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WHO DO YOU WRITE LIKE?

2/23/2018

WHO DO YOU WRITE LIKE?
Most writers aspire to write like some of their favorite authors. Of course, we all have our own "voice" and should encourage and nurture that instead of trying to write like someone else. But haven't you ever wondered what author you write like? Is that the author you'd wish to emulate?

GOOD NEWS
There’s a website which asks this questions and allows the reader to enter an excerpt for analysis. What fun! http://iwl.me/

I tried out the “I Write Like” blog analysis but, sadly, I’m not sure it’s very accurate. The results aren't consistent, or at least mine weren't, and I have to wonder the exercise really tells an author anything about his writing. If you try this out, look at the FaceBook and Tweeter for the comments and reactions of other authors. There is quite a variety.

WHO DO I WRITE LIKE?
Well, I wanted to know! I really went gungho when I tried this exercise and, eventually, entered more than a dozen excerpts from my own works. Here’s who I write like, depending on the scene.

● Harry Harrison
▪ First three paragraphs of my most recent release, Destruction of the Great Wall.
Great! I've always liked his Science Fiction books, and I like him.

● Dan Brown
▪ First four paragraphs of Chapter Twenty-Four of Destruction of the Great Wall.
▪ One page at the end of Chapter Ten of. Destruction of the Great Wall.

● David Foster Wallace
▪ Prologue for the same short story where the opening scene is like Vladimir
Nabokov;
▪ My Travelblogs;
▪ Opening scene of romantic suspense novel.

● Stephen King
▪ A sex scene from my mafia thriller novel (This result was scary!)

● Mario Puzo
▪Several selections from my same work, the mafia thriller. I thought that was fitting.

●Chuck Palahniuk
▪ This very blog

Throw into the mix James Joyce, Vladimir Nabokov, and Stephanie Myer, and I am so-o all over the place. I wish I could sell as many books as any of these authors.
Other people tell me they’ve entered multiple excerpts and always come up with the same author or a couple of authors. But they are consistent.

I noticed other authors indicating in comments they tried this for other authors as well. Because I would like to emulate three of my favorite authors, I went to the trouble of typing a few excerpts from each one. They don’t write like themselves, either.

● Katie MacAlister writes like Vladimir Nabokov based on an excerpt from “Men In Kilts”.
● Janet Evanovich writes like Raymond Chandler based on an excerpt from “Hot Six”.
● Dick Francis writes like Ian Fleming based on an excerpt from “Banker”.

THE ANALYSIS PROGRAM
The analysis program, I’m told, looks at word usage statistics, sentence length variability, punctuation, and so on but, obviously, not emotional content and the subjective aspects of your writing. Also, the program compares the sample to only selected authors, so many current writers are not included in the data base, although Stephen King, Stephanie Myer, and Dan Brown are there.

CONCLUSIONS
There are three lessons I learned from this exercise.

● First, there is a great deal of variation in the way I write.
The way I use words, the length of my sentences, punctuation, etc. I need to look at this and determine if this is an asset or a disadvantage to my writing. Perhaps the variety helps the pacing, or that different kinds of scenes can/should have different styles. It gives me something to consider. Perhaps consistency is the goal I should strive for. I’ll have to think on it and maybe talk to my editor.

● Second, there are some authors out there I haven’t read and should.
I need to take a look at works by Vladimir Nabokov, David Foster Wallace, Chuck Palahniuk, James Joyce, and Stephanie Meyer. And if I’d like to emulate certain authors, maybe I should study Ian Fleming (whose work I have read) and Raymond Chandler.

● Third, you can always find something to do to waste time instead of putting your butt in the chair and writing your own novel.
◘

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HELOISE AND ABELARD: Greatest Love Stories Ever Told

2/16/2018

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A LOVE STORY IS NOT NECESSARILY A ROMANCE
All romances involve love stories, but not all love stories are romances. If you want a Happily-Ever-After, skip the greatest love stories and read a good recently-written romance.

The "greatest love stories" are often tragedies. Some of these love stories involve literary, legendary, or mythological characters, some lived in early history like Antony and Cleopatra. Today's greatest love story, about Heloise and Abelard, is a "tragedy"' but it is also a true story about real lovers who lived in 12th century Paris, France.

HELOISE AND ABELARD
This story is not literary fiction but a tale of real events well documented in medieval times, primarily through a series of letters between the lovers, but also in historical works because these two lovers are considered two of the brightest minds of their time.

Although Heloise became a scholar, writer, and abbess, known and respected throughout France for her insight and intelligence, and Abelard is acclaimed as one of the greatest philosophers of the medieval world, their love left scars on both of them.

"PETER ABELARD, NOW FORGOTTEN, WAS ONCE THE MOST FAMOUS MAN IN THE WORLD." __M.T. Clanchy, Abelard, a Medieval Life.

Around 1115, Peter (Pierre) Abelard (1079 – 1142 AD), already a well-known and well-traveled philosopher, theologian, and teacher, became Master of Notre-Dame de Paris and a canon of Sens (the cathedral of the archdiocese to which Paris belonged). A popular and distinguished figure, he drew crowds of students to study there from all over Europe.

