ANNOYANCE DEFINITION:Aggravation or mild irritation PHYSICAL SIGNALS AND BEHAVIORS: A pinched expression Sighing heavily or with exaggeration Statements suggesting impatience:Here, I’ll do it. Narrowing eyes Crossed arms Tapping a foot Swatting at the air as if to remove obstacles Tics and tells (a throbbing forehead vein, fingering a collar, etc.) One’s lips pressing into a white slash Clenching the jaw Grimacing, sneering, and frowning Complaining Folding the arms across the chest Hands that briefly clench Making pointed suggestions to alleviate the annoyance Tugging at clothing (jerking down a cuff, forcing a zipper up, etc.) Cocking one’s head and then shaking it Raising one’s eyebrows and giving a glassy stare A gaze that flicks upward Minutely shaking the head Changing one’s stance (shifting weight or position) Propping the head up with a fist Holding one’s head in the hands Opening the mouth to criticize, then stopping short Taking a deep breath and holding it in Finger-tapping a tabletop A smile that slips or appears forced Snapping a pencil tip, using unnecessary force Pacing Light sarcasm Asking a question that has a painfully obvious answer A sharp tone Speaking in short phrases Visible tension in the neck, shoulders, and arms Rigid posture Cords twanging in the neck Rubbing the brow as if to ward off a headache Avoiding the person or object of annoyance Pressing a fist to the mouth INTERNAL SENSATIONS: A headache Stiffness in the neck or jaw Raised body temperature Sensitivity to noise MENTAL RESPONSES: Berating thoughts Straying attention Thinking of an excuse to leave Making unkind mental comparisons Wishing to be somewhere else ACUTE OR LONG-TERM RESPONSES FOR THIS EMOTION: A reddening face Rough handling of objects Taking over someone else’s job or duties Grinding one’s teeth Throwing the hands up in a gesture of surrender Stalking off to get some air Shutting down; not speaking or responding Pulling someone else into the situation to divert attention and allow one to exit SIGNS THAT THIS EMOTION IS BEING SUPPRESSED: Nodding tightly, as if holding back from speaking an insult Switching to another job to keep one’s hands and thoughts busy Attacking a task to divert one’s energy Forcing oneself to remain in the presence of the annoyance Faking interest; barely holding impatience at bay Carefully controlling one’s voice and tone Focusing one’s gaze elsewhere in an attempt to ignore the source of annoyance MAY ESCALATE TO:Frustration,Anger MAY DE-ESCALATE TO:Conflicted,Indifference,Acceptance ASSOCIATED POWER VERBS: Avoid, bother, bristle, clench complain, discomfort, displease, exhale fidget, fluster, grate, grind grit, grumble, intrude, irritate mutter, nettle, pester, prickle push, rasp, reach, rub scrape, sigh, taunt, tire unnerve, unsettle WRITER’S TIP:Don’t get caught up on the eyes to convey emotion. While eyes are often the first thing we notice in real life, they provide very limited options for description possibilities. Instead, dig deeper, showing how the character behaves through their body movement, actions and dialogue.