Angela Ackerman's Blog: Writers Helping Writers, page 49
June 25, 2022
Fear Thesaurus Entry: Infidelity
Debilitating fears are a problem for everyone, an unfortunate part of the human experience. Whether they’re a result of learned behavior as a child, are related to a mental health condition, or stem from a past wounding event, these fears influence a character’s behaviors, habits, beliefs, and personality traits. The compulsion to avoid what they fear will drive characters away from certain people, events, and situations and hold them back in life.
In your story, this primary fear (or group of fears) will constantly challenge the goal the character is pursuing, tempting them to retreat, settle, and give up on what they want most. Because this fear must be addressed for them to achieve success, balance, and fulfillment, it plays a pivotal part in both character arc and the overall story.
This thesaurus explores the various fears that might be plaguing your character. Use it to understand and utilize fears to fully develop your characters and steer them through their story arc. Please note that this isn’t a self-diagnosis tool. Fears are common in the real world, and while we may at times share similar tendencies as characters, the entry below is for fiction writing purposes only.
Fear of InfidelityNotes
Relationships are built on trust, and when one partner cannot trust the other, the entire relationship is jeopardized. In some cases, the partner may have a history of cheating or questionable relationships. In other situations, the character may be projecting their own self-doubt and insecurities onto their partner. This fear could become so great in the character���s mind that, despite a desire or need for romantic relationships, they���re avoided altogether.
What It Looks Like
The character doubting their own abilities and attractiveness
Being overly jealous or territorial
Secretly checking up on a partner���accessing their phone without permission, following them, etc.
Trying to “trick” a partner into confessing to suspected indiscretions
Enlisting friends to spy on the other party
The character overcompensating to impress their partner
Worrying excessively if a partner is late or doesn’t call
Checking in obsessively via texts or phone calls
Making unfounded accusations about a lover’s faithfulness
Being overly needy
Forbidding a partner to have relationships that aren’t sanctioned by the character
“Catfishing” a significant other online (or having a friend do it)
Bending over backwards to please a lover
The character agreeing to bedroom activities they’re not comfortable with to appease their partner
Common Internal Struggles
The character wanting to trust their partner but being unable to do so
The character worrying that the partner is disappointed in them (physically, intellectually, etc.)
Experiencing soaring anxiety despite having no tangible reason for it
The character questioning their suspicions (Is this real or am I being paranoid?)
Feeling guilty about spying on or checking up on a partner
The character wanting to discuss their suspicions but also being afraid to find out the truth
Hindrances and Disruptions to the Character’s Life
Relationships ending due to unfounded accusations or spying
Being unable to enjoy relationships because of overwhelming worry
The character’s pushy or suspicious behavior pushing their partner into an affair (creating a self-fulfilling prophecy)
The character avoiding close romantic relationships
Having difficulty maintaining stable romances
The character becoming obsessed with maintaining their physical appearance (to keep their partner interested)
Competing with perceived rivals
Scenarios That Might Awaken This Fear
The character’s lover starting a project with an attractive or aggressive co-worker
A friend’s relationship falling apart due to cheating
The character finding suspicious texts or emails
Noticing sudden changes in the significant other (personal grooming habits, a change in schedule, going out with friends more often, etc.)
Catching a partner in a lie
A lover becoming more secretive���hiding a cell phone, locking their computer, being uncommunicative about new friends, etc.
The character’s spouse requesting more time to themselves
Decreased affection, attention, and physical closeness from a significant other
The character’s spouse forgetting an important date, like an anniversary or birthday
Other Fear Thesaurus entries can be found here.
Need More Descriptive Help?While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (16 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.
If you like, swing by and check out the video walkthrough for this site, and then give our Free Trial a spin.
The post Fear Thesaurus Entry: Infidelity appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.
June 23, 2022
Avoiding Stereotypes in Fiction: Characters with Mental Health Issues
Readers have spoken: they want more diversity in fiction. And writers are stepping up, but it can be hard to write about someone who���s different than you. Careful research is the key to avoiding misrepresentation, which causes harm to the very identities being portrayed and creates fallout for well-meaning writers when they���re called out by readers.
For this reason, we���re running a series of posts on avoiding stereotypes in fiction. Written by a diverse cast of talented authors, each post highlights a different people group���the common stereotypes to avoid and how to write those characters realistically. We hope this series arms you with the knowledge and tools to write characters you may have been reluctant to write before���ones that will take your story to the next level.
By: Cheryl Rainfield
Books, movies, and TV shows can shape how we think about folks living with mental health issues. Yet popular media often stereotypes or sensationalizes mental health, which can harm people living with those issues while deepening the stereotypes, stigmatization, and misinformation. It helps to be aware of those stereotypes so you can avoid them in your work and make your characters more complex and realistic.
Here are some common stereotypes to avoid when writing about mental health.
Your Character Lives in a Mental Health Issue VacuumYour character likely knows many people living with mental health issues, even if they don���t know it. One in five US adults deal with mental health issues, one in 6 youth have experienced major depression, and one in twenty adults live with severe mental health issues. Because of harmful stereotypes, a lack of understanding, and societal shaming, many folks with mental health issues choose not to talk about them. But mental health issues are common.
Fix: Show your character knowing at least one person they care about with a mental health issue���a friend, parent, co-worker, lover���besides just themselves. If your character starts off with a void in this area, create opportunities for others to open up to them about what they’re dealing with.
Your Character is Violent Because of Mental Health IssuesThe media tends to pin violence, murder, even evil on folks living with mental health issues���especially schizophrenia, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), and psychosis. But the majority of people with mental health issues are not violent. Only 3%���5% of violent acts are made by people with a serious mental illness, and people with mental health issues are over 10 times more likely to be victims of violent crime than the general population. A study in Sweden found that 19 out of every 20 violent crime convictions in Sweden were committed by someone who did not have a mental illness.
Movies that depict this stereotype : Moon Knight, Split, Identity (DID), Fatal Attraction (BPD), Psycho, Spider (schizophrenia), Psycho, American Psycho, Joker (psychosis).
Violent acts are more likely to be caused by other or combined factors such as alcohol and drug abuse, being male, living in a low socio-economic household, experiencing or witnessing abuse and not working on healing, and social isolation. Major life stressors (such as losing one���s job, going through a divorce, the death of a loved one, etc.) and a lack of support during these events can also play a part.
Fix: Instead of blaming a character���s violence on a mental health issue, dig deeper into their background and current situation. Make sure they have the right combination of factors that could result in them using violence.
