STUNNED DEFINITION:Feeling mentally numbed or paralyzed, usually as a result of a shocking revelation or blow PHYSICAL SIGNALS AND BEHAVIORS: Going completely still Standing with slumped shoulders Arms hanging loosely at one’s sides Leaning on someone else The mouth falling open Absently licking the lips or wiping at one’s mouth Dull eyes A flat gaze One’s facial muscles going slack Glancing around without really seeing anything Moving one’s eyes (to take in the surroundings) while the rest of the body is still One’s head slowly swiveling as one glances around Blinking slowly Being physically led by others, as if one has lost the ability to move Shuffling footsteps Randomly picking up items and putting them back down Sitting limply Clutching an object (a purse, stuffed animal, a comfort item, etc.) firmly to the chest Curling up in the fetal position Not responding when one’s name is called Delayed reactions to a phone ringing, someone’s touch, or other stimuli Lying down with one’s face to the wall Sitting with elbows on the knees, hands covering one’s face Rubbing one’s eyes Stuttering or stammering Voicing confusion:It can’t be possible. I don’t understand. Forgetting what one was doing, mid-action The eyebrows furrowing as one tries to understand what has happened Small responses that don’t make sense, such as smiling at nothing or answering a question that was asked much earlier INTERNAL SENSATIONS: A ringing in the ears Muffled sounds, as if one is wearing earplugs Dry eyes A sense of paralysis; one’s muscles feeling frozen A heaviness in the limbs A knot in the stomach Nausea Light-headedness Seeing spots MENTAL RESPONSES: Blank thoughts, as if one’s brain has stopped working Thoughts swirling so quickly it’s hard to follow them Difficulty focusing Emotional numbness A sense of vertigo Questioning what one has just learned or witnessed; feeling disbelief ACUTE OR LONG-TERM RESPONSES FOR THIS EMOTION: Falling into a catatonic state Forgetting appointments, birthdays, and other notable events Poor hygiene (wearing dirty or rumpled clothes, not bathing, etc.) Not leaving home for long periods of time Feeling out of it, as if one never quite knows what’s going on A loss of interest in anything and anyone Missing work or school An inability to focus on anything Apathy about the future SIGNS THAT THIS EMOTION IS BEING SUPPRESSED: Fierce and deliberate blinking Looking around (as if surveying the area) but not actually looking at anything Breathing deeply through the nose Fidgety hands and feet Leaning against a wall or table (instead of collapsing to a sitting position) Turning away from the source Biting one’s lip Pressing the lips together Asking a question completely unrelated to the cause of the emotion MAY ESCALATE TO:Denial,Despair,Anguish,Panic,Hysteria MAY DE-ESCALATE TO:Disillusionment,Disbelief,Resignation,Sadness,Grief ASSOCIATED POWER VERBS: Blank, blink, collapse, crumple drop, falter, forget, freeze gape, hesitate, hunch, slacken stammer, stare, stiffen, stumble stutter, tense, topple WRITER’S TIP:To make a villain relatable and layered, have them experience an emotion that shakes apart their hard exterior and briefly causes them to see life through an unbiased filter of hope.