240 Words to Describe Someone’s Tone/Voice

Posted on by Koko2018

smut-101:

  1. Abrasive – showing little concern for the feelings of others; harsh
  2. Absurd – wildly unreasonable, illogical, or inappropriate
  3. Accusatory – suggesting someone has done something wrong, complaining
  4. Acerbic – sharp and forthright
  5. Acidic – harsh or critical
  6. Admiring – approving; think highly of; respectful; praising
  7. Aggressive – hostile; determined; forceful; argumentative
  8. Aggrieved –  angry and sad because you think you have been unfairly treated
  9. Airy –  giving an impression of being unconcerned or not serious
  10. Ambivalent – having mixed feelings; uncertain; in a dilemma; undecided
  11. Amused – pleasantly; entertain or divert in an enjoyable or cheerful manner
  12. Angry – incensed or enraged; threatening or menacing
  13. Animated – full of life or excitement; lively; spirited; impassioned; vibrant
  14. Anxious –  typically with a feeling of unease
  15. Apathetic – showing little interest; lacking concern; indifferent; unemotional
  16. Apologetic – full of regret; repentant; remorseful; acknowledging failure
  17. Appreciative – grateful; thankful; showing pleasure; enthusiastic
  18. Ardent – enthusiastic; passionate
  19. Arrogant – pompous; disdainful; overbearing; condescending; vain; scoffing
  20. Assertive – self-confident; strong-willed; authoritative; insistent
  21. Authoritative – commanding and self-confident
  22. Awestruck – amazed, filled with wonder/awe; reverential
  23. Barbed – deliberately hurtful
  24. Barking – utter a command or question abruptly or aggressively
  25. Belligerent – hostile; aggressive; combatant
  26. Benevolent – sympathetic; tolerant; generous; caring; well meaning
  27. Bitter – angry; acrimonious; antagonistic; spiteful; nasty
  28. Blasé – unimpressed or indifferent to something because one has experienced or seen it so often before
  29. Bleak – without hope or encouragement; depressing; dreary
  30. Bombastic – high-sounding but with little meaning; inflated
  31. Booming – loud, deep, and resonant
  32. Bored – to tire or make weary by being dull, repetitious, or uninteresting
  33. Brash – self-assertive in a rude, noisy, or overbearing way
  34. Braying – speak or laugh loudly and harshly
  35. Breathy – producing or causing an audible sound of breathing, often related to physical exertion or strong feelings
  36. Breezy – appearing relaxed, informal, and cheerily brisk
  37. Brittle – lacking warmth, sensitivity, or compassion; aloof
  38. Bubbly – full of cheerful high spirits
  39. Burbling – speak in an unintelligible or silly way, typically at unnecessary length
  40. Callous – cruel disregard; unfeeling; uncaring; indifferent; ruthless
  41. Candid – truthful, straightforward; honest; unreserved
  42. Caustic – making biting, corrosive comments; critical
  43. Cautionary – gives warning; raises awareness; reminding
  44. Celebratory – praising; pay tribute to; glorify; honour
  45. Chatty – informal; lively; conversational; familiar
  46. Cheery – happy and optimistic
  47. Childish – silly and immature
  48. Chirping – say something in a lively and cheerful way
  49. Clipped – speech that is fast, that uses short sounds and few words, and that is often unfriendly or rude
  50. Cloying – disgust or sicken (someone) with an excess of sweetness, richness, or sentiment
  51. Coarse – rude, crude, or vulgar
  52. Colloquial – familiar; everyday language; informal; colloquial; casual
  53. Comic – humorous; witty; entertaining; diverting
  54. Compassionate – sympathetic; empathetic; warm-hearted; tolerant; kind
  55. Complex – having many varying characteristics; complicated
  56. Compliant – agree or obey rules; acquiescent; flexible; submissive
  57. Concerned – worried; anxious; apprehensive
  58. Conciliatory – intended to placate or pacify; appeasing
