  Short Stories
This week: My Last Nerve Edited by: Shannon  
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Emotions can motivate or imprison us. They have the power to bring out our best as well as our worst. Today we will take a closer look at anger, the second in a series of newsletters focusing on what it means to be human.
Throughout the process of writing this newsletter series I referred to The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. Please show them some love by buying your very own copy of this invaluable book here.
Welcome to the Short Stories Newsletter. I am Shannon and I'm your editor this week. |
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On Sunday April 19 I was driving to work when I rolled to a stop at a red light. As I waited for the light to turn green I glanced around at the other drivers. In the lane to my right a woman had pulled parallel to my truck. She held a cell phone inches from her reddened face--her expression contorted, veins popping in her neck, her free hand waving animatedly--and shrieked into the transmitter. I couldn't hear a word she said, but I knew she was absolutely furious.
"For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Anger is one of those emotions that has the potential to consume us, rendering us capable of things we wouldn't otherwise do. Just watch the news for a few minutes and you'll see what I mean. I wonder how the woman next to me at the traffic light would have felt had she realized I was watching her. Embarrassed? Ashamed? Enraged? If a news crew had been broadcasting her image live on television, would she have modified her behavior?
I've seen a lot of angry people, but the ones who made me say, "Whoa!" and take a step back are few and far between. Thankfully it's rare to see that kind of rage, but we've all been mad a time or two, right? Some things (and people) just push our buttons--get on our last damn nerve--and we lose our ever-lovin' minds. Temporary insanity ... it's even a defense tactic in courts of law, but how do we write it? How do we portray angry characters in such a way that the reader swallows it hook, line, and sinker? What does anger look, feel, and sound like? Can you taste and/or smell it?
What does anger look like?
 Men, especially, tend to make themselves appear bigger
Animated movements (as the lady was doing in her car)
Balling the hands into fists
Sweating
Clenching the jaw
Pacing
What does anger feel like?
Heart racing
Irritability
Inability to sit still/fidgeting
Tense muscles
Flushing sensation
Tight jaw/mouth
What does anger sound like?
Heavy breathing
Yelling/screaming
Slamming doors
Throwing/pounding/punching things
Cruel words/jeers/taunts
Crying/wailing
Taste and smell? Well, I'm sure there are those who experience a bitter taste in their mouths or smell ... I dunno, their abusive father's vanilla bean pipe tobacco whenever they lose their tempers, but these specifics are things woven into a story to individualize the character, not something universal.
Get to know your characters and their backgrounds. Who sets Mr. Smith off? What really pushes Mrs. Jones' buttons? What does a furious Mr. Smith look, feel, and sound like? Does Mrs. Jones lose her temper often, and if so, why is she so volatile? What is your character really[s}capable of?
Convey anger in a realistic, sympathetic, deliciously sensory way and your readers won't take a step back, they'll turn the page.
Thank you for reading.
"A broken bone can heal, but the wound a word opens can fester forever." ~ Jessamyn West
For other newsletters in this series, see the links below:
Part 1--"Shackled and Chained"
Part 2--"My Last Nerve"
Part 3--"Unbreak My Heart"
Part 4--"E is for Envy"
Part 5--"Imaginary Lover"
Part 6--"Soul Eater"
Part 7--"The Green-Eyed Monster"
Part 8--"Ego Trip" |
I hope you enjoy this week's featured selections. Please do the authors the courtesy of reviewing the ones you read. Thank you, and have a great week!
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The following is in response to "Shackled and Chained" :
billikus writes, "Cool! Fear IS the mind-killer." It absolutely is, Bill! Thanks for reading and commenting. 
blunderbuss writes, "Hi Shannon! I looked up that bug (not native to where I live) and apparently it has a 'painful bite'! So, we do have good reasons for our fears/phobias sometimes. It's when we take them to extremes (e.g. not being able to stay in a room if there's a spider in it) that we have a problem. I'm going to take a look at that phobia list now. Food for thought/stories!" Indeed! Yes, many of our fears are reasonable and prudent, but when a fear rules every aspect of our day-to-day life ... well, then there's a serious problem, and a potential story idea! 
Joy  writes, "Good points, Shannon.  Fear is a powerful emotion, and it certainly does wonders for the horror genre." For sure, Joy! Some writers make quite a comfortable living feeding off our fears, the film industry makes a pretty penny from scaring the crap out of us, and I guess as long as the threat remains on the pages of a book or on the silver screen we can't get enough. 
hammer18 writes,
"You must never be afraid of anything."
~ Gen. Phil Kearny to aide on the night before Bull Run.
"Fear is the best that lives within. It has no power but what you give it."
~ Me, to kids on dealing with the bogeyman.
Great quotes! Thank you for sharing them. 
Quick-Quill  writes, "I love that you wrote about this. When we think of Indiana Jones (who is afraid of snakes) and Young Weasley (who's afraid of spiders) we have added a layer to the character. Knowing that about these two characters, if it were taken out of the story would it have made a difference in the outcome? No. The fact that these two characters exhibited normal phobias that we all have to a point let us relate to them on a closer level. It lets the author add to the story a bit of fluff or a layer of connection to the reader. If you add that your character gets a rash when they become over nervous, what better way to connect to the reader? We all scratch or yawn when someone else does. I'll bet the reader will too. It might make or break your story to some reader." So true! Fears make our characters more sympathetic, more human. Everyone is afraid of something. Why would our characters be any different? Thank you! 
Elfin Dragon-finally published  writes, "I like this newsletter on fear. Your mention of your relative's wife who fears driving in traffic is much like my mother's fear of driving on freeways. If my mother can drive somewhere without driving on a freeway she will. I have a feeling if she could drive cross-country or even around the world without driving on one freeway, she would. I've also met several people who are afraid of snakes (mostly because I've owned one). But in this instance because mine was extremely beautiful in most cases I was at least able to get these people to admit snakes weren't all that bad (with rare exceptions). I am happy to report that many adults who were afraid of snakes were eager to let their children experience getting close to my snake without giving their fear to their children. With regards to my own characters I think good healthy fear of something does make them more human to the reader." Absolutely! Snakes, huh? I remember when I was 15 I saw a garter snake squirming across our gravel driveway. I stooped to pick it up and it defecated on my hand.  Since then I've never been a huge fan. If given the option to hold one I'd rather not, but I can without freaking out (I think). |
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Short Stories: April 22, 2015 Issue [#6939]
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