Love Cures Mental Health IssuesRomantic love, good parenting, support, and compassion can make dealing with a mental health issue easier, but they can’t cure these issues. The idea that love can fix these issues is dangerous because it may result in a loved one getting angry at or blaming the person living with depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia. They may even blame themselves for not being the cure.
Movies that depict this stereotype: Silver Linings Playbook, Don���t Say A Word. etc.
Fix: A character dealing with a mental health issue who is loved and supported will likely be able to cope better, but they still will live with their symptoms. Pair the love of others with additional proven strategies, such as the character improving their viewpoint about their mental health, incorporating helpful coping strategies, and/or getting support from a therapist.
A Character Being Defined by Their Mental Health IssueA character whose life revolves around their mental health issue and doesn���t include much else is very one-dimensional. Folks can be incredibly impacted by their symptoms, but they are more than their mental health issue.
Fix: Work to make your character a full character. Consider all the past events that make them who they are and have shaped how they see their world. Show their interests, people and animals they love, viewpoints, work and/or hobbies, and other things that help them get through each day. Figure out what motivates them, what their desires and needs are, and the obstacles that cause them trouble aside from their mental health issues.
Characters with Mental Health Issues Being Crazy or InsaneReferring to or depicting a character with mental health issues as crazy or insane is not only offensive, it also spreads the misinformation that aggression, violence, and/or criminal behavior are linked to mental health issues. The character may have challenging symptoms that affect their mood, thoughts, and behavior, but that doesn���t make them crazy. And someone with mental health issues can still function well and have good mental health.
Fix: Be specific in the words you use to describe your character and their symptoms. Research their mental health issue, giving extra attention to sources who live with it. Show your character living a full life, dealing with their issues but in touch with reality and the world around them.
Characters with Mental Health Issues Are Visually DifferentAnyone can be affected by mental health issues and most function well in society. They dress well in public, work at a job or as a parent, have good or good-enough hygiene, and you wouldn���t know by looking at them what issues they���re facing. While some folks with severe depression, PTSD, anxiety, etc. may struggle with hygiene, others can be on the opposite end of the spectrum.
Fix: You shouldn’t be able to tell that most folks have mental health issues just by looking at them. Talk to some people who deal with the mental health issue you���re writing about. Try to show the whole character and a spectrum of behavior and symptoms. If your character does struggle with hygiene, show them using hacks to keep clean.
The best way to avoid stereotypes is to research the mental health issue you���re writing about. Talk to therapists and consult folks who live with those issues. Read first-person accounts, credible articles, the DSM-5, etc. And remember that characters aren���t defined by their mental health, though it can affect their life and viewpoint.
More Resources:How to Treat Mentally Ill Characters When Writing a Novel by Sonja Yoerg, Writer���s Digest
10 Best Tips For Writing Mental Illness In Fiction, YouTube video by Jenna Moreci and Iona Wayland
Writing About Mental Health In Fiction by Mary Fletcher
Myths and stereotypes about people with mental health issues
Ways Mental Illness Is Commonly Misrepresented in the Media
Other posts in this series:
Avoiding Female Character Stereotypes
Avoiding LGBTQ+ Character Stereotypes
Avoiding Religious Character Stereotypes
Discussion is encouraged, but please keep it courteous. Let���s not call out authors for past mistakes, and let���s do keep an open mind. By listening to and respecting each person���s experiences and perspectives, we can better write the stories and characters readers want to see.
Award-winning author Cheryl Rainfield (they/she pronouns) writes gripping YA fiction with heart and realism, writing books they wished they had when they were a teen. Hundreds of readers have messaged her about how her novels about queer and abused teens helped them feel less alone. Cheryl draws on their own trauma and healing experience to write; Cheryl���s scarred arm is on the cover of SCARS. They are the author of six books including SCARS, STAINED, and HUNTED. Cheryl Rainfield is an incest and torture survivor, nonbinary lesbian, and an avid reader and writer. Find them on: CherylRainfield.com; TikTok; Twitter; FaceBook fan page and author page; Instagram; YouTube; plus BookBub for book recommendations.
Cheryl Rainfield has been said to write with ���great empathy and compassion��� (VOYA) and to write stories that ���can, perhaps, save a life.��� (CM Magazine) SLJ said of her work: ���[readers] will be on the edge of their seats.���
The post Avoiding Stereotypes in Fiction: Characters with Mental Health Issues appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.
June 20, 2022
Help Us Launch The Conflict Thesaurus Volume 2?
It’s coming…the second volume of The Conflict Thesaurus is releasing this September!
Becca and I can’t wait, seriously. This thesaurus book is not only intensely helpful, it’s been pretty fun to write (dreaming up fictional torture for our characters was good therapy after Covid, haha).
And now we’re asking for help.
Will You Join Our Street Team?
Launching a book is a big task, and one we need help with. And thankfully, many generous folks always step up to help, and we’re so grateful.
So what does a Street Team do, you ask?
In a nutshell, our Street Team helps raise visibility for our launch event so more people find it and can take advantage of giveaways and freebies. They might offer up a blog post to let people know about a launch event, share news on social media, review the book, and things like that.
People on the team get insider info (like the first look at our cover!) and a front row seat to our launch strategy, which can be helpful when it comes time to plan their own release. Being part of the Street Team doesn’t mean a mountain of work, either. We try to make it as easy to help as possible.
So if you’d like to join the Street Team, sign up here. (And thank you!)
(We’re looking for book reviewers too, folks who can make time over the summer to read the guide. If this sounds like you, just sign up and let us know.)
A bit about The Conflict Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles, Volume 2
In this book we dig into 120 more delicious conflict scenarios, targeting new categories, so you always find the right way to stress your characters and (hopefully) nudge them toward discovering their own inner greatness.
Conflict ThesaurusVol. 1 CategoriesConflict Thesaurus
Vol. 2 Categories
Relationship Friction
Duty and Responsibility
Failures and Mistakes
Moral Dilemmas and Temptations
Pressure and Ticking Clocks
No-Win Scenarios
Dangers and Threats
Ego-Related Conflicts
Loss of Control
Losing an Advantage
Power Struggles
Miscellaneous Challenges
And, like Volume 1, we dig deep into the element of conflict and show how it can be used to make a story unputdownable. We touch on many topics including Villains, Character Agency, the Climax, and how conflict is the golden thread that weaves your story together. You’ll come away knowing a boatload more about conflict and tension (even if you already have the first volume).