  59. Condescending – stooping to the level of one’s inferiors; patronising
  60. Confused – unable to think clearly; bewildered; vague
  61. Contemptuous – showing contempt; scornful; insolent; mocking
  62. Crisp – briskly decisive and matter-of-fact, without hesitation or unnecessary detail
  63. Critical – finding fault; disapproving; scathing; criticizing
  64. Croaking – a characteristic deep hoarse sound
  65. Cruel – causing pain and suffering; unkind; spiteful; severe
  66. Curious – wanting to find out more; inquisitive; questioning
  67. Curt – rudely brief
  68. Cynical – scornful of motives/virtues of others; mocking; sneering
  69. Defensive – defending a position; shielding; guarding; watchful
  70. Defiant – obstinate; argumentative; defiant; contentious
  71. Demeaning – disrespectful; undignified
  72. Depressing – sad, melancholic; discouraging; pessimistic
  73. Derisive – snide; sarcastic; mocking; dismissive; scornful
  74. Detached – aloof; objective; unfeeling; distant
  75. Dignified – serious; respectful; formal; proper
  76. Diplomatic – tactful; subtle; sensitive; thoughtful
  77. Disapproving – displeased; critical; condemnatory
  78. Disheartening – discouraging; demoralising; undermining; depressing
  79. Disparaging – dismissive; critical; scornful
  80. Direct – straightforward; honest
  81. Disappointed – discouraged; unhappy because something has gone wrong
  82. Discordant – harsh and jarring because of a lack of harmony
  83. Dispassionate – impartial; indifferent; unsentimental; cold; unsympathetic
  84. Dispirited – having lost enthusiasm and hope; disheartened
  85. Distressing – heart-breaking; sad; troubling
  86. Docile – compliant; submissive; deferential; accommodating
  87. Drawling – speak in a slow, lazy way with prolonged vowel sounds
  88. Dulcet – sweet and soothing
  89. Dull – lacking interest or excitement
  90. Earnest – showing deep sincerity or feeling; serious
  91. Egotistical – self-absorbed; selfish; conceited; boastful
  92. Empathetic – understanding; kind; sensitive
  93. Encouraging – optimistic; supportive
  94. Enthusiastic – excited; energetic
  95. Evasive – ambiguous; cryptic; unclear
  96. Excited – emotionally aroused; stirred
  97. Facetious – inappropriate; flippant
  98. Farcical – ludicrous; absurd; mocking; humorous and highly improbable
  99. Feathery – extremely light and soft or delicate
  100. Flippant – superficial; glib; shallow; thoughtless; frivolous
  101. Forceful – powerful; energetic; confident; assertive
  102. Formal – respectful; stilted; factual; following accepted styles/rules
  103. Frank – honest; direct; plain; matter-of-fact
  104. Fretful – expressing distress or irritation
  105. Frustrated – annoyed; discouraged
  106. Gentle – kind; considerate; mild; soft
  107. Ghoulish – delighting in the revolting or the loathsome
  108. Glum – dejected; morose
  109. Goofy – foolish; harmlessly eccentric
  110. Grating – harsh and unpleasant
  111. Gravelly – deep and rough-sounding
  112. Grim – serious; gloomy; depressing; lacking humour;macabre
  113. Growling – low grating voice, typically in a threatening manner
  114. Gruff – rough and low in pitch
  115. Gullible – naive; innocent; ignorant
  116. Guttural – produced in the throat; harsh-sounding
  117. Hard – unfeeling; hard-hearted; unyielding
  118. Harsh – cruel or severe
  119. Hearty – loudly vigorous and cheerful
  120. Hoarse – sounding rough and harsh, typically as the result of a sore throat or of shouting
  121. Honeyed – soothing, soft, and intended to please or flatter
  122. Humble – deferential; modest
  123. Humorous – amusing; entertaining; playful
  124. Husky – sounding low-pitched and slightly hoarse
  125. Hypercritical – unreasonably critical; hair splitting; nitpicking
  126. Impartial – unbiased; neutral; objective
  127. Impassioned – filled with emotion; ardent
