THE EMOTION GAME ANSWER PAGE

The emotion defined by the clues in The Emotion Game is:

EXCITEMENT!

But there are other emotions that might fit the descriptions. If you guessed LOVE or HAPPINESS or PLEASED, you’re in the right ballpark.

Congratulations on playing the game! Click here to return to the blog post for the interview with Angela and Becca.

By the way, if you check out The Emotion Thesaurus, you’ll find the entry for EXCITEMENT lists 35 Physical Signals and Behaviors, 7 Internal Sensations, 5 Mental Responses, 7 Acute or Long-term Responses, and 6 Signs That This Emotion is Being Suppressed. That’s a lot of ways to show emotion in your writing. Here’s the entire entry for Excitement from The Emotion Thesaurus:

EXCITEMENT

DEFINITION: The state of being energized or stimulated and provoked to act

PHYSICAL SIGNALS AND BEHAVIORS:
A wide grin
Eyes that sparkle and gleam
Bouncing from foot to foot
Squealing, hooting, yelling, and laughing
Telling jokes
Chest bumping with others
A loud voice
Singing, humming, or chanting
Slam-dunking trash into a barrel after a game or event
Babbling or talking over one another in a group setting
Fanning oneself
Clutching one’s fists to the chest and squeezing the body tight, then releasing
Pretending to faint
Clutching at oneself for comedic effect to amuse others
Verbalizing thoughts and feelings without hesitation
Lifting someone up or swinging them around
Acting hyper, immature, or foolish out of a sense of fun
A ruddy complexion
Moving about, being unable to stay still
Good-natured shoving and pushing
Waving the arms and being demonstrative
Drumming one’s feet against the floor
Hugging others
Grabbing onto someone’s arm and holding it
Bumping shoulders with others in one’s group
Raising up or bouncing on tiptoe
Phoning or texting to share news or pass on the excitement
Speed-talking with others, heads close together
Throaty laughter
Getting the giggles
Friendly demands: Tell me! Show me! Let’s go!
A body that’s constantly in motion (nodding, bobbing, weaving, pacing, etc.)
Walking with a fast-paced strut
Making eye contact with others; showing confidence
Displaying affection with friends or loved ones

INTERNAL SENSATIONS:
A lightness in the chest
A fast pulse
Feeling like one’s insides are vibrating
Dry mouth
Heightened senses
Breathlessness
Feeling energized and awake due to an adrenaline rush

MENTAL RESPONSES:
Camaraderie with others
Imagining what could happen
Enjoyment of the communal energy
Impatience
Being agreeable to ideas and suggestions that align with the energy one feels

ACUTE OR LONG-TERM RESPONSES FOR THIS EMOTION:
A need to run, jump, scream, or whoop it up
An intense desire to share the feeling with others
A beaming face
A racing heartbeat
Sweating
A hoarse voice from screaming, yelling, or shouting
A loss of inhibitions

SIGNS THAT THIS EMOTION IS BEING SUPPRESSED:
Controlling one’s movement with intent
Biting down on a smile
Swallowing a laugh or shout of glee
Smoothing down clothing as a way of releasing one’s energy
Eyes that glow with an inner light
Nodding rather than speaking

MAY ESCALATE TO: Amazement, Happiness, Elation

MAY DE-ESCALATE TO: Satisfaction, Disappointment

ASSOCIATED POWER VERBS: Bounce, bubble, build, buzz, drum, fill, glow, grip, gyrate,
intensify, jiggle, jump, laugh, leap, mount, pound, pump, quicken, quiver, race, squeal, stir, suppress, surge, swell, tingle, tremble, vibrate, whirl, whoop, yell

WRITER’S TIP: If you’re stuck on how to show an emotion, form a strong image of the scene in your mind. Let the scene unfold, and watch the character to see how they move and behave.