So when does this book release? September 6th. Woot!
Thank you as always for all your kind support, whether you have a bit of time to dedicate to Street Team activities or not. We greatly appreciate you all!
The post Help Us Launch The Conflict Thesaurus Volume 2? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.
June 18, 2022
Fear Thesaurus Entry: Losing the Respect of Others
Debilitating fears are a problem for everyone, an unfortunate part of the human experience. Whether they’re a result of learned behavior as a child, are related to a mental health condition, or stem from a past wounding event, these fears influence a character’s behaviors, habits, beliefs, and personality traits. The compulsion to avoid what they fear will drive characters away from certain people, events, and situations and hold them back in life.
In your story, this primary fear (or group of fears) will constantly challenge the goal the character is pursuing, tempting them to retreat, settle, and give up on what they want most. Because this fear must be addressed for them to achieve success, balance, and fulfillment, it plays a pivotal part in both character arc and the overall story.
This thesaurus explores the various fears that might be plaguing your character. Use it to understand and utilize fears to fully develop your characters and steer them through their story arc. Please note that this isn’t a self-diagnosis tool. Fears are common in the real world, and while we may at times share similar tendencies as characters, the entry below is for fiction writing purposes only.
Fear of Losing Other People’s RespectNotes
Gaining and keeping the respect of our peers is such an innate desire; even those who claim they don���t care what people think of them often do desire respect on some level. When this desire turns into a fear, it can manifest in a variety of ways that may seem contradictory depending on who the character is with and what���s expected of them. Whether it be in the workplace or the character���s personal relationships, respect is hard won, and the fear of losing it can limit their personal growth and be devastating to their mindset.
What It Looks Like
Mimicking others to adhere to the group’s standards
Being susceptible to peer pressure
Avoiding confrontations to keep the peace
Projecting an air of confidence
Changing personalities depending on who the character is with
Often being perceived as a teacher’s pet, brownnoser, or goody two-shoes
Being a high achiever
Perfectionism at work or school
Taking on other people’s responsibilities
Exhibiting workaholic tendencies
Being thoughtful and considerate to the point of annoyance
Being a rule follower
Volunteering for work, projects, or responsibilities
Taking on a submissive role in relationships
The character avoiding tasks they don’t believe they can do well
Pushing themselves past reasonable limits to make a good impression
Apologizing often
Common Internal Struggles
Replaying previous conversations obsessively and focusing what should have been said
Fearing change and new expectations from others
The character knowing the life they want but being reluctant to step toward it
Obsessing over worst-case scenarios
Struggling with anxiety and insecurity
Questioning their own thoughts and beliefs
Being afraid to speak up for fear of peers thinking less of them
Not trusting their intuition
Feeling powerless, as if the opinions of others control their lives
Struggling with self-loathing over being unable to stand up for themselves
Being indecisive due to overthinking all the possible outcomes of a situation
Berating themselves over mistakes made
Hindrances and Disruptions to the Character’s Life
Sacrificing their social life to make a good impression at work
Overfilling their schedule to please and/or impress their peers, parents, or bosses
Dating or marrying the “wrong” person because it will please the character’s parents
The character helping others pursue their dreams instead of following their heart
Succumbing to the pressures around them instead of standing on their own ideals
Frequently overlooking slights and disrespect from others
Missing opportunities to grow for fear of making a mistake
Losing sight of who they are and what they really believe (because they’re always capitulating to others)
The character’s own needs going unmet while they’re always doing for others
Constantly competing with others to maintain a someone’s respect (a parent, boss, mentor, potential love interest, etc.)
Scenarios That Might Awaken This Fear
Changing schools or jobs; having to meet new people and figure out their preferences or expectations
Seeing another person fall from grace
Overhearing gossip about a mistake someone made
Being challenged by peers to do something that defies the character’s moral code
The character’s social standing falling because of a new and popular arrival
Making a social blunder
Having to make a decision where either choice will disappoint someone important
A sibling distinguishing themselves, making the character feel as if they must do something exceptional to stand out
Other Fear Thesaurus entries can be found here.
Need More Descriptive Help?While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (16 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.
If you like, swing by and check out the video walkthrough for this site, and then give our Free Trial a spin.
The post Fear Thesaurus Entry: Losing the Respect of Others appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.
June 16, 2022
Avoiding Stereotypes in Fiction: Religious Characters
Readers have spoken: they want more diversity in fiction. And writers are stepping up, but it can be hard to write about someone who���s different than you. Careful research is the key to avoiding misrepresentation, which causes harm to the very identities being portrayed and creates fallout for well-meaning writers when they���re called out by readers.
For this reason, we���re running a series of posts on avoiding stereotypes in fiction. Written by a diverse cast of talented authors, each post highlights a different people group���the common stereotypes to avoid and how to write those characters realistically. We hope this series arms you with the knowledge and tools to write characters you may have been reluctant to write before���ones that will take your story to the next level.
By: Becca Puglisi
One of the ways human beings are incredibly diverse is in their religious practices. There are over 4,000 organized religions across our planet, and each one has individual sects that espouse slightly (or vastly) different ideas. This makes writing religious characters a bit of a challenge.
Part of the difficulty is that religion means different things to different people. Some have a cursory religious affiliation; they embrace it on specific holy days and adopt some aspects of it, but it may not have much bearing on their day-to-day life. Writing these characters is easier because you can cherry-pick the ways in which their beliefs impact their life, and less consistency is needed.
For others, religion goes deeper, right down to the person���s foundation. It defines them, and as such, will dictate their values, morals, priorities, life choices, how they spend their money and their time���virtually every aspect of their lives. These characters will need significantly more research to identify what they believe and how it will affect their path in the story.
Despite the different religions and vast disparity within these groups, I tend to see the same stereotypes constantly being portrayed. It���s frustrating, because I know from personal experience that most stereotypes are often based in reality; many of us have run into people who fit the clich��. But those stereotypes typically represent a small subset of that people group, and when they become the normal way of portraying those people, we do everyone a disservice.
To that end, I���d like to discuss the tired and over-exposed caricatures I���ve seen so we can avoid them and represent religious folks better. Because of the variety of beliefs and ideals even within the ���major��� religions, I���ve decided to focus this post on stereotypes that touch on many belief systems (while occasionally referencing Christianity specifically, since that���s the one I���m intimately acquainted with).