  128. Imploring – pleading; begging
  129. Impressionable – trusting; child-like
  130. Inane – silly; foolish; stupid; nonsensical
  131. Incensed – enraged
  132. Incredulous – disbelieving; unconvinced; questioning; suspicious
  133. Indifferent – having no particular interest or sympathy; unconcerned
  134. Indignant – annoyed; angry; dissatisfied
  135. Informative – instructive; factual; educational
  136. Insinuating – suggest or hint in an indirect and unpleasant way
  137. Inspirational – encouraging; reassuring
  138. Intense – earnest; passionate; concentrated; deeply felt
  139. Intimate – familiar; informal; confidential; confessional
  140. Ironic – the opposite of what is meant
  141. Irreverent – lacking respect for things that are generally taken seriously
  142. Jaded – bored; having had too much of the same thing; lack enthusiasm
  143. Joyful – positive; optimistic; cheerful; elated
  144. Jubilant – expressing great happiness and triumph
  145. Judgmental – critical; finding fault; disparaging
  146. Laudatory – praising; recommending
  147. Lifeless – lacking vigor, vitality, or excitement
  148. Light-Hearted – carefree; relaxed; chatty; humorous
  149. Lively – full of life and energy; active and outgoing
  150. Loving – affectionate; showing intense, deep concern
  151. Macabre – gruesome; horrifying; frightening
  152. Malicious – desiring to harm others or to see others suffer; ill-willed; spiteful
  153. Matter-of-fact – unemotional and practical
  154. Mean-Spirited – inconsiderate; unsympathetic
  155. Mellifluous – sweet or musical; pleasant to hear
  156. Melodious – pleasant-sounding
  157. Mocking – scornful; ridiculing; making fun of someone
  158. Monotonous – lacking in variation in tone or pitch
  159. Mourning – grieving; lamenting; woeful
  160. Muffled – not loud because of being obstructed in some way; muted
  161. Naive – innocent; unsophisticated; immature
  162. Narcissistic – self-admiring; selfish; boastful; self-pitying
  163. Nasty – unpleasant; unkind; disagreeable; abusive
  164. Negative – unhappy, pessimistic
  165. Nonchalant – casually calm and relaxed; not displaying anxiety, interest, or enthusiasm
  166. Nostalgic – thinking about the past; wishing for something from the past
  167. Objective – without prejudice; without discrimination; fair; based on fact
  168. Obsequious – overly obedient and/or submissive; fawning; grovelling
  169. Oily – unpleasantly smooth and ingratiating
  170. Optimistic – hopeful; cheerful
  171. Outraged – angered and resentful; furious; extremely angered
  172. Outspoken – frank; candid; spoken without reserv
  173. Pathetic – expressing pity, sympathy, tenderness
  174. Patronizing – condescending; scornful; pompous
  175. Pensive – reflective; introspective; philosophical; contemplative
  176. Persuasive – convincing; eloquent; influential; plausible
  177. Pessimistic – seeing the negative side of things
  178. Philosophical – theoretical; analytical; rational; logical
  179. Piping – high-pitched.
  180. Playful – full of fun and good spirits; humorous; jesting
  181. Pragmatic – realistic; sensible
  182. Pretentious – affected; artificial; grandiose; rhetorical; flashy
  183. Quavering – shake or tremble in speaking, typically through nervousness or emotion
  184. Querulous – complaining in a petulant or whining manner
  185. Rasping – harsh-sounding and unpleasant; grating
  186. Reedy – high and thin in tone
  187. Refined –  elegant; cultured
  188. Regretful – apologetic; remorseful
  189. Resentful – aggrieved; offended; displeased; bitter
  190. Resigned – accepting; unhappy
  191. Restrained – controlled; quiet; unemotional
  192. Reverent – showing deep respect and esteem
  193. Righteous – morally right and just; guiltless; pious; god-fearing
  194. Robust – strong and healthy; vigorous
  195. Saccharine –