At that time, Heloise d'Argenteuil (1101 – 1162 AD) was a fourteen-year-old student and scholar under the care of her uncle, the secular canon Fulbert. Even at that age, she was well-known among the scholars of France as remarkable for her mastery of classical studies and languages, including Latin, Greek, and Hebrew as well as others.

When Abelard convinced Fulbert to give him a place in Fulbert's home because he couldn't afford to live in his current house while studying, he became Heloise's tutor in exchange for room and board.

There is disagreement among historians regarding Heloise's age when she met Abelard. If the date of her birth is correct, she would have been fourteen or fifteen. Those who don't agree with this argue that she was already well known at the time Abelard came to live with Fulbert, and was more likely in her twenties to have already attained such a reputation among French scholars.

Portrait of Heloise as imagined by a 19th century artist

The teacher-student relationship blossomed into an illicit love affair which continued until Fulbert found out. He tried to separate them, but they continued to meet in secret until Heloise became pregnant.

Immediately, Abelard sent her to his sister in Brittany where, in the year 1118, she gave birth to a son whom she named Astrolabe after a scientific instrument. Today it would be like naming your son iPod or Android. Apparently there isn't much about the son in any of the letters or historical accounts.

Painting 1882 Painting by JeanVignuad (1819)    Abelard
   Fulbert discovering the two love birds

Abelard agreed to marry Heloise to appease Fulbert, but insisted it remain a secret so it wouldn't damage Abelard's career. The marriage was legitimate, but would limit Peter's position in the church, the only means for advancement as a literate. Heloise, being a radical feminist in her day, who later wrote she preferred love to wedlock, freedom to a bond, refused marriage at first but was convinced by Abelard. Soon after, they were married in Paris.

Fulbert, however, felt his reputation had been damaged. In order to punish Abelard, he began spreading the news that Abelard and Heloise were married. Eventually, for Heloise's safety, Abelard sent her to the convent of Argenteuil where she had grown up. Here's where things became really intense.

Fulbert and his friends believed Abelard, after seducing the young woman half his age, had rid himself of Heloise by forcing her become a nun, which wasn't the case at all. One night, one of Abelard own servants and some kinsmen of Fulbert broke into Abelard's room and castrated him. These men were eventually punished by being blinding and castrated, but that didn't do any good for Abelard. Shamed and humiliated, he became a monk at the Abbey of St. Denis in Paris. At Abelard's insistence, and against her own wishes, Heloise became a nun and eventually became the prioress of the convent.

A TRAGIC ENDING
Indeed, this was the end of the physical affair, but not the end of the love story. Peter and Heloise shared a great love and respect for each other's minds and wrote long letters about the political and scholastic events of the time, as well as their personal situations.

In 1129, the Abbey of St. Denis took over the convent. Abelard managed to move the occupants of the entire convent to the Oratory of the Paraclete, a vacant abbey near Champagne which Abelard himself had founded in 1122 and then moved to Lower Brittany. Heloise became the abbess of the new community of nuns.

This was the beginning of correspondence between Heloise and Abelard, which continued for the rest of their lives.

In fact, there are only seven letters still in existence, but they are quite long. They depict medieval society and the church in a way no other writing accomplishes. The love story captures the deepest emotions of the man and woman, and also the spirit and beliefs of the times.

THE DEATH OF PETER ABELARD
During the 1100's there was growing repression of the French population resulting from the increasing power of Rome and the political allegiances between the Normans and the church. Rivalries and power struggles existed at all levels of the feudal system which was taking over France. No doubt Abelard, being who he was, became enmeshed in the political crosscurrents of the times.

In 1140 Abelard was tried and convicted of heresy under nineteen headings of 'capitula'. The trial was orchestrated by Bernard of Claivaux for the purpose of destroying Abelard's power and influence. As a result, in 1141 he was excommunicated by Pope Innocent II and confined to a monastery (Abbey of Cluny). Ultimately, his excommunication was lifted, but he died at the Abbey in 1142 at the age of sixty-three.

His bones were moved to the Oratory of the Paraclete, and when Heloise died twenty years later in 1163 her bones were placed beside his. They were preserved through the French Revolution and moved to Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris where they rest today.

Traditionally, lovers or lovelorn singles leave letters at the crypt, either as a tribute or in hopes of finding true love.
◘
Resources
http://amolife.com/reviews/top-20-most-famous-love-stories-in-history-and-literature.html
http://allwomenstalk.com/12-most-famous-love-stories-of-all-time/
http://www.yourtango.com/20071315/10-greatest-love-stories-of-all-time-2
http://historylists.org/other/10-greatest-love-stories-in-history.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A9lo%C3%AFse_(abbess)
http://www.abelardandheloise.com/Story.html
http://classiclit.about.com/cs/articles/a/aa_abelard.htmhttp://classiclit.about.com/cs/articles/a/aa_abelard.htm
http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-30/heloise-and-abelards-tumultuous-affair.html
http://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/heloise1.asp
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Abelard

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SYMBOL OF THE VALENTINE HEART SHAPE

2/9/2018

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When wandering through the greeting card section looking for the perfect card to give your loved one for Valentine’s Day, have you ever wondered about the origin of the traditional heart shape associated with love … and, therefore, Valentine’s Day?
Ivy Leaf

The heart shape itself has been around forever. It appears in the cave-wall drawings of cro-magnon hunters, as far back as the ice age. Also, the shape itself is frequently seen in nature, so the question isn’t where the shape came from, but how it became the symbol of love and Valentine’s Day.