The Compensating ZealotThis is the devout character whose religious zeal exists because of a secret they���re trying to hide. Their over-the-top religiosity is used to either distract people from their secret or tip the heavenly scales in their favor. This is a frustrating stereotype because spirituality for many believers is heartfelt, not a smokescreen.
Solution:
If you���re looking for the genesis behind your character���s devotion, consider one of the many positive reasons people turn to religion. Maybe their beliefs helped them overcome an addiction or survive a difficult stage of life. Possibly, they experienced a miracle and are passionate now about who they���re worshipping. Or perhaps the tenets of their religion encourage them to love and serve others, so they���re doing it���not out of a need to compensate, but because they believe it���s the right thing to do.
The Rabid ProselytizerThis one doesn���t require too much explanation, and if you���ve lived long enough in Western culture, you���ve probably seen it in action. For Christians, it���s the Bible-thumping, fire-and-brimstone-preaching, bully-you-into-the-arms-of-Jesus evangelist. I���m sure there are varying versions of these characters in other religions whose desire to ���save��� as many people as possible trumps everything else���including love, respect, and basic courtesy.
This stereotype, like many stereotypes in general, is based in reality. There are people like this. There used to be a lot more. It���s easy to fall back on this clich�� because these characters make easy antagonists and scapegoats. But this fringe subset of many religions is just that: the fringe. They���re either the loudest, the most unusual, or the most confrontational, so they get the most attention. But this isn���t the vast majority of religious people.
Solution:
Research your character���s religion to get a feel for the whole range. Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Taoism���every religion has fundamentalists, progressives, and everything in between, and each subset���s beliefs and practices will differ. As is true for most groups, the people on the fringes don���t typically represent the majority. Carefully research the range of beliefs for your character���s religion, then aim for the middle, and you���re more likely to write the character realistically.
The Culturally Irrelevant WeirdoAnother fringe representation, these are the people who are so entrenched in their religion they have a hard time relating to the rest of the world. They don���t drink, dance, or watch TV. Their clothing looks like it belongs to another century. They might live off the grid, homeschool their kids, and only marry within their religion. They���re so far removed from the real world and the people in it that they have a hard time integrating, and no one takes them seriously.
I don���t know enough about other religions in this regard, so I���ll speak for Christians on this one and say that there is a TON of personal leeway in the Christian life. The Bible doesn���t mention R-rated movies, secular music, slot machines, or martinis, so it���s up to each individual to determine which activities they can partake of while still honoring God. This means that while some Christians won���t participate in some culturally acceptable practices, others will. And even when they do refrain from (or adopt) certain practices, that doesn���t usually make them irrelevant and unrelatable.
The majority of Christians (and other religious people I know) are different in some ways than their non-religious counterparts, but they���re the same in other ways. Drawing them as irrelevant, kooky, or visibly off-kilter just doesn���t reflect most of them in reality.
Solution:
Get to know people who are part of the religion you���re writing. As you build a relationship with them, ask yourself this question: how are they different? You might find some ways (you believe what?), but chances are, you���ll share a lot of the same interests, character traits, worries and fears, desires, and goals. They believe different things than you and live their lives a little bit differently, but for the most part, they���re people you can talk to, laugh with, and walk through life with. Keep this in mind and fashion your characters after real-life religious people.
An Exception: Some cults and fringe religious movements purposely strive to keep their people insulated and separated from the real world. If you���re writing a character in one of these groups, some of the stereotypes here will be correct.
Judgey McJudgersonLordy, lordy. This one.
Most religions espouse some beliefs that are counter-cultural. In fiction, this translates somehow to a religious character pushing those ideas onto everyone else. The truth is, most religious people have certain dos and don���ts that are part of their life practices that they follow as a way of honoring God and others. It���s personal, so they don���t typically judge people outside of their religion for not adopting those tenets���much like military personnel don���t expect civilians to salute, and someone on a diet doesn���t expect others to eat like they do. It���s simply the way that person is choosing to live their life.
Solution:
Figure out what your character believes and how it will impact their life, and let them embrace those ideals without expecting everyone else to do the same. They shouldn���t force their choices onto others or try to guilt people into living the way they do. If someone asks why they do or believe certain things, the character should be able to engage in a respectful conversation without judging or minimizing the other person.
In Conclusion���
The answer to avoiding stereotypes with religious characters is fairly straightforward:
Talk to real people who share your character���s beliefs. If you don���t know any, put out a call on social media to see if any are willing to talk to you. Find a local place of worship and call them up. Most of them will be happy to answer your questions about their beliefs and clear the air. Then you���ll be armed with facts about your character���s religion rather than just hearsay or what you���ve seen in other fictional accounts.Make your religious character well-rounded. Give them a variety of positive attributes and flaws. They���re going to be religious, yes, but they���re going to have other hobbies, talents, and areas of interests that are unrelated. Don���t neglect those other personality aspects, and you���ll save them from slipping into caricatures.Know their backstory. Were they always religious? When did it start? What got them into it? Why this religion and not another one? Knowing their history and their reasons in this area will give you a better understanding of who they are at their core. It will also guide you in how big a part of their lives the religion will play.Other posts in this series:
Avoiding Female Character Stereotypes
Avoiding LGBTQ+ Character Stereotypes
Discussion is encouraged, but please keep it courteous. Let���s not call out authors for past mistakes, and let���s do keep an open mind. By listening to and respecting each person���s experiences and perspectives, we can better write the stories and characters readers want to see.
The post Avoiding Stereotypes in Fiction: Religious Characters appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.
June 14, 2022
���They���re All Gonna Die!��� Wait, Why Does That Matter?
By Jami Gold
Want to draw readers into our story? Of course! To do so, we often attempt to make the stakes bigger. Typically, that���s a decent approach.
But imagine opening a book and the first paragraph of the story introduces a character hanging off a cliff by their fingertips. Ooo, jumping into the story in medias res, straight into the thick of some action. That���s good���right?
Or maybe not.
After all, readers don���t know who this character is and have no reason to care about their fate. For all readers know, this might be the villain who���s trying to escape justice and when saved here, will return by the end of the story to cause more problems for the real protagonist. Or maybe they���re a superhero who can fly, making this situation no big deal. Or maybe they���re faking their dilemma and have their feet solidly planted on a ledge. Or���
In other words, stakes alone aren���t enough to pull readers into our story. So how can we make our stakes matter? Let���s look at the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once for 3 lessons on how to make our stakes���and our story���matter.
