Posture
Notice how they hold themselves before you decide what it means.
01Rigid
spine like a rod · shoulders locked · stiff neck · sits at the edge of the chair · moves as if braced for a blow · stands at parade rest
02Slouched
shoulders rounded · head forward · folded into the chair · spine curved like a question mark · hands buried in sleeves · sinks lower as the conversation goes on
03Poised
straight without strain · chin level · weight balanced · hands still · takes up exactly the space they need
04Guarded
shoulders turned half away · arms crossed · back to the wall · chin tucked · feet planted for a quick exit · a body angled like a door that's almost closed
05Relaxed
sprawled in the chair · one leg hooked over the arm · weight settled low · loose-limbed · leans on the wall like it was built for it
06Collapsed
folds in on themselves · knees give · slides down the wall · head in hands · a body with the strings cut
07Commanding
stands at full height · shoulders open · feet planted wide · doesn't fidget · waits for the room to come to them · sits as if every chair is a throne
08Timid
makes themselves small · hugs their elbows · ducks the head · hovers at the edge of the room · bends slightly as if apologizing
09Weary
shoulders drooped · leaning on anything available · head heavy on the neck · a spine that has given up arguing
10Proud
chin raised · chest lifted · back straight with effort · holds the pose even when it hurts
11Posture shaped by life, sitting & standing
Posture & age or life
a soldier's straight back · a lifetime of desk work in the curve of the neck · a dancer's long spine · a laborer's stoop · a bent back from carrying too much for too long
Sitting & standing
perches on the edge of a seat · sinks into a sofa · leans against a doorframe · stands with weight on one hip · sits with knees pressed together · sprawls with arms thrown wide · stands with feet planted like roots
12Writing notes
- Posture is not personality. A slouched person is not automatically lazy, and an upright person is not automatically confident.
- Look for change. The most revealing posture is often the moment a character's usual way of holding themselves shifts.
- Use the whole body. Spine, shoulders, chin, feet, hips, hands, and where the weight rests all contribute.
- Let environment affect posture. A cramped car, formal dinner, cold room, painful chair, injury, or heavy bag can change how someone sits or stands.
- Posture can be performed. A character may deliberately stand taller, appear relaxed, make themselves smaller, or imitate confidence.
- Notice private posture. How someone holds themselves alone may differ completely from how they look when watched.
- Use repeated posture as characterization. A character who always chooses the wall, perches instead of sitting, or stands with folded arms can develop a recognizable physical pattern.
- Avoid diagnosing emotion from one cue. Crossed arms can mean defensiveness, cold, comfort, habit, pain, or simply nowhere else to put them.
- Don't describe every adjustment. Choose the posture changes that reveal something important.