As a writer, it is your job to accurately portray complex emotions in your characters, and anger is a challenging emotion. Whether it's a personal grudge, a deep-seated resentment, or a feeling of frustration towards a situation, anger can consume us and change our behavior. As a result, writing an angry character can be a hard task for many, especially new writers. Thankfully, this article is here to help! This post will explore some tips and techniques for creating compelling and realistic angry characters. So follow along if you are interested in writing realistic, and 3D angry characters.
Consider Why They're Angry
When writing angry characters, it is important to consider why they are angry. Anger is a complex emotion that often doesn't act alone, rather it is influenced by tons of various factors. For example, while one character may struggle with an anger management disorder, like IED, another character may be angry because they were betrayed by someone they loved. Understanding the root cause of your character's anger can add depth and complexity, making them more relatable and believable to readers. It also lets you develop a more nuanced character, instead of simply portraying them as a one-dimensional angry person. Without considering the reasons for their anger, readers may see your character as a villain, irrational or unrelatable, which would reduce their emotions' impact on the story. Plus, acknowledging the underlying factors behind your character's anger can provide an opportunity for growth and development, as they (may) learn to manage their emotions or confront the root cause of their anger. Overall, taking the time to consider why a character is angry will enhance your story and make it more realistic.
Understand the Different Types of Anger
Understanding the different types of anger is crucial when writing angry characters because it makes them more realistic and nuanced. Anger manifests in different ways, such as passive aggression, explosive outbursts, or silent resentment. But it is super important to remember that two characters won't demonstrate their anger in the same way and sometimes one character will react differently based on the situation they are in. By understanding these different types of anger, you can accurately depict your character's motivations, thought processes, and behavioral patterns. This adds depth and complexity to your character and helps your readers connect and empathize with them. Your readers won't empathize with your characters if they don't understand why they're angry. By knowing the different types of anger you are sure to create well-rounded and believable angry characters.
Include Physical Symptoms
Being angry for a prolonged period of time affects you, not only mentally, but also physically. That is why you should include depictions of mentions of the ways anger has impacted the physicality and health of your characters. There are many different physical tolls a character may experience out of anger. For example, they may have nausea or persistent migraines. Instead of dumping information about a character's health, weave their symptoms into the storyline. While writing, think about the emotional state of your character, but also consider their physical well-being. Some physical reactions that occur after long periods of anger are:
Feeling of Dread
Anxiety
Muscle Pain
Low Energy
Muscle Tension
Insomnia
Nausea
Tremors
Headaches
Loss of Breath
Avoid Stereotypes
Stereotypes are oversimplified and generalized assumptions or beliefs about a particular type of people. When writing an angry character, it's crucial to avoid stereotypes because stereotypes are really harmful and could perpetuate negative attitudes towards people who are more prone to anger. Stereotypes also limit the depth and complexity of a character, reducing them to a one-dimensional image. To create a well-rounded and realistic angry character, it is important to not rely on stereotypes and instead focus on developing their traits and motivations.
Research
If you haven't experienced a lot of anger or anger-related disorders, you may want to research more about them. Familiarizing yourself with what anger management disorders look and feel like will be helpful. Also, you should research how they show up in different people. Several online resources will give you information regarding mental health and anger, so make sure to consult more than one source. Research is important because it prevents misinformation and rumors from being spread. Plus, researching anger will help you prevent from perpetrating stereotypes, which are harmful as explained above.
Illustrating anger and other mental health challenges can be profound and relatable to readers who have experienced and struggled with anger themselves. Hopefully, these 5 tips help you write about a character who spends most of their time angry. But you also need to remember that anger issues should be separated from your character’s personality, motivations, struggles, and traits. Your angry character should be more than just their anger. Therefore, there is no need to constantly emphasize to your readers your character’s anger.