The Brilliance of Everything Everywhere All at OnceThere are countless reasons why Everything Everywhere All at Once is a fantastic movie���earning its glowing reviews and 95% ���fresh��� rating on Rotten Tomatoes���but since we can���t take up multiple posts, we���re just talking about how some of those reasons apply to stakes. (I���ll be avoiding specifics so as not to spoil the story too much, but the movie is available for sale now, so if you haven���t seen it yet, definitely check it out.)
The movie starts with small, family-drama type of stakes. None of the characters of the movie���s family are getting along with each other, and we see the context to understand why and sympathize with each of them.
Then out of the blue, the main character, Evelyn, is confronted with ridiculously huge stakes: the entire multiverse (not just the Earth, galaxy, or universe, but multiverse!) is at risk without her help. But she has no reason to care about those stakes���they���re too big and impersonal. As seen in the trailer, her hilarious response is: ���Very busy today. No time to help you.���
Later in the movie, however, the tropes of huge, world-ending stakes are upended. Rather than the Climax being a battle for the fate of the multiverse, the movie reverts to being about small, family-drama-sized stakes.
The Change of Stakes Shouldn���t Have WorkedShifting the stakes from ���save the world/multiverse��� to a question of whether these family members can come together with meaningful connections���such as sharing a mutual hug with real love and understanding���could have felt like a ���bait and switch��� to the audience. On many levels, changing the stakes from big to small shouldn���t have worked. As writers, we���re taught to raise the stakes, and the easiest interpretation of raising stakes is to make them bigger.
However, as the many positive reviews of the movie attest, rather than leaving audience members disappointed at the stakes being so small again, many who never cry in movies are left weeping because even though the stakes are small, they���re also extremely strong. They matter to the characters and to the audience.
3 Tips for Making Stakes MatterWhat makes the movie���s stakes so strong? How did the movie make the shift from huge stakes to small stakes work?
Here are three lessons to take away from how the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once (EEAaO) used stakes:
Lesson #1: Stakes Must Have Context
If we think back to the introduction above for why a character hanging off a cliff wouldn���t necessarily make readers care, we can see how dropping readers into a supposedly high-stakes situation in a story���s first paragraphs meant that they wouldn���t have any context for understanding. They wouldn���t know whether the character was one they should root for���or root against.
In the movie EEAaO, the first act introduces the family members in ways that make the audience understand and sympathize with their struggles. The audience learns every characters��� goals, motivations, and initial conflicts. That information gives the audience the context for watching new conflicts and struggles and understanding what���s at stake.
Similarly, in our stories, whenever we introduce a new conflict or struggle, we need to include enough context so that readers understand the consequences of failure.
Lesson #2: Personal Stakes Mean MoreGoing back to our cliff-hanging example, readers picking up the book and seeing that situation on page one also wouldn���t know what the character risked by hanging off the cliff���was it life or death? Or just an inconvenience?
In EEAaO, Evelyn rejects the initial ���call to adventure��� because the stakes of the fate of the multiverse are too big for her to relate to in a personal way. She doesn���t fully embrace her role in the story���shifting from reactive to proactive���until she feels a connection to the situation. Audience members have similar reactions: The whole multiverse dilemma feels like an interesting story, sure, but the reveal of Evelyn���s personal connection to the stakes feels like a gut punch.
In our stories, if the stakes (consequences of failure) don���t matter to the character, we���ll struggle to make them matter to readers. So we want to ensure that readers understand not just the consequences of failure but why those consequences matter to the character.
Lesson #3: The More Readers Care about the Character, the More They���ll Care about the (Personal) StakesWith our cliff-hanging example, even if we included context about the situation and made our character care about the risks, readers still wouldn���t be drawn in as much as they would if the dilemma happened several pages later. Humans tend to care more about what happens to friends and family than to strangers, so readers need a chance to get to know characters and relate to them before really caring about their situations and stakes.
In EEAaO, the stakes in the movie shift from small and personal to too-big and impersonal, then big and personal, and finally back to small-ish (but still much bigger than in Act One) and personal. This shift works because we���ve grown to care about all these characters so much. We���ve seen���and related to���their struggles and pain, and we don���t want to see them give up, fail, or be hurt.
In fact, one of the major themes of EEAaO���s story is an exploration what makes things matter. The family members each confront the fear that nothing they do matters, that life is just a collection of empty experiences. By the end, they each discover how becoming closer to each other���caring about each other���is what makes those seemingly pointless experiences, and life itself, matter.
For our stories, not every story or genre lends itself to deep point-of-view or other techniques to create emotional connections between readers and characters. But any amount of connection we create between readers and our characters will help strengthen our story���s stakes.
Stakes Don���t Have to Be ���Big��� to Be StrongIf we take away nothing else, the movie proves that stakes don���t have to be big to be strong. As I���ve talked about on my blog before, to strengthen our story���s stakes without going ���bigger,��� we can check:
Do consequences of failure exist for each of our characters��� goals?Does the character(s) have something to lose to create a risk?Are the��negative consequences expressed on the page (do readers fully know how they���d affect the story)?Are they personal to the character(s) (or do they��become��personal as we raise the stakes throughout the story)?Do the stakes force characters to make sacrifices or difficult decisions that reveal their depths to readers?Is the character(s) shown as caring about those consequences?Have we set up readers to care about the characters?If a character cares about a stake, and readers care about the character, we don���t need a multiversal threat to make a stake strong enough to pull readers through our pages. *smile*
Have you seen Everything Everywhere All at Once? What did you think of the movie? Do you have any insights to add to this discussion about stakes? Do you have any questions about using stakes?
Jami GoldResident Writing Coach
After muttering writing advice in tongues, Jami decided to put her talent for making up stuff to good use. Fueled by chocolate, she creates writing resources and writes award-winning paranormal romance stories where normal need not apply. Just ask her family���and zombie cat.
Website | Goodreads | Twitter �� Facebook �� Pinterest
The post ���They���re All Gonna Die!��� Wait, Why Does That Matter? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.
June 11, 2022
Fear Thesaurus Entry: Humiliation
Debilitating fears are a problem for everyone, an unfortunate part of the human experience. Whether they’re a result of learned behavior as a child, are related to a mental health condition, or stem from a past wounding event, these fears influence a character’s behaviors, habits, beliefs, and personality traits. The compulsion to avoid what they fear will drive characters away from certain people, events, and situations and hold them back in life.
In your story, this primary fear (or group of fears) will constantly challenge the goal the character is pursuing, tempting them to retreat, settle, and give up on what they want most. Because this fear must be addressed for them to achieve success, balance, and fulfillment, it plays a pivotal part in both character arc and the overall story.
