Kathy Steinemann - The Writers Body Lexicon: Body Parts, Actions, and Expressions

Nada Sobhi

Does your character prefer a light-looking shade of anemone-pink lipstick? Or is she more of the vibrant apple-red type when going on a dinner date?

When it comes to describing the body, writers are often cornered in their descriptions, repeating words and merely telling what a person looks like, the color of their eyes, the size of their nose, having full lips

But its not often that you find a writer who can not only use vocabulary but also mix colors and scents that make their characters and their features come to life; a writer whose characters you can literally smell as if they have just walked past you.

In this book, Kathy Steinemann takes the reader and writer to a whole realm that is the body. The body is no longer just eyes, lips, nose, and a forehead. The Writers Body Lexicon encompasses everything in the body from abs to chins to elbows to hair to knuckles to feet. There are also chapters for smiles, frowns, and voices; and sections on body language ticks to consider and clichs to avoid.

In addition to providing every possible word you can imagine or not imagine for body descriptions, Kathy offers props in each chapter that act as writing prompts or ideas you can experiment with for your characters.

With a book as meaty as The Writers Body Lexicon, Kathy offers some light humor in her tips and suggestions. Take her introduction to the Buttocks chapter for example:

Scientific studies indicate that fat on the buttocks and hips is healthy, whereas fat on the chest and torso isnt. A hippopotamus might have a healthy butt, but characters shouldnt compare someones hind end to a hippos unless theyre prepared for retribution.

The Writers Body Lexicon is a timeless resource: Youll find advice, prompts, ideas, vocabulary, humor, and everything in between. But more importantly, it will make your characters stand out from the crowd.

Nada Adel Sobhi is a poet and writer with several drafts of novels and works in progress, not to mention too many characters battling armies in her head. Nada is also a book blogger and has a monthly writing prompt on her book blog, Nadaness In Motion, to inspire other writers. When shes not writing, shes a freelance copywriter and social media marketer.

Her favorite quote is: You cannot kill a breeze, a wind, a fragrance; you cannot kill a dream or an ambition. ~ Michel Onfray.

You can find her on her blog or via Twitter and LinkedIn.

All books in The Writers Lexicon series began at the request of my blog followers. They loved what they saw at KathySteinemann.com and asked me to publish the information. Most chapters in the Lexicons are expanded versions of posts on my website.

You wont find every word you need in books or online. For instance, a search through my favorite thesauruses for go doesnt show skirr, which means to move rapidly, especially with a whirring sound.

And then theres levidrome: a word with a new definition when the spelling is reversed; e.g., sub > bus; mar > ram. Many well-known people, including William Shatner, have tried to get this word into the dictionary.

Words are everywhere: books, crossword puzzles, social media, labels, television shows, movies, conversations. Pay attention to everything you hear or read, and your vocabulary will benefit.

When I neared 500 pages while writing this book, I realized I wouldnt have enough room for every body part. However, if youre a romance or erotica writer, youll find what you need to create engaging stories in the resources-only chapter, Body Parts: The Naughty Bits. Youll also discover handy resources for other genres.

If you read The Writers Body Lexicon from cover to cover, youll find some repeated information, for two reasons:

- The information is important.

- Many writers will skip chapters.

Most chapters are organized as follows.

Emotion Beats and Physical Manifestations

Emotion beats, when viewed in context, show how characters feel. Context is crucial, especially for beats that can be caused by multiple emotions. Always provide clear direction for readers.

Global health crises might affect the way a character reacts to the environment and to others. During pandemics, the World Health Organization recommends avoidance of face touching. Ditto for shaking hands and other actions that cause skin-to-skin contact. That adds a layer of emotional ambivalence, which could lead to rich subplots.

Adjectives

Your first expectation when purchasing The Writers Body Lexicon might have been to describe body parts. However, consider the deeper meanings descriptors can add to your writing.

If something about a characters body is important in order to reveal occupation, personality, or circumstances, take advantage of it. Chubby knees show readers that a person failed at the latest fad diet. Helpless knees indicate that a character is vulnerable.

Avoid lengthy descriptions, and match adjectives to your POV character. Capable, inexperienced, etc., refer to personal qualities, but writers often choose such words to modify body parts.

Evaluate opposites; e.g., if you see welcoming as a descriptor, consider also unwelcoming or unreceptive.

Animal adjectives build on inherent visualizations: a bonus for writers when depicting body parts. Try the animal-attribute approach when warranted.

Evaluate opinion adjectives. These descriptors have the potential to confuse point of view by revealing facts a character of focus cant feel or know. If you think I harp on this point, youre right. Youll notice it mentioned in almost every chapter.

However, opinion adjectives excel for flash fiction or action scenes, because they reduce word count by telling.

Similes and Metaphors

Sometimes a figure of speech adds the perfect touch. Exercise caution, though. Provide enough imagery to stimulate the imagination, but not so much that you slow action or bore readers.