THE ORIGIN OF VALENTINE’S DAY
The origins of Saint Valentine's day are rooted in the ancient Romans and their fertility festival of Lupercalia on the Ides of February (15th), dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture. It was a sensuous affair where young women put their names in a big pot and young men simply drew out a name. According to Glenn Church's 2008 article, "The man did not need to ask for a date, plan a dinner setting or a movie. Just draw a name and off to fornicate."

The rites of Lupercalia survived until the fifth century AD when Pope Gelasius I outlawed the pagan festival and superimposed a religious day honoring Saint Valentine.

The Pope’s action toned down the festivities but, according to scholar Noel Lenski, University of Colorado, “It was a little more of a drunken revel, but the Christians put clothes back on. That didn’t stop it from being a day of fertility and love.”

Ah-ha! So the connection to love (fertility rites, anyway) wasn’t St. Valentine, but the pagan festival his name day superseded. Or was it?

WHO WAS SAINT VALENTINE?
Actually, no one knows for sure, but historians agree there was nothing romantic in any of the histories of the three early-Christian martyrs (Saints) named Valentine. To complicate things, two of the Saint Valentines were executed on February 14 but in different years of the third century.

However, Saint Valentine of Rome was imprisoned by Emperor Claudius II allegedly for ministering to Christians and performing wedding ceremonies for soldiers who were forbidden by the emperor to marry.

Apparently, records of these events, if there were any, have been destroyed and references to the Saint and his legend come in documents written well after the third century. However, Valentine of Rome was executed by the emperor between 269 and 273 (references vary), and is most likely the Saint Valentine being honored. Whether or not the legends are true, who knows?

THE SHAPE OF VALENTINES TO COME
Getting back to the point, when did the heart shape become identified with love. I went in search of the real answer which, of course, doesn't exist … or at least no one agrees on the subject, but there are a number of intriguing theories.

♥ Dionysus and the Leopard’s Spots
Chronologically speaking, the first theory is the heart shape originated as the symbol of Dionysus, Greek god of grapes, wine, and debauchery, and champion of sexual orgies. The god and the Cult of Dionysus are depicted among Mycenaean artifacts the end of the Bronze Age (1600-1100 BC).

By the seventh century BC, Dionysus was well established in the beliefs of the time. His symbols include the bull, serpent, and tiger, as well as grapes, wine, and ivy. He is often depicted riding a leopard, wearing a leopard skin, and carrying the thyrsus -- a long stick or wand topped with a pinecone -- and wearing an ivy crown.

The connection between Dionysus and sexuality is clear, but where does the heart shape come in?

In my opinion, this theory is a real stretch. Supposedly, the god’s favorite leopard skin had a spot which was the exact shape of a heart. I’m going to cross this one off the books. If anything, it was the crown of ivy he wore that associated him with the heart shape.

♥ The Abortive Qualities of Silphium
At about the same time, the seventh century BC, the city-state of Cyrene (a Greek, and later Roman) city near present-day Shahhat, Lybia was known to trade in the rare, and now extinct, plant silphium.

Silphium was a well known herb widely use in the Mediterranean area for spicing food. It grew only along the Libyan coast where the climate is now considerably drier. It was also widely used as an abortive agent for women. The day after sex, the woman would eat the silphium plant or its seeds and usually abort.

And guess what? Its seeds were shaped like hearts.

The plant was commemorated on Cyrene coins, such as the ones shown below, because of its economic importance to the city-state. It's quite plausible the shape of the seed pod became related to sexuality and love because of this major use as an abortive.

♥ The Real Shape of the Human Heart
We move to the third century BC for the next theory. The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) wrote that the human heart was the center of all human emotions. It is certainly one of the major body parts which sends visceral signals regarding our feelings and moods. If you've ever been in love, or heartbroken, you know you definitely feel it in your heart. That could support the connection between the heart and passion. He also described the heart as three chambers with a dent in the middle. In spite of some of the articles on the heart shape, I don’t think a real heart looks much like the modern day valentine heart.

A couple of centuries later, Claudius Galenus (known as Galen of Pergamon), a noted Greek physician, surgeon, and philosopher, wrote texts about many areas of medicine. These included anatomical reports and drawings based mainly on dissection of monkeys and pigs, which remained unchallenged until 1543 and served as the mainstay of medieval medicine.

