lost-with-no-begining
Just a queer unicorn 24 pansexual from IrelandđźđȘ
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Latest Posts by lost-with-no-begining
How to Make Your Characters Almost Cry
Tears are powerful, but do you know what's more impactful? The struggle to hold them back. This post is for all your hard-hearted stoic characters who'd never shed a tear before another, and aims to help you make them breakdown realistically.
The Physical Signs of Holding Back Tears
Heavy Eyelids, Heavy Heart Your character's eyelids feel weighted, as if the tears themselves are dragging them down. Their vision blursânot quite enough to spill over, but enough to remind them of the dam threatening to break.
The Involuntary Sniffle They sniffle, not because their nose is running, but because their body is desperately trying to regulate itself, to suppress the wave of emotion threatening to take over.
Burning Eyes Their eyes sting from the effort of restraint, from the battle between pride and vulnerability. If they try too hard to hold back, the whites of their eyes start turning red, a telltale sign of the tears they've refused to let go.
The Trembling Lips Like a child struggling not to cry, their lips quiver. The shame of it fuels their determination to stay composed, leading them to clench their fists, grip their sleeves, or dig their nails into the nearest surfaceâanything to regain control.
The Fear of Blinking Closing their eyes means surrender. The second their lashes meet, the memories, the pain, the heartbreak will surge forward, and the tears will follow. So they force themselves to keep staringâat the floor, at a blank wall, at anything that wonât remind them of why theyâre breaking.
The Coping Mechanisms: Pretending Itâs Fine
A Steady Gaze & A Deep Breath To mask the turmoil, they focus on a neutral object, inhale slowly, and steel themselves. If they can get through this one breath, they can get through the next.
Turning Away to Swipe at Their Eyes When they do need to wipe their eyes, they do it quickly, casually, as if brushing off a speck of dust rather than wiping away the proof of their emotions.
Masking the Pain with a Different Emotion Anger, sarcasm, even laughterâany strong emotion can serve as a shield. A snappy response, a bitter chuckle, a sharp inhaleâeach is a carefully chosen defence against vulnerability.
Why This Matters
Letting your character fight their tears instead of immediately breaking down makes the scene hit harder. It shows their internal struggle, their resistance, and their need to stay composed even when theyâre crumbling.
This is written based off of personal experience as someone who goes through this cycle a lot (emotional vulnerability who?) and some inspo from other books/articles
When you love someone you want what's best for them and sometimes what's best for them isn't you.
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), poem 85 from âThe Gardenerâ, 1914 Translated by the author from the original Bengali. New York: The Macmillan Company.
I see you in every little thing, occupying my thoughts, my mindâ my entire being. .đ„ Ę Ë
Thereâs so much I would tell you now. I could but I canât. I grieve you while we both still live. So much has happened, the you I love would be in shock that Iâm still standing. The person you are now couldnât care less.
And again you have destroyed me with less than one word
How are you meant to cope when the one person you need wonât acknowledge your existence?
No matter how much you donât deserve it, I will love you always.
You didnât prioritise my happiness when all I wanted was yours
Existing here, the way I do, only furthers my want to stab my own eyes out with a rusty fork
I wish I could die. In no dramatic sort of way. I wish I could slip away and no one notice. I wish it could be peaceful. The way you expect an old dog to pass, like everyone has been waiting for it for a while.
Tinkerbell has always been there for Peter. And Peter? He chose Wendy.
I gave you so many more chances just to play with me and break me more.
Just wanted to take a moment to say fuck you and everything that you do
When you wouldâve given up everything for someone who wouldnât think twice about throwing you in front of a bus
I still love you, itâs just different now. You made your choices.
To this day Iâm still here for you but Iâm not an idiot, your silence speaks volumes.
Usually youâre what makes me feel alive but recently thinking of you has killed me inside
I canât be with you and I canât be without you. Yet somehow I still go through with this torture.
I will forever have my hopes far too high over you when you never come through
One of these days Iâll know youâre not coming back for me. When that day comes I know the last of my soul will go with you.
I just want to talk to you. I just want to spill my guts to you and for you to hold me and make it better. Itâs always been you.
Why did you bother? What was the need? You knew we both couldnât leave what we had. But you wore me down. You made me feel like it was meant to be us against the world. But when it came down to it you made the choice you swore you wouldnât and all I could do was say goodbye and let you go.