Your Characters Should Be Afraid, Very Afraid

Shannon Dittemore is the author of the Angel Eyes trilogy. She has an overactive imagination and a passion for truth. Her lifelong journey to combine the two is responsible for a stint at Portland Bible College, performances with local theater companies, and a love of all things literary. When she isn’t writing, she spends her days with her husband, Matt, imagining things unseen and chasing their two children around their home in Northern California. To connect with Shan, check out her website, FB, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest.

Happy Friday, everyone! Before we jump into today’s chat about fear, let me announce the winner of last week’s giveaway. The winner of Rose Cooper’s middle grade novel, I Text Dead People, is:

Like every being of light, Canaan hates fear. It has little effect on him, but humans can’t make such a claim. Only Celestial eyes can see it for what it is. Black and thick. Like tar, but icy and alive. It clings and oozes. It weighs down its victims until they are either frozen in a trench of indecision or worse–they make the first possible move, no matter how unwise, simply to rid themselves of it.

The above excerpt is from my first novel, Angel Eyes. Fear has become more than just one of the traits I brainstorm about my characters. Fear itself seems to work its way into every story I write. There’s a lot of reasons for that. Some I’m aware of. Others, less so, I’m sure. But I think the best books require their heroes to confront the things they fear most.

It stirs something inside the reader to see courage like that on display.

And giving real fears to your characters will actually help your writing process. Knowing your characters’ anxieties will give you places to go when you’re stuck and it will help you dig into the heart and soul of the character who remains elusive to you.

Your characters should have fears. Even the minor characters in your story. Every single one of them should be afraid of . . . something.

Things to consider

Fear comes from many different places. Fear can be rooted in external situations or from internal emotions. It can be based on experiences of the past or in the unknown of future moments. Fears can be constant companions and fears can be sudden suitors. Your characters should probably have a hearty mixture of these anxieties.

Fear can keep us frozen in indecision. Fear often robs us of experiences and opportunities. When we reach a fork in the road, fear of making the wrong choice can keep us glued in one place. This indecision should cost your character something. The next time he reaches a fork in the road, his response should reflect the consequences he’s already suffered for refusing to make the choice initially.

Fear can force us into action. We all respond differently to fear and your characters should too. Fear often propels characters forward–because they’re brave or because they’re stupid or because they aren’t wired to stand still. I am absolutely certain you can find ways to use this in your stories.

Fear manifests itself in different ways. Some of us get quiet when we’re scared. Some of us cry. Some of us need everyone around us to be scared too so we don’t feel so alone in our misery. Some of us need to lean on a stronger personality. Some of us shut down entirely. How do your characters act when they’re afraid? And please note: They shouldn’t all respond in the same way.

Fear can be healthy. Some fears are good and necessary. When the building catches fire, it’s your character’s fear of burning to death that will force him into action. While past experiences can infect us with fears that keep us from doing the things we love, they can also teach us to avoid dangerous situations in the future. Healthy and unhealthy fears alike can motivate your characters to action. And readers like action. They like it a lot.

Fear should change your character. Every time your character confronts that great fear of his, something about the character should change. Is he growing more accustomed to the threat or is he increasingly terrified by it? What does that do to your character? Does it make him more or less confident? Does it make him brave or reduce him to a puddle of goo? Maybe your character starts with an overwhelming fear of the dark. If, as the author, you continually put him in situations where there is no light, perhaps he learns a few coping mechanisms along the way. Perhaps, he learns to live with his fear, to function in the midst of it. We call that character growth. Again, something readers like to see.

Fear should be confronted. Readers need to see your character in different dilemmas with this fear of his. Held captive by it, defeated by it, coping with it, functioning despite it, learning from it, feeding off it, challenging it, and finally punching that wretched fear in the face. Of course, you could turn your story tragic and let fear devour your character, but I can’t think of a better reason to feature fear in your story than to show off your protagonist’s growth and ultimate ability to conquer that fear.

I’m just scratching the surface here friends. Fear and its implications can bring all sorts of drama and action to your story.