Scholars such as Pierre Vinken, author of an entire book on the shape of the heart early in the 20th century, suggests the symbolic heart shape might have originated in the writings of Galen and Aristotle.

♥ Le Roman de la Poire: The Romance of the Pear
Fast forward to the middle ages. The first verifiable association of the heart shape as a symbol of romantic love occurred in 1250 in a French romance (Le Roman de la Poire: The Romance of the Pear) written by someone named Thibaut.

The manuscript was illustrated and in the drawing below “The kneeling man is an allegory of Doux Regard [or sweet gaze] handing the damsel the lover’s heart. This is the earliest known depiction of the human heart in a metaphorical context signifying romantic love, which over the next two centuries would give rise to the now-familiar heart symbol.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_de_la_poire

♥ Similarity to Lady Parts
Another theory is the heart shape depicts the female body, specifically the buttocks, breasts, vulva, back, and possibly the female pelvis. That certainly relates to sexuality. Also, author and editor Amy Cunningham suggest that because the female give birth to life could be another tie between the heart shape and love.
Buttocks Heart shaped baby bump Oh, my!

Knowing men, this connection, doubt made, had an early beginning -- prehistory perhaps. I doubt it took as long as medieval times to notice the similarity. Of course, the use of an arrowhead to pierce a heart has "strong male overtones". Let's leave it at that.

AND THAT, VIRGINIA, IS WHY VALENTINE'S DAY CARDS ARE SHAPED LIKE HEARTS.
◘
Resources
http://voices.yahoo.com/origins-valentines-day-heart-symbol-849689.html
http://www.kingdombaptist.org/the-origin-of-valentines-day-and-the-heart-symbol/
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/recycled/2007/02/the_shape_of_my_heart.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day
http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/what-is-the-origin-of-the-heart-symbol
www.iep.utm.edu/galen/
https://www.thehairpin.com/2012/02/possible-origins-of-the-heart-shape/
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/recycled/2007/02/the_shape_of_my_heart.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1586252/posts
https://www.romancefromtheheart.com/articles/general/history-of-heart-shape.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galen
http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Dionysos.html
http://scribol.com/anthropology-and-history/history/the-changing-symbolism-of-the-heart-shape-through-the-ages/
https://www.quora.com/Where-did-the-heart-symbol-(%E2%99%A5)-originate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silphium

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THE VALENTINE HEART SHAPE

2/9/2018

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VALENTINE’S DAY COMETH
When wandering through the greeting card section looking for the perfect card to give your loved one for Valentine’s Day, have you ever wondered about the origin of the traditional heart shape associated with love … and, therefore, Valentine’s Day?

The heart shape itself has been around forever. It appears in the cave-wall drawings of cro-magnon hunters, as far back as the ice age. Also, the shape itself is frequently seen in nature, so the question isn’t where the shape came from, but how it became the symbol of love and Valentine’s Day.
Ivy Leaf

THE ORIGIN OF VALENTINE’S DAY
The origins of Saint Valentine's day are rooted in the ancient Romans and their fertility festival of Lupercalia on the Ides of February (15th), dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture. It was a sensuous affair where young women put their names in a big pot and young men simply drew out a name. According to Glenn Church's 2008 article, "The man did not need to ask for a date, plan a dinner setting or a movie. Just draw a name and off to fornicate."

However, Saint Valentine of Rome was imprisoned by Emperor Claudius II allegedly for ministering to Christians and performing wedding ceremonies for soldiers who were forbidden by the emperor to marry.

Apparently, records of these events, if there were any, have been destroyed and references to the Saint and his legend come in documents written much later than the third century. Valentine of Rome was executed by the emperor between 269 and 273 (references vary), and is most likely the Saint Valentine being honored. Whether or not the legends are true, who knows?

THE SHAPE OF VALENTINES TO COME
Getting back to the point, when did the heart shape become identified with love. I went in search of the real answer which, of course, doesn't exist … or at least no one agrees on the subject, but there are a number of intriguing theories.

♥ Dionysus and the Leopard’s Spots
Chronologically speaking, the first theory is the heart shape originated as the symbol of Dionysus, Greek god of grapes, wine, and debauchery, and champion of sexual orgies. The god and the Cult of Dionysus are depicted among Mycenaean artifacts the end of the Bronze Age (1600-1100 BC).

By the seventh century BC, Dionysus was well established in the beliefs of the time. His symbols include the bull, serpent, and tiger, as well as grapes, wine, and ivy. He is often depicted riding a leopard, wearing a leopard skin, and carrying the thyrsus -- a long stick or wand topped with a pinecone -- and wearing an ivy crown.

The connection between Dionysus and sexuality is clear, but where does the heart shape come in?

In my humble opinion, this theory is a real stretch. Supposedly, the god’s favorite leopard skin had a spot which was the exact shape of a heart. I’m going to cross this one off the books. If anything, it was the crown of ivy he wore that associated him with the heart shape.

♥ The Abortive Qualities of Silphium
At about the same time, the seventh century BC, the city-state of Cyrene (a Greek, and later Roman) city near present-day Shahhat, Lybia was known to trade in the rare, and now extinct, plant silphium.