    excessively sweet or sentimental

  196. Satirical – making fun to show a weakness; ridiculing; derisive
  197. Sarcastic – scornful; mocking; ridiculing
  198. Scathing – critical; stinging; unsparing; harsh
  199. Scornful – expressing contempt or derision; scathing; dismissive
  200. Scratchy –

    rough; grating

  201. Sensationalist – provocative; inaccurate; distasteful
  202. Sentimental – thinking about feelings, especially when remembering the past
  203. Shrill –

    high-pitched and piercing

  204. Silvery –

    gentle, clear, and melodious

  205. Sincere – honest; truthful; earnest
  206. Skeptical – disbelieving; unconvinced; doubting
  207. Smarmy – 

    excessively or unctuously flattering; ingratiating; servile

  208. Smoky –

    a raspy, coarse and tone of quality that is deeper than usual
  209. Snide –

    derogatory or mocking in an indirect way

  210. Solemn – not funny; in earnest; serious
  211. Somber –

    oppressively solemn or sober in mood; grave

  212. Sonorous –

    imposingly deep and full

  213. Sour – resentment, disappointment, or anger
  214. Steely – coldly determined; hard

  215. Strident –

    loud and harsh; grating

  216. Stony –

    not having or showing feeling or sympathy

  217. Suave –

    charming, confident, and elegant
  218. Subjective – prejudiced; biased
  219. Submissive – compliant; passive; accommodating; obedient
  220. Sulking – bad-tempered; grumpy; resentful; sullen
  221. Surly –

    bad-tempered and unfriendly

  222. Sympathetic – compassionate; understanding of how someone feels
  223. Thoughtful – reflective; serious; absorbed
  224. Throaty –

    deep and rasping

  225. Tolerant – open-minded; charitable; patient; sympathetic; lenient
  226. Tragic – disastrous; calamitous
  227. Tremulous –

    shaking or quivering slightly

  228. Unassuming – modest; self-effacing; restrained
  229. Unctuous –

    excessive piousness or moralistic fervor, especially in an affected manner; excessively smooth, suave, or smug

  230. Uneasy – worried; uncomfortable; edgy; nervous
  231. Urgent – insistent; saying something must be done soon
  232. Velvety – soft; smooth
  233. Vindictive – vengeful; spiteful; bitter; unforgiving
  234. Virtuous – lawful; righteous; moral; upstanding
  235. Whimsical – quaint; playful; mischievous; offbeat
  236. Witty – clever; quick-witted; entertaining
  237. Wonder – awe-struck; admiring; fascinating
  238. World-Weary – bored; cynical; tired
  239. Worried – anxious; stressed; fearful
  240. Wretched – miserable; despairing; sorrowful; distressed
Posted on by Koko2018

emotionalmilkshake:

thewritersarchive:

This is an ultimate masterlist of many resources that could be helpful for writers. I apologize in advance for any not working links. Check out the ultimate writing resource masterlist here (x) and my “novel” tag here (x).

✑ PLANNING

Outlining & Organizing

✑ INSPIRATION

✑ PLOT

In General

Beginning

Foreshadowing

Setting

Ending

✑ CHARACTER

Names

Different Types of Characters

Males

Character Development

✑ STYLE

Chapters

Dialogue 

Show, Don’t Tell (Description)

Character Description

Flashbacks

P.O.V

LANGUAGE

✑ USEFUL WEBSITES/LINKS

Last but not least, the most helpful tool for any writer out there is Google!

So so helpful

Posted on by Koko2018

cherchezlafemme:

justsycrets:

So I just started my short story writing class! These are dialogue tips

coming at you with thos transcriptions!!!!!

1. Have your characters speak no more than three sentences at a time–unless you have a good reason to do otherwise.

2. Dialogue is more interesting when characters are saying no to each other.

3. Keep exposition out of dialogue.

4. Let your characters sometimes conceal or avoid instead of saying exactly what they mean.

5. Use “said” as a dialogue tag whenever possible.

6. Use an action rather than a modifier to show how a character is feeling.

7. Cut to the chase. Don’t use dialogue that doesn’t move the story forward and reveal character.

8. Don’t let your characters be too articulate. Fragments are fine. Don’t force conversations to follow a logical order (question followed by an answer). No need to stay on the same subject or include clear transitions from one subject to another.

9. Vernacular is best conveyed by word choice and syntax as opposed to misspellings. 

One Hundred Ways to Say ‘I Love You’

Posted on by Koko2018

violent-darts:

p0ck3tf0x:

  1. “Pull over.  Let me drive for awhile.”
  2. “It reminded me of you.”
  3. “No, no, it’s my treat.”
  4. “Come here.  Let me fix it.”
  5. “I’ll walk you home.”
  6. “Have a good day at work.”
  7. “I dreamt about you last night.”
  8. “Take my seat.”
  9. “I saved a piece for you.”
  10. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
  11. “You can have half.”
  12. “Take my jacket, it’s cold outside.”
  13. “Sorry I’m late.”
  14. “Can I have this dance?”
  15. “I made your favourite.”
  16. “It’s okay.  I couldn’t sleep anyway.”
  17. “Watch your step.”
  18. “Here, drink this.  You’ll feel better.”
  19. “Can I hold your hand?”
  20. “You can borrow mine.”
  21. “You might like this.”
  22. “It’s not heavy.  I’m stronger than I look.”
  23. “I’ll wait.”
  24. “Just because.”
  25. “Look both ways.”
  26. “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to.”
  27. “Try some.”
  28. “Drive safely.”
  29. “Well, what do you want to do?”
  30. “One more chapter.”
  31. “Don’t worry about me.”
  32. “It looks good on you.”
  33. “Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”
  34. “That’s okay, I bought two.”
  35. “After you.”
  36. “We’ll figure it out.”
  37. “Can I kiss you?”
  38. “I like your laugh.”
  39. “Don’t cry.”
  40. “I made this for you.”
  41. “Go back to sleep.”
  42. “Is this okay?”
  43. “I picked these for you.”
  44. “I’ll drive you to the hospital.”
  45. “What do you want to watch?”
  46. “You can go first.”
  47. “Did you get my letter?”
  48. “I’ll do it for you.”
  49. “Call me when you get home.”
  50. “I think you’re beautiful.”
  51. “Are you sure?”
  52. “Have fun.”
  53. “Sit down, I’ll get it.”
  54. “I made reservations.”
  55. “I don’t mind.”
  56. “It brings out your eyes.”
  57. “There is enough room for both of us.”
  58. “You don’t have to say anything.”
  59. “Wow.”
  60. “Happy birthday.”
  61. “I’ll pick it up after work.”
  62. “It can wait until tomorrow.”
  63. “Cross my heart and hope to die.”
  64. “It’s two sugars, right?”
  65. “I’ll help you study.”
  66. “Stay over.”
  67. “I did the dishes.”
  68. “You didn’t have to ask.”
  69. “I bought you a ticket.”
  70. “You’re warm.”
  71. “No reason.”
  72. “I’ll meet you halfway.”
  73. “Take mine.”
  74. “We can share.”
  75. “I was just thinking about you.”
  76. “I want you to have this.”
  77. “Call me if you need anything.”
  78. “Do you want to come too?”
  79. “I’ll still be here when you’re ready.”
  80. “Is your seatbelt on?”
  81. “Sweet dreams.”
  82. “I was in the neighbourhood.”
  83. “Stay there.  I’m coming to get you.”
  84. “The key is under the mat.”
  85. “It doesn’t bother me.”
  86. “You’re important too.”
  87. “I saved you a seat.”
  88. “I’ll see you later.”
  89. “I noticed.”
  90. “You can tell me anything.”
  91. “I hope you like it.”
  92. “I want you to be happy.”
  93. “I believe in you.”
  94. “You can do it.”
  95. “Good luck.”
  96. “I brought you an umbrella.”
  97. “I’ll pick you up at the airport.”
  98. “Take a deep breath.”
  99. “Be careful.”

 

And…

  100.  “I love you.”

(feel free to send one of these as a prompt)

What’s some common slang/jargon a veteran character might use in civilian life? Thank you!

Posted on by Koko2018

scriptsoldier:

transcriptroopers:

I think it varies significantly depending on what part of the army you were in and how much you absorbed the lifestyle, but here’s a few I still use on a regular basis. Some of them might actually be fairly common irl ones; I can’t even tell the difference at this point.

• Hooah: I can’t help myself. I told my husband at one point to spray me with water if I said “hooah” and I just can’t stop. It’s just such a convenient word that replaces most forms of communication to something akin to a grunt and that’s great when you’re me and you hate talking.

• Hurry up and wait: the army wants you to hurry the fuck up and run your ass ragged only to stand around for literally hours doing nothing. We have to wake up at four a.m. to pre-preassemble at a location where we’ll preassemble before we actually assemble at. Like. Eight a.m. Sometimes it feels like the real world is just as ridiculous with its timing. 

• Soup Sandwich: A fuck up of epic proportions. It feels like everything’s a gd soup sandwich these days.