This thesaurus explores the various fears that might be plaguing your character. Use it to understand and utilize fears to fully develop your characters and steer them through their story arc. Please note that this isn’t a self-diagnosis tool. Fears are common in the real world, and while we may at times share similar tendencies as characters, the entry below is for fiction writing purposes only.
Fear of HumiliationNotes
Humiliation is similar to embarrassment, but it tends to have a public angle, occurring in front of a group of people or friends. The resulting unpleasant emotion is one your character will naturally want to avoid; experiencing it enough could create a fear for the character that causes them to go to great lengths to avoid potentially humiliating situations. Closely related to this is a fear of public speaking, which will be added to our thesaurus soon.
What It Looks Like
Being easily embarrassed
The character overcompensating to prove their worth
Disassociating from persons who have caused humiliation in the past
Avoiding people who witnessed a past humiliation
Being suspicious of certain people and their motives
Becoming antisocial
Being reluctant to meet new people
Taking remarks out of context (assuming humiliation was intended when it wasn’t)
Being overly cautious about not tripping, saying the wrong thing, etc.
Declining social or work opportunities where a public mistake or failure is possible
Excessive worrying about making a blunder
Staying in the background to avoid slipping up in front of others
Downplaying accomplishments or skills to avoid attention
Not becoming romantically involved with others (to keep from being turned down)
The character engaging in self-deprecating humor���making fun of themselves before others have a chance to do so
Common Internal Struggles
Having trust issues
The character feeling paranoid that someone is out to get them
Struggling with perfectionism
Wanting to build relationships and new friendships but fearing what may happen
Assuming the worst will happen despite knowing how unlikely it is
Wanting to run away from a humiliating situation instead of dealing with it head-on
Wondering if the humiliation was justified (self-blame)
Self-loathing undermining the character’s self-esteem
Feeling like there is no escape (if humiliation is frequent and ongoing, maybe as a result of bullying)
Growing feelings of resentment causing the character to consider seeking revenge
Hindrances and Disruptions to the Character’s Life
Missing out on good opportunities because they include an element of risk or a possibility of public embarrassment
The character lashing out at perceived humiliation where none was intended, causing problems in relationships
Lingering anger over past humiliations causing the character to be stuck���unable to move past the event
Avoiding places or situations where past indignities occurred
Developing a physical tic or pain from a severe humiliation in the past
The fear of humiliation progressing into an anxiety or panic disorder
Scenarios That Might Awaken This Fear
Being set up on a blind date
Having to walk in front of a group of people or down a flight of stairs to make an entrance
The character having to work with a person who once humiliated them
Someone bringing up a humiliating event from the character’s past
Having to revisit the site of a humiliating event
Seeing someone else’s embarrassing blunder on social media, TV, or in person
Being pressured by a loved one or mentor to do something that carries an element of risk
The character’s feelings about a humiliating event being minimized by others
Other Fear Thesaurus entries can be found here.
Need More Descriptive Help?While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (16 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.
If you like, swing by and check out the video walkthrough for this site, and then give our Free Trial a spin.
The post Fear Thesaurus Entry: Humiliation appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.
June 9, 2022
Avoiding Stereotypes in Fiction: LGBTQ+ Characters
Readers have spoken: they want more diversity in fiction. And writers are stepping up, but it can be hard to write about someone who���s different than you. Careful research is the key to avoiding misrepresentation, which causes harm to the very identities being portrayed and creates fallout for well-meaning writers when they���re called out by readers.
For this reason, we���re running a series of posts on avoiding stereotypes in fiction. Written by a diverse cast of talented authors, each post highlights a different people group���the common stereotypes to avoid and how to write those characters realistically. We hope this series arms you with the knowledge and tools to write characters you may have been reluctant to write before���ones that will take your story to the next level.
By: Drew Hubbard
When it comes to LGBTQ characters, some people believe that there’s ���too many of them.���
According to a report done by GLAAD on scripted broadcast primetime (American) programming in the 2021-2022 season, 11.9% of characters identified as LGBTQ . Factoring in TV shows (and movies) from across the world, I’d bet money on that % dropping considerably.
Despite the LGBTQ community being extremely diverse in many ways (race, ethnicity, age, ability, neurodiversity, gender identity, etc), we still see the same characters and the same stereotypes over and over again. We’d love to change that. So, to give you somewhere to start (and not overwhelm you), here are the 9 WOOOOORST LGBTQ stereotypes and how to avoid them.
Stereotype #1: THE PREDATORY (OLDER) LESBIANProblem: She’s a lesbian cougar. She has her sights on a younger woman who’s nearly always ���straight��� and ready to be turned. She’s very controlling, often written to pamper to the male gaze, and thus behaves like a straight man. It’s basically yuk on so many levels.
Solution: Allow older lesbian characters to be in happy, secure relationships. Perhaps she has been in one for years/decades. She could also be single and happy. Or, rather than being predatory, let her be looking to find a woman she can connect with, not dominate.
Stereotype #2: THE PROMISCIOUS GAYProblem: All this chap is interested in is sex. A relationship sounds too hetero for him. It’s a dated stereotype from a time when being gay was kept secret. You rarely see two men being romantic together, sharing a life together, being monogamous together.
Solution: Gay (or bi/pan/queer) men can and do hold down long-lasting relationships. Yes, this stereotype does have a lot of truth (no slut-shaming here), however, it’s important to show younger people that being gay doesn’t mean you cannot find love and connection.
Stereotype #3: THE DUPLICITOUS BISEXUALProblem: Bisexuals are attracted to multiple genders, so of course they’re going to be cheaters, what with temptation everywhere. Vom! Pinning them down to one partner looks like they’re choosing a side, so they must assert their bisexuality card, otherwise it will be revoked.
Solution: Bisexual people can be in happy, stable, monogamous relationships. And���spoiler alert���they are still bisexual. You could literally make any character bi, doesn’t matter if they’re in a same-sex or opposite-sex relationship. Plus, you can show a character being attracted to multiple genders without reverting to this cheating stereotype.
Stereotype #4: THE BODY-HATING TRANS PERSONProblem: It’s all sadness, all the time for this poor transgender person. Not wanting to identify as their birth gender can only mean they hate their body immensely. All they can think about is removing parts of their body, there’s literally no time for anything else.