Silphium, a well-known herb widely use in the Mediterranean area for spicing food, grew only along the Libyan coast where the climate is now considerably drier. It was also widely used as an abortive agent for women. The day after sex, the woman would eat the silphium plant or its seeds and usually abort.

And guess what? Its seeds were shaped like hearts. The plant was commemorated on Cyrene coins, such as the ones shown below, because of its economic importance to the city-state. It's quite plausible the shape of the seed pod became related to sexuality and love because of this major use as an abortive.

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THE EYES HAVE IT: body Language For Writers, Part II

2/2/2018

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THE EYES HAVE IT!
The study of body language is fascinating. However, the eyes are such an important and complex part of our body language they deserve special attention. Remember, the eyes are among the hardest parts of our body (and body language) to control.

The pupils and eye secretions are impossible to control consciously.

Eyes are sometimes referred to as the windows of the soul because they can send many different non-verbal signals—more than many of us are aware of. When reading body language, looking at people's eyes is useful because it is an accepted part of communication in most places, whereas gazing at or studying other parts of the body may be considered rude or even offensive.

The technique of Neurolinguistic Programming was developed by American psychologists Richard Brandler and John Grinder. They concluded that based on eye movements, humans reveal what their brains are focusing on by telling if the person is imagining something or remembering something. Specifically, the direction of the eye movement is useful in predicting channels of thought accessed by a person. They can signify recalling sights, smells, tastes, or tactile memories.

EYE CONTACT
● Direct eye contact
This refers to two people looking directly into each other’s eyes (versus their toward their face, mouth or body). It is a powerful act of communication and may show:
▪ Interest
▪ Dominance
▪ Affection
▪ Intimidation,
▪ Assurance other person is paying attention/ listening

In addition, looking at a person's eyes also lets you know where that person is looking. Humans are particularly adept at detecting what another person is looking at and can detect even a brief glance at parts of our body or over our shoulder, for example.

● Duration of eye contact
Eye contact longer than normal can have several different meanings.
▪ The person is listening, paying close attention to what the other is saying.
▪ The people like each other; We also look more at people we like and like people who look at us more.
▪ Accompanied by smiles and other signals, attraction or love. Attraction is also indicated by looking back and forth between the two eyes, as if we are desperately trying to determine if they are interested in us too. An attraction signal more commonly used by women is to hold the other person's gaze for about three seconds, then look down for a second or two and back up again (to see if they have taken the bait). If the other person is still looking at them, they are rewarded with a coy smile or a slight widening of the eyes ("Yes, this message is for you!").
▪ Domination, aggression, use of power, when long eye contact made without blinking, contracted pupils and an immobile face. The first person to look away admits defeat.
▪ Overcompensation for lying.

Eye contact that is shorter than normal
▪ Disinterest
▪ Less eye contact is used when talking, particularly by people who are visual thinkers as they stare into the distance or upwards as they 'see' what they are talking about.
▪ Insecurity
▪ Lying

● Breaking eye contact
Because steady prolonged eye contact can be perceived as threatening, when we are conversing with someone we frequently look away and back again. Breaking eye contact can send other signals, such as:
▪ Unpleasant emotional reaction to what was just said (insulted, threatened, etc.)
▪ Uncomfortable reaction to what was just said (causes internal discomfort)
▪ Loss of interest
▪ Simple interruption of conversation.

DIRECTION: WHERE YOU LOOK TELLS A LOT
Where a person is looking is one of the truest indicator of what that person is thinking and feeling. One of the others, believe it or not, is your feet. The direction of the gaze reveals reliable information if you can read it. It's hard to look someone directly in the eye and lie. A number of charts have been developed which provide an easy-to-read guide.

In my descriptions I am using the chart to the left where the eye positions are as seen by an observer. Memory to the reader's right; imagination / creation to the reader's left.

https://writershollow.wordpress.com/2013/07/10/body-language-eyes/ https://ifpblogs3g2.wordpress.com/eye-contact/

● Central Upward Focus
Looking upward center is generally an indication the person is thinking or recalling something real, but it can also mean boredom, doubt, or disinterest. Unfocused upward eyes mean the visual is imagined, not remembered. This position is also connected with remembering smells.

● Central Lateral Focus / Direct Eye Contact
Looking directly at another person in the eye can be an act of domination, a show of power. Therefore, looking down is often a sign of submission.

●Central Downward Focus
Looking directly down can also indicate that the person is feeling guilty. A notable way that a lower person looks down at a higher person is by tilting their head back. Even taller people may do this.

In many cultures where eye contact is a rude or dominant signal, people will look down when talking with others in order to show respect. It also can indicate remembering tastes.

● Right Upward Focus
When someone is looking upward and to the right, it is an indication they are remembering something using the visual channel in the brain. Something they saw and remembered.

● Right Lateral Focus
When someone is looking to their center right, it is a sign they are remembering a sound using the auditory channel in the brain.