• Voluntold: When someone “volunteers” for something but in fact they were told to volunteer for it, making it more of a demand. I ask myself this all the time when I see businesses doing giveaways or protesters/public speakers and shit, when I pick my passengers in my car who say they do volunteer stuff like that, I want to ask if they actually volunteered or if they were voluntold. 

•

…and a wake up: A unit of telling time in the military we learn in basic training to help us get through the weeks of training. It cuts down on your days left by one with the reasoning that if the final day is just a ceremony or something as equally easy, the final day doesn’t count because the hardest part is waking up on that day. So instead of saying we have fifty-six days left, we’d say we have fifty-five days and a wake up. I still say shit like that to my husband. “We have an appointment in three days and a wake up.” Yes, it’s pathetic.

•

 as you were/as I was: Return to your prior task/I’ve made a verbal error, please disregard the last thing I said. I often sometimes just say “disregard.”

• Roger: yes, confirmed, heard, understood, you got it, I’m on it, roger-fucking-dodger bro.

•

skillfully acquire: steal. Literally just steal. 

•

high speed: good shit, A+, 10/10

•

the crud: a common cold, especially one with fluid leakage.

•

Charlie Foxtrot: a clusterfuck. A complete and utter fuck-up.

•

MIA: missing in action. Applied to literally anything that isn’t where it’s supposed to be. “I can’t leave ‘cuz my damn keys are MIA.”

•

Stay in your lane: this one is common in the civilian world nowadays, but when we used it we meant it quite literally: on the range we each had our own lane, and when the range was hot (guns being fired) you don’t cross over to someone else’s lane because people are literally shooting weapons why would you put yourself in that situation. Also used in the same metaphorical sense civilians use nowadays, aka “you do not know about or understand this so stick to what you know.”

• The real world: civilian life, non-military life. Every day I wake up and am grateful I now live in the real world.

•

Zero dark-thirty: too goddamn early in the morning for this bullshit

•

Beer-thirty: it’s socially acceptable for me to get fucked up thank god

As you can see, most of these I still use because they apply to both the real world and the army. We wouldn’t use most of our slang here because it normally wouldn’t apply. There is no need for me to tell a fuzzy to grab a donkey dick so we can juice up the 5k.

Some soldiers are REALLY hardcore about keeping their personal life and their working life separate and they go to great pains to avoid slipping in military jargon. Others just really don’t care at all. It’s okay to have a character be either of those or somewhere in the middle, but I recommend trying not to overdo it on jargon, such as the above example I gave. You can’t expect most civilians to be able to know what most of these slang terms mean, and you’d be holding up your story having to explain them so often. I recommend keeping jargon relatively sparse, using only when it’ll have the greatest effect. Using jargon just to show off will always drag down a story.

I’d like to give a special thank you to Sally, one of my patrons, whose generous monthly pledge helped bring this post to you all! If you’d like to see what she does and you’re interested in book reviews, (especially of both new and old SciFi books) cosplay costumes, and creative writing, then take a look at Blake’s 7 Blog and Other Interesting Stuff – on Facebook!

-Kingsley

Was this post informative? Entertaining? Eye-opening? Then consider supporting SPC Kingsley on Patreon!

You know I never said what that jargon sentence means.

“Tell a fuzzy to grab a donkey dick and juice up the 5k.”

“Tell a private to get a fuel spout so we can refuel the 5 kilowatt generator.”

Donkey dicks are very prevalent in the military. Probably because we’re all a bunch of jackasses.

-Kingsley

Posted on by Koko2018

fountainfinity:

things people do in real world dialogue:

• laugh at their own jokes

• don’t finish/say complete sentences

• interrupt a line of thought with a sudden new one

• say ‘uh’ between words when unsure

• accidentally blend multiple words together, and may start the sentence over again

• repeat filler words such as ‘like’ ‘literally’ ‘really’ ‘anyways’ and ‘i think’

• begin and/or end sentences with phrases such as ‘eh’ and ‘you know’, and may make those phrases into question form to get another’s input

• repeat words/phrases when in an excited state

• words fizzle out upon realizing no one is listening

• repeat themselves when others don’t understand what they’re saying, as well as to get their point across

• reply nonverbally such as hand gestures, facial expressions, random noises, movement, and even silence