Solution: While some trans people do have gender-affirming surgery, many don’t and are still happy with their body. Still, why have a trans character going through a transition at all? Maybe they’ve already done that. Let their plot point be based on the story, not their trans-ness.
Stereotype #5: THE QUEER ONE AND ONLYProblem: These characters are often quite easy to identify as being written by a cishet writer because they exist alone. They’re the one and only queer amongst all the straights and don’t have any queer community outside of that cishet friendship group because why would they need other queers in their life?
Solution: Queer people find their LGBTQ family in real life, so why not have more than one queer? (Hello, bisexuals!) If you don’t want to write multiple queers, then at least have your queer character talk about their queer friends/family/community so the audience knows they don’t exist in a heterosexual vacuum. Some LGBTQ people might be surrounded by cishet people at work, but it’s not unusual for LGBTQ people to NOT have a single cishet person within their friendship circle. We find people to support and lift us up. Let your characters have that luxury too.
Stereotype #6: THE BROKEN ASEXUALProblem: There’s hardly ever any nuance to asexual characters. Despite asexuality being a spectrum, they’re usually shown as broken humans who have had asexuality forced upon them because of trauma or a medical condition.
Solution: Your ace characters can still have sex���that is not unrealistic. But also they can be confident and happy with their aceness. It doesn’t need to affect their every waking moment; it’s just one thing they don’t want/need, and these characters don’t always need to be thinking/talking about how much they don’t want sex. Simple.
Stereotype #7: THE EMOTIONLESS AROMANTICProblem: Even though being Aromantic means not feeling any (or much) romantic attraction, these characters are portrayed as being so unfeeling that they can’t even stand having friends. They’re often literally written as aliens or robots. How rude!
Solution: Being aromantic simply means having no or little romantic attraction. It doesn’t mean they have zero feelings/emotions at all. Rather than showing an aromantic as feeling like they’re missing out on romance/love, you can show them as being happy and comfortable with their identity.
(It’s worth pointing out that although some people identify as both Asexual and Aromantic, many people identify as just one of those and NOT the other.)
Stereotype #8: THE ANDROGYNOUS NONBINARY PERSONProblem: Being nonbinary means different things to different people, but of course enby characters are often shown as dead-centre between traditionally masculine and feminine. No nuance. No fluidity. Just an androgynous display at all times, from clothes to appearance.
Solution: Nonbinary people don’t need to show they are enby in their clothes and looks (I mean, what is the ���norm��� of any particular gender anyway?). They may also change it up depending on how they feel on a certain day, so rather than an enby person using just they/them pronouns, they might mix it up with other pronouns, too. There’s literally nothing stopping you making any character nonbinary. There’s no ‘one way’ to portray one’s nonbinaryness.
Stereotype #9: THE OVERSEXED PANSEXUALProblem: Pansexuals are attracted to the person, regardless of gender or gender identity, so obviously they are attracted to every single living human being and thus are always looking for the next hookup. Plus, there has to be that one joke about being attracted to pans. YAWN!
Solution: Pansexual people are all about their openness to be attracted to the person, so why not concentrate on that? Focus on the love a pansexual character has to give rather than focusing on their libido, which is very boring and quite insulting.
RESOURCESAs with writing any character that is unlike yourself, your best resource is talking to that community. You can reach out to LGBTQ people on social media to ask for their advice. And there are many online resources you can consult. Here are some good places to start.
Bang2write! has many articles on writing diverse characters. Lucy V. Hay has even written an entire book on the topic.My newsletter, Pride Reads, has monthly tips, advice, and surveys from members of the LGBTQ community discussing what they do and don’t want when it comes to representation.You could also seek out a sensitivity reader. Different from a beta reader, sensitivity readers will concentrate on the potentially problematic aspects of the story, advise you on what could be an issue, and suggest how you could bring more authenticity to the characters.Discussion is encouraged, but please keep it courteous. Let���s not call out authors for past mistakes, and let���s do keep an open mind. By listening to and respecting each person���s experiences and perspectives, we can better write the stories and characters readers want to see.
Drew Hubbard is a screenwriter and soon-to-be-novelist who runs ‘Pride Reads’ – a monthly LGBTQ writing newsletter for all writers who want to create better LGBTQ characters and stories.
He also offers a script feedback service and sensitivity reads. Find him on Twitter or Instagram.
The post Avoiding Stereotypes in Fiction: LGBTQ Characters appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.
June 7, 2022
3 Ways to Infuse Character Voice
By Lisa Poisso
Vocabulary and the way a character speaks are the outer layer of character voice���the icing on the cake. Instead of trying to build character voice from the outside in, get under the character���s skin by revealing how they experience and interpret the story world from the inside out.
Character voice bubbles up organically when every aspect of the story is seen through a character���s-eye view of priorities, perspectives, and agendas. It���s less like cobbling together a latticework of characters, setting, and events than it is establishing a running commentary on how the character views everything caught in that web.
���Running commentary��� may sound like something suited for first-person or deep third point of view. In fact, continually inflecting the story with a character���s personal concerns is a fit for any point of view whose narrator is also a character. It���s a seamless way to write. The character voice���with all its attendant observations, judgments, opinions, prejudices, preferences, thoughts, and emotions���effectively becomes your framework for worldbuilding.
The idea of character voice often brings to mind a character���s favorite words and phrases���for example, whether a character calls something neat, cool, lit, or dope. That���s coming at character voice from the outside in. To build character voice from the inside out, start with what the character observes in the first place.
1. What Characters Notice
What you know is inside a room will almost certainly be different from what the viewpoint character notices. What gets noticed depends on who does the noticing. Everyone sees the world through the lens of their own mindset, a potent brew of knowledge, experience, motivations, goals, preferences, hopes, fears ���
A musician notes different qualities in a concert hall than an interior designer. A six-year-old child beelines right past the collection of R&B vinyl to get to the puppy. The best friend sees a comfy, lived-in nest while the exhausted mom sees dirty socks and a pile of bills on the counter.
This is where knowing your characters��� histories comes in handy. What memories and emotions are associated with the people, places, and things they meet?
TIP : For deep-level character exploration, there���s no better tool than the Character Builder at One Stop for Writers.
2. What Characters Think About What They NoticeOnce you���ve worked out what a character would notice in any particular scene, it���s time to express that observation using their unique frame of reference.
Frame of reference is everything. To a character who spent summers at Grandma���s, it���s not simply the blue couch in the parlor; it���s Grandma���s sacred slab of dusty blue granite. To a carefree bachelor, it���s not a twelve-year-old girl; it���s a whiny tween suffering through Nikes instead of Yeezys.