● Right Downward Focus
When someone is looking to the bottom right (as seen by an observer), it is a sign they are having an internal dialog with themselves either out loud or inside their heads (observe crazy people when they are blabbering to themselves and they’ll usually be using this eye direction). Some resources indicated that a downward right focus can be a memory of taste.

● Left Upward Focus
When someone is looking to their top left, it is a sign they are imagining something using the visual construction channel in the brain. This is great for when asking a liar a question that requires memory (eg: Why didn’t you bring your homework today?) and instead of looking up and to the right to remember why…they look up and to the left to imagine something and make up an excuse. This also can show recalling a memory.

● Left Central Focus
When someone is looking to their center left, it is a sign they are imagining a sound using the auditory construction channel in the brain.

● Left Downward Focus
When someone is looking to their center left, it is a sign they are imagining a sound using the auditory construction channel in the brain.

EYE MOVEMENTS
● Lateral eye movement
Eyes moving from side-to-side may indicate shiftiness and lying, as though the person might be looking for an escape route. Lateral movement can also happen when the person is being conspiratorial, as though checking that nobody else is listening.

Be careful, because checking for others listening may occur if the conversation is private, or for other reasons other than a conspiracy. Eyes may also move back and forth sideways (and sometimes up and down) when the person is visualizing a big picture and is literally looking it over.

● Dampness / Shining Eyes
The tear ducts provide moisture to the eyes, both for washing them and for tears. The eyes have a tiny gland on the bottom of the eyelid secreting liquids such as tears for use as lubrication. When a person is interested or excited, the glands tend to secrete liquid thus giving the eyes a shiny appearance. This is an uncontrollable reaction.

Damp eyes can indicate suppressed weeping, indicating anxiety, fear or sadness, and can also occur when a person is tired (this may be accompanied by redness of the eyes).

Damp shining eye Eye Widening Rolling eyes
http://www.medicaldaily.com/eyes-wide-open-fearful-facial-expressions-are-powerful-social-cues-245446

● Eye Widening
Eye widening is a positive nonverbal cue indicating that someone is observing positive stimuli that bring them joy and happiness. The size of the eyes directly indicates how positive someone is about a topic or other stimuli. It can also indicate surprise or disbelief, as depicted by the photos above.

● Eye Rolling
Rolling the eyes around in a semi circle from bottom to top, or looking straight up reflects disbelief as in “I can’t believe you just said that” or “You’ve got to be kidding.”

● Pupil size
The other uncontrollable, eye-movement signal is the dilation of the pupil, when the size of the pupils increase, leaving a smaller ring of color around the pupils. The iris is actually a muscle tissue that expands and contracts to change the size of the pupils to allow more or less light into the eyes. Dilation is a subtle signal that is sometimes detected only subconsciously and is seldom realized by the sender is where the pupil gets larger (dilates) or contracts.

Other than allowing more light in order to see, dilated pupils means attracted, excited, or aroused. Sexual desire is a common cause of pupil dilation. When another person's eyes dilate, we may be attracted further to them and our eyes dilate in return. Likewise, when their pupils are small, ours may contract also.

   Normal pupil Dilated pupil top Normal; Bottom dilated

People with dark irises may look attractive because it is difficult to distinguish the iris from the pupil, with the effect that their dark pupils look larger than they are. People with light irises make the pupils easier to see, so when their pupils actually do dilate then the signal is clearer to detect, making them more attractive 'at the right time'.

The reverse of this is that pupils contract when we do not like the other person, perhaps in an echo of squint-like narrowing of the eyes. Contracted pupils may also result from a negative reaction or anger.

● Glancing
Glancing at something -- taking a quick look, then averting the eyes -- can betray:
   ▪ A desire for that thing, for example glancing at the door can indicate a desire to leave.
   ▪ A desire to talk to a person.
   ▪ Concern for a person's feeling when something is said that might upset them.
   ▪ A desire to gaze at something or someone where it is forbidden to look for a prolonged
   period.
It can also mean that something attracted the person's momentary interest. Like every other aspect of reading body language, you have to be aware of other factors. Don't jump to conclusions on the basis of one or two indicators.

● Gazing
Ah! The editor's favorite word. A gaze can fly all over the place, but not the eyes. A gaze is looking at something with particular interest. When looking at a person, normally the gaze is at eye level or above. When you look at something, then others who look at your eyes will feel compelled to follow your gaze to see what you are looking at. This is a remarkable skill as humans are able to follow a gaze very accurately.

A unfocused gaze can indicate disinterest, as though the person is thinking about something else.

Some sources say that looking at a person's mouth can indicate that you would like to kiss them. I'm not so sure about this one. I often look at people's mouths when I feel self-conscious (for whatever reason) about looking at their eyes. The experts say that looking at sexual regions indicates a desire to have sexual relations with them.

Looking up and down at a whole person is usually sizing them up, either as a potential threat or as a sexual partner (notice where the gaze lingers). Gazing can be insulting since it may indicate a position of presumed dominance, as though the person effectively says 'I am more powerful than you, your feelings are unimportant to me and you will submit to my gaze'.

