In a post on Writers Helping Writers, Angela Ackerman shares her tips for writing emotionally volatile characters. “Whether it’s marriage problems, a car breakdown, or a killer taunting our character by choosing victims they know, at a certain point, our character is going to blow up,” she writs. “And when they do, they’ll set aside rational thought and act.”
So, what can this loss of control look like? Ackerman identifies several possibilities beyond temper tantrums, including:
- Impaired Decision-Making. When someone is dealing with high emotions, they don’t think clearly. He may fail to use common sense, jump to conclusions, think irrationally, or refuse to compromise. Characters who act without thinking make poor decisions and take risks.
- Damaged Relationships. Friendships and family relationships can become collateral damage. Your protagonist may shut people out, lash out, question someone’s motivations or loyalty, make accusations, or refuse help. This both creates conflict and obstacles, and gives your hero the chance to grow and make amends.
- Questioning Themselves. Emotions can also spiral downward, leading a character into self-doubt or depression. She may feel vulnerable, become self-critical, or make self-destructive choices, or even give up.
- Compromised Values. Characters in a volatile state may cross moral or ethical lines. They might break the law, act on a bias, react with violence, or take the easy way out of a situation, rather than do what’s morally right.
- Reputational Damage. Ultimately, these characters may do more harm to themselves and their reputations. In anger, he might lost his temper, forget his filter, make mistakes, or break under pressure. Sadly, people think less of someone who loses control in this way, even when it happens only once.
- Making Things Worse. When times are bad, flying off the handle makes things worse. Your character might take risks, act rashly, abandon logic, fail to spot danger or red flags, or endanger others. The urge to “do something” may make it hard for them to care about anything else.
