Angry … Upset

Do your characters frown or scowl whenever they’re angry or upset? These facial expressions are easy to think of while writing a first draft. However, sometimes they multiply like fleas on a stray dog, until you find them hiding on almost every page.

Why Do Your Characters Frown or Scowl?

Facial expressions are more than mere action tags. Every movement of the face should advance your story. A scowl or frown could be the result of:

aggravation, aggression, agitation, anger, belligerence, concentration, confusion, constraint, contemplation, defeat, defiance, denial, determination, disagreement, disappointment, disapproval, disbelief, discomfort, doubt, embarrassment, exasperation, impatience, insecurity, introspection, irritation, nervousness, oppression, pessimism, shame, skepticism, stubbornness, uncertainty, unease, worry

Explore Alternative Body Language and Emotion Beats

Imagine your appearance when you’re aggravated. Better yet, stand in front of a full-length mirror, act aggravated, and study your reflection. How are you standing? Where are your hands and fists? Is your head straight, cocked, or thrust forward? Study the color of your cheeks, the set of your jaw, and the movement of your nose. Now you can describe an aggravated protagonist without either the F– or S-word.

Try the above exercise whenever you see frown or scowl in your work. Decide what emotion your character is experiencing and substitute different body language.

If That Isn’t Enough

Here are a few options to get you moving in the write direction:

Aggravation
a clenched jaw
crossing one’s arms
pacing
tapping one’s foot

Aggression
a curled upper lip
pointing a finger
flared nostrils
leaning into someone else’s personal space

Agitation
jerky movements
pacing
restlessness
a wavering voice

Anger
bared teeth
flared nostrils
stamping one’s foot
a wide-legged stance

Belligerence
clenched fists
a fixed glare
a jutting jaw
a loud voice

Concentration
dilated pupils
stroking one’s chin
a fixed gaze
minimal dialogue

Confusion
rubbing one’s chin
exaggerated swallowing
stuttering
biting one’s lip

Constraint
bowing one’s head
maintaining minimal eye contact
picking at lint or animal hairs on clothing
stepping or leaning back

Contemplation
chewing on a pen or pencil
leaning back in chair, with one’s arms behind head
relaxed posture
studying ceiling or one’s toes

Defeat
non-responsiveness
slumped posture
staring at one’s toes or hands
a vibrating chin

Defiance
cocking one’s head
grinding one’s teeth
a puffed-out chest
a stony stare

Denial
backing away
raising palms and shaking one’s head
a slack jaw
wide eyes

Determination
clenching one’s fists
thrusting one’s jaw forward
pushing up one’s sleeves
steepling one’s fingers

Disagreement
crossing one’s arms
crossing one leg over the other while one is seated
shaking one’s head
a twitching nose

Disappointment
a hard swallow
shuffling one’s feet
a stolid expression
wincing or flinching

Disapproval
constricted pupils
outstaring someone
tight lips
walking away without letting someone finish their sentence

Disbelief
placing a palm on one’s chest
rapid blinking
turning pale
an unfocussed gaze

Discomfort
a pained grimace
repeatedly shifting body weight from one foot to the other
rubbing back of one’s neck, chin, or forehead
shuffling one’s feet

Doubt
biting one’s cheek
cramming one’s hands into pockets
forcing one’s lips together
rocking on one’s feet

Embarrassment
blushing
coughing
sweating
wincing or flinching

Exasperation
making a rude gesture
raising one’s hands in an i-give-up gesture
running fingers through one’s hair
scoping out the ceiling

Impatience
crossing one’s arms
repeatedly checking the time
standing akimbo (one’s hands on hips, elbows turned out)
watching the door

Insecurity
checking one’s breath behind an open hand
closed posture
fiddling with one’s hair or biting one’s nails
hiding one’s hands in pockets or behind back

Introspection
gazing past/around someone while one is speaking
glancing downward during conversation
lowering one’s head
a quiet mood

Irritation
arguing
crossing one’s arms
narrowing one’s eyes
raising one’s voice

Nervousness
dilated pupils
drumming one’s fingers
excessive blinking
rapid breathing

Oppression
folding one’s hands and bowing one’s head
slow, soft speech
clamping teeth on one’s upper lip
standing with weight on one leg, other leg angled away from body

Pessimism
a single arched eyebrow
one hand on hip
wide eyes
a lopsided sneer

Shame
crying
hiding one’s face with hair or hat
an involuntary moan
scuffing a toe against carpet or dirt

Skepticism
a hand gesture of dismissal
cutting someone off in mid-sentence
a wrinkled nose
a condescending smile

Stubbornness
white knuckles
a fixed stare
a set jaw
tapping one’s foot

Uncertainty
interrupting one’s own dialogue
rubbing one’s chin
tugging on one’s lip
shrugging

Unease
clammy hands
licking or biting one’s lips
picking at one’s food
making repetitive actions that accomplish nothing

Worry
puffy eyes with dark pouches beneath
poor personal grooming
calling police or other support services
poor sleep habits

For more beats, consult a body language dictionary. (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Google Images Provides Interesting Alternatives

Search images.google.com for emotions such as angry or confused. You’ll find a multitude of graphics that show body language.

Ditto for YouTube

Videos add sound and movement. An angry tycoon who trumpets like an elephant packs more of a punch than a frowning boss, don’t you think?

Consider Two Excerpts

Which of the following do you prefer?

First version

Bruce frowned deeply when he saw the dark expression on Debbie’s face.

She scowled. “Why do you always act like such an idiot whenever my parents come to visit?”

“Because I …” He frowned once more. “Maybe because your mother makes me feel like a useless insect, and your father swears so much I want to beat the crap out of him.”

Second version

Bruce recoiled. Debbie’s flared nostrils signaled warfare.

Her face twisted. “Why do you always act like such an idiot whenever my parents come to visit?”

“Because I …” He crossed his arms and bit his lip. “Maybe because your mother makes me feel like a useless insect, and your father swears so much I want to beat the crap out of him.”

Same dialogue, same number of words, but isn’t the body language in the second version more effective at telling the story?

Do You Need Direct Replacements?

For those occasions when you require a quick insert-here approach for frown or scowl, try a word or phrase from the following list.

B and C
blanch, blench, brood, cloud up, clump brows together, contemplate, contort one’s face, converge eyebrows, cower, crease the brow, cringe, crinkle the brow

D to G
deliberate, do a slow burn, furrow the brows, give a dirty look, give/make a moue, give a withering look, give the evil eye, glare, gloom, glower, grimace

H to L
huff, knit brows together, imitate Grumpy Cat, look angrily, look askance at, look black, look daggers, look stern, look sullen, lour/lower

M to R
make a pained expression, make a wry face, menace with the eyes, mull, muse, narrow one’s eyes, ponder, pout, pucker the forehead, pull a face, recoil, reflect, ruck/ruckle the brow, ruminate

S
scourge with a stare, screw up one’s face, scrunch up the face, shy away, simper, size up, smirk, sneer, snicker, sniffle, snigger, snort, sob, sour one’s smile, stare angrily, stare icily, squinch, squint, sulk

T to W
twitch, twist the face, wax glum, wax morose, weep, wrinkle the brow