In conversation, gazing at a person’s forehead or beyond them indicates disinterest. It is difficult to conceal a gaze as we are particularly adept at identifying exactly where other people are looking. Humans have larger eye whites than animals, since this is a natural aid to complex communication.

● Staring / Ogling
Looking at someone is not bad. You can gaze, but not stare. Therein exists the social problem. When does a gaze become a stare, ogling, or an eyeball assault?

When the gaze is directed at another person and is constant, it becomes a stare (or worse, ogling) when the subject of the gaze becomes uncomfortable. If so, cut if off! Respect the other's feelings. You can tell if the person is uncomfortable. Staring at inanimate things like scenery, works of art, buildings, etc. is not a problem.

Staring is generally done with eyes wider than usual, prolonged attention to something and with reduced blinking, but in the case of men, it is often accompanied by nudging his companions or with an irritating or insulting grin. It generally indicates particular interest (negative or positive) in something or someone. The length of an acceptable stare varies across cultures, as does who is allowed to stare, and at what. Babies and young children stare more, until they have learned the cultural rules.

   ▪ Staring with eyes wide open and then back to normal can indicate shock and disbelief, particularly after hearing unexpected news, or surprise.

   shock and / or disbelief    Aggressive staring    Defocused staring    Affectionate staring

   ▪ Defocusing, turning attention to the inside of the head. What the person is staring at may be of no significance.
   ▪ Aggressive staring into another's eyes is usually more associated with aggressive action. The man and woman above are looking into each other's eyes, but I don't think either is suffering discomfort from the stare … something else, yes. Aggressive staring is more like a battle to achieve dominance over the other person.
   ▪ Affection
   ▪ Deception
▪ Competition - When a person stares at another, the second person may be embarrassed and look away. If they decide to stare back, then the people lock eyes and this may become a competition with the loser being the person who looks away first.

Most of the photographs I could find of "ogling" involved celebrities "caught in the act." Sorry guys! You did it, and someone else took the picture.

   ogling    glaring    Doe-eyed

● Glaring / Glowering
Glaring is another form of staring which conveys disapproval.

● Eyeball Assault
This is a term used by scientists and psychologists who study this kind of behavior. Eyeball assault occurs when a person becomes overly aggressive with eye contact. Eye assault happens when men appear to undress women, or stare other men down. Women might appear to give dirty looks.

Assault is a matter of length and type of unbroken eye contact. This applies more to using the stare to establish dominance of another person, rather than ogling, which has more disrespectful or sexual overtones.

● Doe eyes/ Softening of the eyes
A softening of the eyes, with relaxing of muscles around the eye and a slight defocusing as the person tries to take in the whole person, is sometimes called doe eyes. It often indicates sexual desire, particularly if the gaze is prolonged and the pupils are dilated. The eyes may also appear shiny.

● Blinking
Blinking is a natural process whereby the eyelids wipe the eyes clean, much as a windshield wiper on a car. The eye blink rate refers to periods of excitement as it relates to an increase in blinking. The more we blink the more we are prepared for action as we keep our eyes moist. Pronounced eye blinking can happen during sexual arousal and attraction or while under pressure. A rapid series of eye blinks can also indicate an inner struggle or distress (or the person may have something in his eye).
   ▪ Stress - for any reason.
▪ Lying - Blinking could occur when the liar has to keep thinking about what they are saying. Realizing this, they may also force their eyes open and appear to stare.
   ▪ Rapport between people - People who are connected may blink at the same rate. Someone who is listening carefully to you is more likely to blink when you pause.
   ▪ A single blink can signal surprise that the person does not quite believe what they see.
Rapid blinking or extended eye blink blocks vision and can be an arrogant signal, saying "I am so important, I do not need to see you." They temporarily shut off the outside world as if it were irrelevant. They are sending a message to others that what they are doing and feeling isn’t worth their energy and thought and that they either bore them, or they are superior to you.

Rapid blinking also flutters the eyelashes and can be a coy romantic invitation, and reduced blinking increases the power of a stare, whether it is romantic or dominant in purpose.

Blinking    Winking Closing the eyes    tears    Rubbing Eyes
● Winking
Closing one eye in a wink is a deliberate gesture that often suggests conspiracy. "You and I both understand, though others do not." Winking can also be a slightly suggestive greeting and is reminiscent of a small wave of the hand.

● Closing The Eyes
Sometimes people close their eyes just to rest them or because they are tired, but the action sends signals which can be interpreted by others as:
   ▪ Closing the eyes shuts out the world. This can mean “I do not want to see what is in front of me, it is so terrible”.
   ▪ Sometimes when people are talking, they close their eyes. This is an equivalent to turning away so eye contact can be avoided and any implied request for the other person to speak is effectively ignored.
   ▪ Visual thinkers may also close their eyes, sometimes when talking, so they can better see the internal images without external distraction.

