Physical, Mental, and Internal Reactions That Show Love

Love is a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. Jack and Marcie have known each other for most of their lives. They have fallen madly in love. How would their physical and mental actions show this?

Ways Your Character Would React Physically
When Jack and Marcie realized their feelings of friendship were turning into something much more serious, they would become tongue-tied and nervous when around each other.

Now that they have admitted their deep feelings for each other, yearning looks at each other are common. Their eye contact would be strong with very little blinking. They might lick their lips and unconsciously part them as they take deep breaths. Then one or both of them might smile at nothing.

They would approach each other with light, bouncing steps. They would grin, laugh, and talk nonstop. As they talked, one would be able to tell by their lovestruck tones that they have deep feelings for one another. They would flirt with other, and each would give the other a pet name. No longer would they call each other by their real names; the pet names would be used. It is possible that they have chosen one special song, probably a love song, to be “their” song.

When they are next to each other, they would move closer and possibly touch affectionately. Their feet and the rest of their body would be turned toward the other. If they choose to sit, they would be so close that their legs would touch. Jack might put an arm around Marcie’s shoulders. Marcie would lean against Jack, or Jack would lay his head in Marcie’s lap. Maybe they would watch a romantic movie. While watching the movie or talking, they might hold hands, stroke each other’s arms, hug, and kiss. They would lean close to each other as they shared their secrets and innermost desires.

They would blow off their friends, possibly even sacrifice friendships, to spend time with each other. They would find interests and hobbies that both have. One might even find a new hobby that he or she wasn’t interested in just to spend time with the other.

When apart, they would write notes or possibly poetry to the other person. These might be written on paper to be given to the other the next time they meet, or they might text them. Speaking of texting, they would most likely text each other constantly.

To make their appearance as pleasant as possible for the other, they might diet and work out to try and improve the way they look.

If they have a pen or pencil in hand, they would doodle hearts and names on whatever they could find. This would come so naturally that they might not even realize they are doing it.

How Your Character Would Feel Internally
Butterflies would flutter around in the tummy.

The heart would pound so hard that it threatens to jump out of the chest, and the pulse would race.

Any physical flaws a person felt they had would be at the forefront of the mind.

The knees and legs would feel as though they were turning into spaghetti.

When hands or legs brushed against each other accidentally, an electical-like jolt or tingling would be felt.

What Would Go Through Your Character’s Head
Your character would be in a state of euphoria. When with the love interest, your character would lose awareness of everything else around. Pleasure would be found in touching, in closeness. Being together would bring a feeling of wholeness, and how much time is passing wouldn’t be noticed. This could make your character forget to make work calls or be late for meetings.

When apart, ways to make the other proud would be thought about. Because of daydreaming about the one loved, mental functions would be fuzzy. Distraction from anyone around or anything being worked on would be a hindrance.

Unrequited Love
Love is a beautiful thing, but it can turn ugly. It could there are times when one doesn’t return the other’s affection. What if Marcie didn’t return Jack’s feelings of love?

Whenever their paths would cross, Jack’s face would turn red, and his normally baritone voice would become high-pitched. Since he would be nervous, he might giggle or laugh nervously.  He would glance at her and hope she didn’t notice. He would move as close to her as he could possibly get and try not to attract attention while doing so.

He would have been watching her from a distance (maybe even stalking her?). And he would take an unhealthy interest in her personal life. When she walked into a room he was in, his mood would noticeably brighten.

Writing Exercise
I want you to think back over your life. Has there ever been a time when you were in love?  Perhaps you are in love now. Maybe you are married. If you are honest with yourself, I’m sure you can think of at least one instance when you loved a person, but that feeling was not returned.

In your notebook that you have set aside just for writing exercises, start to list the ways that you have acted or thought about acting in situations when you were in love. Don’t be afraid to let your raw emotions show through in what you are writing.

Once you have about ten different ways listed, go back and write at least a paragraph showing a character react in the way you have written. Do this for each of your reactions you have written.

Since we are all human, this list will probably grow until the day you die. Make it a habit to go back and elaborate on at least one of the ways you have acted when you were in love or the ways you have noticed others acting when they were in love. It shouldn’t be long before your notebook (if it is paper) is filled or until your Word document is huge.

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