Body Language Cheat Sheet for Writers | 300 Show Don't Tell Cues | Free Printable PDF

Ever searched your manuscript for "smiled" and wished you hadn't?

I did. That's why I made this. It's the cheat sheet I keep open while I draft, so my characters stop nodding, sighing and shrugging their way through every scene.

Inside you'll find 300 body language cues across 12 emotions, each one broken down by what the reader can actually see and feel. No vague lists, no filler. Just specific, usable beats you can drop straight into your scenes.

What's inside

✦ 12 emotions: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, Nervousness, Attraction, Embarrassment, Surprise, Confidence, Guilt, Relief and Contempt

✦ 25 cues per emotion, sorted into Face, Hands & Arms, Posture & Movement, Voice and Inner Sensations

✦ A mild-to-intense scale on every page, so you can match the cue to how strongly your character feels it

✦ A craft tip on every emotion page

✦ Bonus page: Overused Beats and fresh swaps (smiled, nodded, sighed, shrugged and more)

✦ How to Use guide with 5 quick tips for writing body language that doesn't feel forced

Perfect for

Novelists, romance and fantasy writers, NaNoWriMo drafters, and anyone revising a manuscript that feels a little flat. Works for every genre.

Details

✦ 18-page PDF, US Letter size

✦ Printable, or use it on your iPad or laptop

✦ Instant download

✦ Works alongside Scrivener, Word, Google Docs or any writing app

Want to go deeper?

If you love this, the Character Workbook helps you build who your characters are, not just how they move. Or grab the full Writer's Blueprint Bundle and get the Character Workbook, Novel Blueprint and World Blueprint together.

Terms of use

For personal use only. Please don't resell, share or redistribute the file. Sharing the link with writer friends is always welcome.

Happy writing ✦

Nikita, @AuthorWhoDesign

Tags / keywords: body language for writers, show don't tell, writing cheat sheet, emotion thesaurus, writer resources, character emotions, novel writing guide, free writing printable, writing tips, author tools