● Tears
Tears rolling down the cheeks are often a symptom of extreme fear or sadness, although paradoxically you can also weep tears of joy. Weeping can be silent, with little expression other than the tears (indicating a certain amount of control). It also typically involves screwing up of the face and, when emotions are extreme, can be accompanied by uncontrollable, convulsive sobs. Men in many culture are expected not to cry and learn to suppress this response, not even being able to cry when alone. Even if their eyes feel damp they may turn away. Tears and sadness may be transformed into anger, which may be direct at whoever is available.

● Rubbing
Watering eyes can be an indication of feeling uncomfortable. Often, to cover this and try to restore an appropriate dryness, people tend to rub their eyes and maybe even feign tiredness or having something in the eye. This also gives the opportunity to turn the head away.

The rubbing may be with one finger, with a finger and thumb (for two eyes) or with both hands. The more the coverage, the more the person is trying to hide behind the hands.

● Squinting
Narrowing of a person's eyes can indicate:
▪ Evaluation, perhaps considering that something told to them is not true (or at least not fully so).
   ▪ Uncertainty (“I cannot quite see what is meant here.”)
   ▪ Lying
▪ When a person thinks about something and doesn't want to look at the internal image, they may involuntarily squint.
   ▪ The light is too bright.
   ▪ Tiredness.
Lowering of eyelids is not really a squint but can have a similar meaning. It can also indicate tiredness. Lowering eyelids while still looking at the other person can be a part of a romantic and suggestive cluster, and may be accompanied with other gestures.

● Eye Color
This one also happened to me. Don’t let your editor make you change the phrase His eyes darkened to His gaze darkened.

While the actual color of the eyes, which is determined by the amount of the pigments melanin and lipochrome, does not change with mood, the appearance of the eye color can change. That is the result of the way light reflects off the iris, creating the impression that the color of the eye has changed.

The face constantly makes voluntary and involuntary expressions. During changes in mood, the muscles around the eye contracts or relaxes, which changes the shape of the eye opening. While some of these changes are very small, even minute changes affect the amount and angle of the light hitting the eye. The amount of light can also cause contraction or dilation of the pupils which can affect the appearance of eye color.

These small effects change the way light is reflected, and in some instances, the eyes appear to change color. Also, make up and colors surrounding the face can make the eyes appear to change color. But, it’s not the gaze that has color. It is the eyes.

● Following Eyes
Last but not least. Sorry, “following” is the way all the articles and scientific papers refer to the phenomenon of eyes naturally keeping track of movement of any kind (i.e. following). If a person is looking at something of interest, then the eyes/gaze will naturally keep looking at it even when it moves. Eyes will also “follow” neutral or feared things in case the movement turns into a threat.

THREE POINTS TO REMEMBER
● First, human beings are particularly adept at reading body language, which provides more information than words. Understanding is intuitive, and doesn't need to be explained.

● Second, a substantial amount of body language gestures are reflexive and unconscious. Although it's possible to learn to control some of them -- not necessarily easy, but possible -- the eyes are among the hardest to control and certain aspects are uncontrollable.

● Third, all individual body language gestures can mean more than one thing and should be interpreted in relation to other gestures, activities, circumstances, and other kinds of information (particularly since it is possible for a person to control the body language gestures).
◘
References
http://communicationtheory.org/body-language/
http://femalebodylanguage.net/
http://www.kevinhogan.com/bodylanguage.htm
http://bodylanguageinsights.com/fear.html
http://www.squidoo.com/readingbodylanguage
http://bodylanguageinsights.com/sadness.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_language
http://sapientology.com/body-language/eyes/
http://changingminds.org/techniques/body/parts_body_language/eyes_body_language.htm
http://www.bodylanguageproject.com/dictionary/bodylanguage-dictionary-e-eyebrow-flash-eye-direction-eye-flash-energy-displacement-emblems
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Guide_to_Social_Activity/Body_Language
http://www.wikihow.com/Understand-Body-Language
http://changingminds.org/techniques/body/parts_body_language/eyes_body_language.htm
http://www.wikihow.com/Read-Body-Language
http://www.doctornerdlove.com/chemistry-sexual-tension/all/1/
https://www.arinanikitina.com/body-language-of-the-eyes.html
https://tearsinmyemoeyes.deviantart.com/art/Tears-In-My-Emo-Eyes-71925779
https://www.quora.com/When-a-girl-catches-a-guy-staring-at-her-does-she-immediately-think-that-he-is-ogling#!n=12
https://tearsinmyemoeyes.deviantart.com/art/Tears-In-My-Emo-Eyes-71925779
http://www.ehow.com/about_5042633_causes-dilated-pupils.html#ixzz1R5bgZrXb
http://www.scientificpsychic.com/workbook/chapter4.htm
http://www.medicaldaily.com/eyes-wide-open-fearful-facial-expressions-are-powerful-social-cues-245446
https://writershollow.wordpress.com/2013/07/10/body-language-eyes/
http://www.bodylanguageproject.com/dictionary/bodylanguage-dictionary-e-eyebrow-flash-eye-direction-eye-flash-energy-displacement-emblems - Extremely Good Reference

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