BELLAMY BLAKE WEEK 2023 ⇢ DAY 2: Favorite Trait Protective!Bellamy (Clarke Edition)

Emotional Walls Your Character Has Built (And What Might Finally Break Them)

(How your character defends their soft core and what could shatter it) Because protection becomes prison real fast.

✶ Sarcasm as armor. (Break it with someone who laughs gently, not mockingly.) ✶ Hyper-independence. (Break it with someone who shows up even when they’re told not to.) ✶ Stoicism. (Break it with a safe space to fall apart.) ✶ Flirting to avoid intimacy. (Break it with real vulnerability they didn’t see coming.) ✶ Ghosting everyone. (Break it with someone who won’t take silence as an answer.) ✶ Lying for convenience. (Break it with someone who sees through them but stays anyway.) ✶ Avoiding touch. (Break it with accidental, gentle contact that feels like home.) ✶ Oversharing meaningless things to hide real depth. (Break it with someone who asks the second question.) ✶ Overworking. (Break it with forced stillness and the terrifying sound of their own thoughts.) ✶ Pretending not to care. (Break it with a loss they can’t fake their way through.) ✶ Avoiding mirrors. (Break it with a quiet compliment that hits too hard.) ✶ Turning every conversation into a joke. (Break it with someone who doesn’t laugh.) ✶ Being everyone’s helper. (Break it when someone asks what they need, and waits for an answer.) ✶ Constantly saying “I’m fine.” (Break it when they finally scream that they’re not.) ✶ Running. Always running. (Break it with someone who doesn’t chase, but doesn’t leave, either.) ✶ Intellectualizing every feeling. (Break it with raw, messy emotion they can’t logic away.) ✶ Trying to be the strong one. (Break it when someone sees the weight they’re carrying, and offers to help.) ✶ Hiding behind success. (Break it when they succeed and still feel empty.) ✶ Avoiding conflict at all costs. (Break it when silence causes more pain than the truth.) ✶ Focusing on everyone else’s healing but their own. (Break it when they hit emotional burnout.)

My sister. My responsibility.

Words To Use Instead of Said (Advanced Version)

Part One: Dialogue Tags

Reminder to use these sparingly and not every line of dialogue needs a dialogue tag.

To Say Something Quietly:

whispered

murmured

breathed

sighed

simpered

hummed

mumbled

muttered

To Say Something Loudly:

exclaimed

cried

squealed

shrieked

shouted

bellowed

roared

declared

declared

proclaimed

hollered

To Say Something Angrily:

snapped

snarled

growled

barked

grumbled

complained

huffed

nagged

blustered

thundered

seethed

fumed

ranted

demanded

taunted

scoffed

cursed

grunted

insulted

hissed

badgered

sneered

To Say Something In An Amused Manner:

laughed

chuckled

giggled

joked

quipped

teased

cheered

crowed

To Say Something Unsurely // Nervously:

faltered

stammered

stuttered

hesitated

guessed

blurted

trembled

speculated

quivered

equivocated

denied

countered

babbled

slurred

squeaked

yelped

cautioned

gulped

squales

quavered

hesitated

trailed off

Part Two: Action Tags

The use of action tags will make your writing more interesting and creates variety in conversation-filled scenes. Make sure to add both in your writing and do your best not to over do it.

Reminder: When using action tags that aren’t one word, always use periods instead of commas. Example:

“Idiot,” Camille rolled her eyes out of annoyance, continuing to file her nails. Wrong.

“Idiot.” Camille rolled her eyes out of annoyance, continuing to file her nails. Correct.

Positive:

smiled

grinned

smirked

beamed

his eyes twinkled

flashed a chesire smile

looked pleased

her ears reddened

his cheeks flushed

the corner of her lips tugged up

Neutral:

crossed her arms

folded their arms

blew their hair out his their face

twirled her hair around her finger

massaged his temples

bit her lip

chewed the insides of her cheek

batted his eyes

angled her head

tousled his hair

nodded in agreement

feigned confusion

Negative:

clenched his fist

dug her nails into her palm

picked at his nails

glared

narrowed her gaze

withheld his anger

his head pounded with anger

You can mix and match, using a dialogue and an action tag as well. Example: Dialogue, Action.

“I don’t think I can,” she stammered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Bellamy Blake + snark and sarcasm

Enemies to Lovers Energy

❥ "Get out of my way." – "Make me."

❥ "You’re bleeding." – "It’s just a scratch. Don’t get soft on me now."

❥ "I don’t need your help." – "Tough. You’ve got it anyway."

