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How on earth do you describe physical pain



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Thu Nov 22, 2007 4:06 pm
Fishr says...



I don't think a person's mouth would foam. XD That sounds more like a cliche example of a cartoon with rabies.

Druling, yes. Relaxed lips, yes. But foaming?

I seem to be having issues that word, so I shall leave, lol. I know you were helping.
The sadness drains through me rather than skating over my skin. It travels through every cell to reach the ground. I filter it yet strangely enough, I keep what was pure and it is the dirt that leaves.
  





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Fri Nov 23, 2007 1:47 am
Maki-Chan says...



ok...but 1 time I got tazered, not on purpose, My mouth foamed and it hurt like a son of a B@%^*!!!
  





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Mon Jan 07, 2008 7:02 pm
blustarr9009 says...



try looking up things that hurt on wikipedia or something, and then think about the descriptions and see if you can imagine what they would feel like. then write down random words or sentences that you think would describe the pain you think a person would feel. feel free to pm me if you have any more questions, or want a review or something!

hope this helps!
~Leanne
Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be bought with chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!
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Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:19 pm
lyrical_sunshine says...



I have an active imagination...

The character in my story is basically dying, very painfully, so it's become fairly easy to describe pain.

Let me see. Use metaphors. You know, fire, needles, acid, ice, thorns, nails. Metaphors are great. They relate the feeling to something familiar, something we can understand and relate to. Also, use colorful verbs. "Agony seared through my bones." "Pain sliced at my lungs." Stuff like that.

Hope I helped!
“We’re still here,” he says, his voice cold, his hands shaking. “We know how to be invisible, how to play dead. But at the end of the day, we are still here.” ~Dax

Teacher: "What do we do with adjectives in Spanish?"
S: "We eat them!"
  





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Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:27 pm
Aet Lindling says...



Squz posted that quite a long time ago, for something that is almost definitely over now. ;)

Unless it's one long contest...
dun worry
it's all gun be k
  





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Sun Jan 13, 2008 2:40 am
lyrical_sunshine says...



*shrug* oh well. who knows when someone else might need to know how to torture their character?
“We’re still here,” he says, his voice cold, his hands shaking. “We know how to be invisible, how to play dead. But at the end of the day, we are still here.” ~Dax

Teacher: "What do we do with adjectives in Spanish?"
S: "We eat them!"
  





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Sat May 03, 2008 1:42 pm
deleted2 says...



I'm sure everyone experiences pain sometime in their life so it should be possible to imagine. Although of course there is good chance you haven't gone through pain that matches what happens to the characters. Also, pain is usually more than just physical, there are also emotional and psychological elements to it. If you get what I mean :wink:

Brainstorm for a while, write down words ascosciated with pain, such as : stinging, burning, throbbing, dull, agony, etc
and things that people do when in pain :? : writhing, screaming, doubling over, gasping, clutching wounded body parts, etc

then, put them together :D

Hope my advice helps

XxxDo :?
  





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Thu May 08, 2008 6:14 am
Summerless says...



Try reading books that are about pain or interview someone who experienced something wretched or agonizing. Have a friend who got hit in the face with a soccer ball? Have a friend who broke his/her leg? Those are a few questions you can ask your friends. If they describe it well enough you'll get the gist of describing pain.

Also, like I said, try reading books about it. I can recommend A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Kite Runner. Both books are by Khaled Hosseini. He is excellent at describing pain without being overly graphic.


Hope this helps ;]
- Summerless <3~
  





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Wed May 14, 2008 12:12 am
Ross says...



I agree with Boing! You don't have to describe it entirely. But if someone touches a bruise, say something like a soft twinge/needle/etc. of pain shot through me. You can't really describe pain if you're injured freshly. When you're hurt bad, you usually don't think about how bad it hurts. That would make the character a spoiled baby.
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Sun May 18, 2008 12:43 am
Squishy says...



here;s what i do.

i go, get a pen and paper, and listen to some hardcore emo music while writing down the words that come to mind...

let your mind wander and have a thesaurus.

do this for 15 minutes and you'll get some sweet-o words
  








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