATE PAIN: PAIN THAT DISTRACTS BUT DOESN'T TRULY STOP YOUR CHARACTER.
Ache
Throb
Distress
Flare
SEVERE PAIN: PAIN YOUR CHARACTER CAN'T IGNORE.
Agony
Anguish
Suffering
Thoes
Torment
Stabbing
OBLITERATING: KIND OF PAIN THAT PROHIBITS ANYTHING BUT BEING IN PAIN. (AND DOING ANYTHING TO ALLEVIATE IT.)
Ripping
Tearing
Writhing
Got other ideas or something you'd like to ask me? Go right ahead! I'd Love to hear from you!
words to use in whump scenes (other than agony)
Blunt force
Ache
Throb
Dull
Pulse
Clench
Gasp
Crack
Beat
Slam
Crunch
Numb
Stabbing
Slice
Burn
Fire
Tear
Twist
Pry
Rip
Recoil
Cradle
Ooze
Pour
Gush
Shudder
Shaky
Gunshot
Crack
Pulse
Burrow
Blinding
Dull
Throb
Stretch
Spread
Cramp
Coil
Numb
Ache
Whipping
Slice
Crack
Tear
Rip
White-hot
Numb
Shock
Burn
Tazing
Shock
Burn
Fire
Jolt
Cramp
Paralyze
Tremble
Gasp
Douse
Stutter
Blinding
Broken/dislocated bones
Crunch
Crack
Slide
Tense
Freeze
Numb
Shock
Pull/push
Throb
Pulse
Spike
behavior modification master list
WRU has hired renowned behaviorist Dr. Ivan Peters to refine their training protocol for Romantic acquisitions. When Jack Kenyon–the brilliant young partner of one of Ivan’s med school rivals–applies to be Dr. Peters’ research assistant, he has no idea what he’s signing on for.
Please see individual chapters for detailed and specific content warnings. This story will contain noncon elements [*]; proceed with caution!
behavior modification pre-timeline content: organized in rough chronological order
past snippet: jack's fourteenth birthday
-/-/-
part one: jack and ivan at dinner
part two: jack and joe, before captivity
part three: jack's abduction
part four: ivan welcomes to jack to captivity
part five: worries for joe, bath time for jack
part six: jack's intake interview (part one)
part seven: jack's intake interview (part two)
part eight: past, present, and future
part nine: breakfast time
part ten: jack learns his positions
part eleven: jack's consequences*
part twelve: ivan's apology
part thirteen: jack's last chance to feel*
part fourteen: joe and his mother
part fifteen: prelude to punishment
part sixteen: jack's first treatment*
part seventeen: deprivation
part eighteen: jack loses joe
part nineteen: case notes*
part twenty: yes, sir*
drabble: statue*
drabble: bravo*
drabble: good boy, sweet boy*
-/-/-
behavior modification post-rescue content: organized in rough chronological order
first night home: joe gives jack a bath
first night home: from joe's pov
first night home: dinner and bedtime
drabble: zombie
trouble sleeping: grounding
just after: small decisions
drabble: joe sees ivan's videos
continuation of above: cut
drabble: he needs me
early recovery: bittersweet
starting over: undone
drabble: press conference blues
drabble: jack trusts joe
first time after: lightning glass
future snippet: rest now
drabble: jack's hair
drabble: it's over
future snippet: eros
baby drabble: christmas tree
baby drabble: corduroy bear
years later, with their child: lucky
kid-related drabble: lemonade stand
teenaged hallie miniseries: like father, like daughter
teenaged hallie miniseries: kids will be kids
teenaged hallie miniseries: daddy's little girl *
teenaged hallie miniseries: daddy and chief
-/-/-
role reversal alternate universe:
part one: sweetheart
part two: open *
part three: filled*
part four: initiation*
part five: better*
post-rescue drabble: mama
post-rescue drabble: the blanket is warm
post-rescue drabble: hidden shame
post-rescue drabble: nightmares
-/-/-
role reversal alternate universe on steroids:
part x: a real white knight
Smells are WAY Underused in Whump
The scent associated with an experience, good or bad, is a POWERFUL thing for humans, and a great tool for whump.
Smells making kidnapped (and already malnourished) character nauseous
(Remember, blood and badly burnt skin have distinct smells to them, it can really add to the impact if they’re mentioned)
A positive smell being somehow tied to the ordeal, and almost being ruined for Whumpee.
Victims of medical whump being sent into a panic at the smell of latex or strong cleaning supplies
Victims of mechanical whump (car related, saw traps, what have you) despising the smell of gasoline.
On the lighter side, Whumpee using the smell of Caretaker’s cologne/perfume to remind themselves they’re safe.
Please add if you want, because this is an untapped wealth.
Y'know what! Fira has inspired me so I'm gonna talk about my second-favorite Dragon Slayer headcanon, and it goes as such:
The more stress a Dragon Slayer's body goes through, the more it dragonizes. This is a really dry way to say that I think injuries a Dragon Slayer gets will scar over with scales, and also that mental stress can have consequences that are…interesting, to say the least, from a writer's perspective.
Let me bring in my favorite punching bag, Gajeel. In my headcanon appearance for him, the scars on his right arm are replaced by patches of iron scales—rusting iron scales, depending on how old those scars are, because I think rust would be really cool and mimic how human scars fade from age, and ruddy rust blends better with human skintones than silvery iron. But I also really like the idea of him having iron spines all the way down his back, for the aesthetic. Which could have the Watsonian explanation of him potentially being so distrusting of anybody to guard him in the past, that his magic responded to his paranoia and trauma by protecting his spine from a literal backstabber. Two headcanons all wrapped up in a neat 'what if dragonization responded to human fragility by dragonizing it away' bow! :D