❥ "I hate you." – "Yeah? Then why are you still here?"

❥ "You think you're better than me?" – "No. Just smarter."

❥ "Stop looking at me like that." – "Like what?"

❥ "I’ve had worse partners. Slightly."

❥ "Try not to die, okay?" – "Touched by your concern."

❥ "If you betray me, I’ll kill you." – "That’s fair."

yeah, so...is this the part where we...shake hands?

Let's get released from our growth tank with mama

Emotionally reserved characters

Instead of openly sharing their emotions with others, they keep their feelings locked inside, letting their inner thoughts do all the talking. You get a glimpse into their mind, where a storm of conflicts, doubts, and desires brews quietly beneath a calm exterior. This internal monologue allows readers to understand what’s going on inside their head, even if they don’t show it on the outside. It’s like seeing the world through their eyes, where every little thing stirs up a wave of emotions that they never express out loud.

For these characters, actions speak louder than words, but even their actions are restrained. They communicate their emotions through the smallest of gestures—a slight tightening of the jaw when they’re angry or hurt, a brief flicker in their eyes when they’re surprised, or a controlled change in posture when something makes them uncomfortable. These tiny, almost imperceptible movements can say so much more than an outburst ever could, hinting at feelings they would never openly share. It’s about what they don’t do as much as what they do.

When they do speak, every word is carefully chosen. Emotionally reserved characters don’t ramble or spill their feelings in a flood of words. Instead, they speak in a measured and controlled manner, always keeping their emotions in check. Their sentences are concise, sometimes even vague or indirect, leaving others guessing about what they’re really thinking. It’s not that they don’t feel deeply, they just prefer to keep those feelings close to the chest, hidden behind a mask of calm and composure.

For these characters, what they do is often more telling than what they say. They might not say “I care about you” outright, but you’ll see it in the way they go out of their way to help, the quiet ways they show up for the people they love. Their actions reveal their emotions—whether it’s a protective gesture, a silent sacrifice, or a kind deed done without expectation of recognition. It’s these unspoken acts of kindness that show their true feelings, even if they never say them out loud.

They often have strong personal boundaries. They keep their private lives just that - private. They don’t open up easily and are cautious about who they let into their inner circle. They might deflect conversations away from themselves or avoid sharing personal details altogether. It’s not that they don’t want to connect, it’s just that they find it hard to lower their walls and let others in, fearing vulnerability or judgment.

When they do show vulnerability, it’s in small, controlled doses. These characters may have moments where they let their guard down, but only in private or with someone they deeply trust.

Sometimes, emotionally reserved characters express their feelings through objects that hold special significance to them. Maybe it’s a worn-out book they keep close, a piece of jewelry they never take off, or an old letter tucked away in a drawer. These symbolic objects are like anchors, holding memories and emotions they can’t express in words. They serve as tangible reminders of their inner world, representing feelings they keep buried deep inside.

When these characters communicate, there’s often more to their words than meets the eye. They speak in subtext, using irony, implication, or ambiguity to convey what they really mean without saying it outright. Their conversations are filled with hidden meanings and unspoken truths, creating layers of depth in their interactions with others. You have to read between the lines to understand what they’re really saying because what they leave unsaid is just as important as what they do say.

Despite their calm demeanor, there are certain things that can break through their emotional reserve. Specific triggers - like a painful memory, a deep-seated fear, or a personal loss - can elicit a strong emotional response, revealing the depth of their feelings. These moments of intensity are rare but powerful, showing that even the most reserved characters have a breaking point.

Over time, emotionally reserved characters can evolve, gradually revealing more about themselves as they grow and change. Maybe they start to trust more, opening up to those around them, or perhaps they experience something that challenges their emotional barriers, forcing them to confront their feelings head-on.

televison meme: [13/15] relationships → Lincoln and Octavia 
↳ You made her strong. She was already strong.


subtle ways to include foreshadowing

one character knowing something offhandedly that they shouldn't, isn't addressed until later

the crow rhyme

colours!! esp if like, blue is evil in your world and the mc's best friend is always noted to wear blue...betrayal?

write with the ending in mind

use patterns from tragic past events to warn of the future

keep the characters distracted! run it in the background until the grand reveal

WEATHER.

do some research into Chekhov's gun

mention something that the mc dismisses over and over

KEEP TRACK OF WHAT YOU PUT. don't leave things hanging.

unreliable characters giving information that turn out to be true

flowers and names with meanings

anything with meanings actually

metaphors. if one character describes another as "a real demon" and the other turns out to be the bad guy, you're kind of like...ohhh yeahhh

anyways add anything else in the tags