This personal frame of reference often overtakes more logical, objective methods of description. Only narrators immediately know such details as another character���s exact height or age. The viewpoint character must make a guess: a woman so short he���d need to fold in half to kiss the top of her head, a guy about Mark���s age but with less gray hair.
It would be hard to get too specific with these judgments. People are opinionated. They have beliefs, and hopes, and prejudices about virtually everything they encounter. Don���t be afraid to be judgmental; you���re only letting your character out of the corral.
3. What Characters Are Stewing AboutMost people have some sort of agenda at any given moment. What���s on the calendar for today?
Find description for what they feel in the Emotion Thesaurus
This dynamic is supercharged for story characters, who are actively struggling toward specific scene and story goals. Like any of us facing a potentially eventful day, characters mentally and emotionally home in on their goals. Are they on the right track? Is today the day they���ll succeed? Or will all the cards come tumbling down?
Even the smallest actions, such as what a character chooses for breakfast, can be influenced by their goals for the day. If today���s the big presentation, will they eat a carefully balanced meal, pound a half dozen donuts, skip food to avoid nervous heaves, or forget about breakfast entirely? The way your character approaches these details reveals what they think is important.
Filling in the BlanksDialogue and thought, including vocabulary and syntax, are the external clothing of character voice. What does the character���s speech reveal about their upbringing, education, and experience? Will readers notice favorite words, phrases, or sayings? This characteristic language creates a neat, recognizable package for readers.
Just don���t forget what���s on the inside, as well.
Peering through a character���s lens into the world is often simpler to carry out after the first draft. Once all the story things are on the page, there���s more room to figure out how the character would view them.
At that point, it���s time to add color. How could you describe every person, place, and thing in a way that reveals something about how the character views it? What do those elements evoke for the character? Dialogue, description, backstory and facts, setting���virtually every element of the writing can be shaded through this personal lens.
Is using character voice to inflect the entire story a characterization technique or a description technique? The answer is yes. #wink
Lisa PoissoResident Writing Coach
Lisa Poisso’s innovative Plot Accelerator and Story Incubator coaching fast-tracks authors through story theory and development in weeks while facilitating an author-paced ���developmental edit in a bottle.��� She has decades of professional experience as an award-winning magazine editor and journalist, content writer, and corporate communications manager. She’s also a developmental and line editor, aided by an industrious team of retired greyhounds. For an extra shot of help, subscribe to her monthly Baker���s Dozen newsletter and pick up her free Manuscript Prep guide.
��
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The post 3 Ways to Infuse Character Voice appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.
June 4, 2022
Fear Thesaurus Entry: Being Watched
Debilitating fears are a problem for everyone, an unfortunate part of the human experience. Whether they’re a result of learned behavior as a child, are related to a mental health condition, or stem from a past wounding event, these fears influence a character’s behaviors, habits, beliefs, and personality traits. The compulsion to avoid what they fear will drive characters away from certain people, events, and situations and hold them back in life.
In your story, this primary fear (or group of fears) will constantly challenge the goal the character is pursuing, tempting them to retreat, settle, and give up on what they want most. Because this fear must be addressed for them to achieve success, balance, and fulfillment, it plays a pivotal part in both character arc and the overall story.
This thesaurus explores the various fears that might be plaguing your character. Use it to understand and utilize fears to fully develop your characters and steer them through their story arc. Please note that this isn’t a self-diagnosis tool. Fears are common in the real world, and while we may at times share similar tendencies as characters, the entry below is for fiction writing purposes only.
Fear of Being WatchedNotes
A certain amount of positive attention is usually welcomed���but not by everyone. A character with a sensitivity in this area may develop an aversion to being stared at, scrutinized, or actively watched by someone else. Characters with this fear can maintain meaningful relationships with others, but their personal boundaries and what they’re comfortable with will differ greatly from most people, putting them at odds with others and making it more difficult for them to connect.
What It Looks Like
Not making eye contact
Being combative to stop someone from staring (glaring back at them, calling them out, starting a fight, etc.)
Scanning the room to make sure no one is staring
Avoiding roles and responsibilities that would require the character to speak publicly or address a group
Refraining from activities that would draw attention, such as playing a sport or leading a club
The character connecting with others and expressing themselves creatively through platforms that don’t involve face-to-face communication (social media, a blog, etc.)
A demeanor that’s meant to avoid attention (a closed-off stance, head bowed, eyes averted, a quiet voice, etc.)
Avoiding surveillance cameras
Attending video meetings with the camera turned off
Being uncomfortable when their picture is taken
Difficulty navigating conversations with people who use active listening techniques and give people their full attention
The character having anxiety or panic attack symptoms when they’re forced to endure scrutiny (during an interview, in a police interrogation, while giving a presentation, etc.)
Friction with friends and family members who disagree with the character’s claims that people are always staring
Common Internal Struggles
Being confused when the character believes that others are rudely scrutinized him or her and a trusted friend claims this isn’t the case
Struggling with paranoia
The character wanting to attend a party or social event but not feeling like they can
Knowing that their fear makes them look strange to others but being unable to change
Experiencing self-loathing because of the irrational fear
Wanting to be like everyone else, but not knowing how
Feeling weak and defective
Hindrances and Disruptions to the Character’s Life
Frequent friction with friends and loved ones when they give the character too much direct attention
Clashing with law enforcement personnel, who see the character as cagey or evasive
Living an isolated life
Avoiding social activities that could bring the character joy and fulfillment
Not living up to their full potential (due to chronic underachieving to avoid attention)
The fear escalating into a full-blown mental health issue, such as social anxiety or a panic attack disorder
Difficulty developing a deep romantic relationship because the intimacy
Scenarios That Might Awaken This Fear
Losing a supportive family member of friend who understood and accepted the character
Facing a situation where scrutiny can’t be avoided (a meeting with Human Resources about a work infraction, being pulled over by a police officer, etc.)
Being actively surveilled (by a stalker, an ex’s private detective, etc.)
Laws changing and making government surveillance more prevalent
A family member being thrust into the public eye, resulting in less privacy for the character
Being asked to do something the character knows is a good idea but it will result in scrutiny
Other Fear Thesaurus entries can be found here.
Need More Descriptive Help?While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (16 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.
If you like, swing by and check out the video walkthrough for this site, and then give our Free Trial a spin.
The post Fear Thesaurus Entry: Being Watched appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.
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