: Re: How do you show character reactions without making them do something physically that is unrealistic? I've read stuff like these: she sat up. Startled. His face flushed (how does that happen in

Skip the physical actions you find unrealistic (although most of them are metaphorical, not 'unrealistic'). Tears welling in eyes, trembling, etc are realistic enough.

Also, go inside; physical symptoms are not all you can show:

He felt his neck muscles tense up, his temples started bulging, he started breathing more heavily as he heard his subordinate's report.

Versus,

As Richard listened to his lieutenant's report he felt a building rage, the urge to strike somebody down, break things, to roar to stop this idiocy. He was sure these feelings showed on him, but internally he struggled to repress any actual movement at all. Not only would it be unprofessional, but it was too late, the deeds were done. Now he needed a response, something besides killing everyone. When his lieutenant finished, Richard took a long moment to calm himself, eyes closed. He finally looked up to meet the lieutenant's eyes.
"Heard and understood. Give me fifteen minutes, and return for orders. Dismissed."
The lieutenant nodded once and turned to leave. A good man. A smart man.

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@Gonzalez219

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: Skip the flashbacks. That IS the story. Instead of flashbacks, just consider a story (trilogy or not) that shows present-tense scenes with time-skips between chapters showing the transformation

@Gonzalez219

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: I have a retracted article for ethical misconduct, this means my career is over? When I was in my first year of M.SC. A professor told me to work on a project that the main data were belong

: Re: How do you show character reactions without making them do something physically that is unrealistic? I've read stuff like these: she sat up. Startled. His face flushed (how does that happen in

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: What liberties can I take with the monarchies in my own world? Could a writer make up his own rules, for a monarchy he created, in a world of his own making? My question is whether I

: This may depend on the writer and their style; what I think is a great opening line, and what you think is a great opening line, may be quite different things. Speaking for myself, I write

: Skip the flashbacks. That IS the story. Instead of flashbacks, just consider a story (trilogy or not) that shows present-tense scenes with time-skips between chapters showing the transformation

: I have a retracted article for ethical misconduct, this means my career is over? When I was in my first year of M.SC. A professor told me to work on a project that the main data were belong

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