Woot! Your WIP is Now a Novel

It’s ready for its first round of edits.

You start deleting, adding, and correcting.

You read ten pages out loud.

Uh-oh.

You reread them.

Aargh! Fourteen repetitions of turned.

What Next?

Let’s analyze why you might choose turn. We’ll start with Google’s definition:

• turn: move or cause to move in a circular direction wholly or partly around an axis or point.

A turn could be a change in direction or emotion. And a person can turn toward, not just away.

Why Would Someone Turn?

If you know what drives a character, you can substitute alternative body language or reactions.

“What’s my motivation?” an actor might ask before performing. Without an understanding of the impetus behind actions in each scene, the performance could come across as unrealistic.

Emotion Beats and Physical Manifestations

The following emotions might result in a full or partial turn.

A to S
agitation, confusion, contempt, deceit, defense, disapproval, disbelief, embarrassment, fear, disinterest, frustration, guilt, indifference, modesty, protection, reluctance, sadness, scorn, smugness, social anxiety

Consider the information below each underlined word to see a few different ways you could express it.

Agitation
sweaty palms
drumming fingers
tapping foot
nail-biting

Confusion
shifty eyes
frowning
wrinkling one’s nose
scratching or cocking one’s head to the side

Contempt
crossed arms
sneer
eyebrows drawn together
wrinkled nose

Deceit
balled up hands
lying
stuttering
chewing the inside of one’s cheek

Defense
clenched fists
sitting with crossed ankles
hands in one’s pockets
holding something, like a drink, in front of one’s body

Disapproval
blinking
rubbing one’s eyes
flared nostrils
clenched jaw

Disbelief
pursed lips
rubbing one’s nose
scratching one’s neck
dropped jaw

Embarrassment
trembling
nail-biting
slumping
massaging one’s forehead

Fear
elevated heart rate
wide eyes
recoiling
tense lips

Disinterest
straying glance
lack of eye contact
nonchalant stance
inspecting one’s fingernails

Frustration
thumbs clenched inside one’s fists
teeth grinding
kicking a tire or a wall
hands clasped behind one’s back

Guilt
false smile
grimace
changing the topic of conversation
avoidance of eye contact

Indifference
constantly checking one’s phone or watch
minimal response to conversation
no laughing at jokes
leaning away from speaker

Modesty
glancing away
covering oneself with arms or clothing
blushing
chewing on one’s lip(s)

Protection (from weather, bomb blast, speeding vehicle, etc.)
shielding one’s head or body with arms
flinching
diving to the ground
fleeing the scene

Reluctance
cleaning one’s glasses
fiddling with one’s hair
tapping one’s chin with fingers
tugging on an ear

Sadness
downturned mouth
lowering of head
tears
slumped posture

Scorn
curled lip
throbbing vein in forehead
snorting
putting one’s nose in the air

Smugness
trying to hide a smirk
puffed-out chest
authoritative voice
aloof manner

Social anxiety
hugging oneself
fidgeting
clearing one’s throat
retreating into a quiet room

If you need additional beats, consult a body language dictionary. (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

A Person Might Turn to Hide:

• a black eye or facial bruising (embarrassment)

• breastfeeding (modesty, social anxiety)

• chocolate on the chin (deceit)

• clumsily applied lipstick or mascara (embarrassment)

• a festering pimple (embarrassment, social anxiety)

• a missing tooth (embarrassment, social anxiety)

• body piercing such as a ring in the nose (deceit, embarrassment)

• the smell of cigarettes on the breath (deceit)

• spinach in the teeth (embarrassment)

What could a character do instead of turning? Would any of the previously mentioned actions work?

Stand in front of a mirror and pretend you’re an actor. How else could you show the same emotions?

Verbs and Phrasal Verbs

Do you need direct replacements for turn?

You might find what you need in the following list.

Experiment with the words. Some can show emotion as well as movement. For example, a truck driver faced with a decision might change course or reverse direction. Embrace double meanings.

A to C
about-face, avoid, back off, backpedal, backtrack, bypass, cartwheel, change course, change direction, circumvent, coil, come about, corkscrew, curve left/right

D to G
detour, diverge, do a one-eighty/three-sixty, dodge, double back, elude, evade, face about, flee, flip, gee, go home, go the other way, gyrate, gyre

H to M
hang a left/right, haw, head back, hesitate, loop around, lurch, make a one-eighty, make an about-face, make a left/right, make a U-ey, make a U-turn, meander, merge left/right

O to R
orbit, oscillate, pirouette, pivot, reel, retrace one’s steps, retreat, return, reverse course, reverse direction, revolve, roll left/right, rotate

S
sidestep, snake, snap around, spin, spiral, steer left/right, sweep around, swerve, swing around, swirl, swivel

T to Z
take a left/right, thread, twine, twirl, twist, twizzle, veer, volte-face, wander away, weave, wend left/right, wheel, whip around, whirl about, wind, yaw, zig-zag

Are You Interested in More Word Lists and Writing Tips?

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