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Aftermath: Writing Emotions

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How well do you know your character's emotional depth? Digging deep into a character's emotions is important for a writer because it helps you create more dynamic characters, but it can be a taxing task in the event of a tragedy when the character now has to face the aftermath. 


But how do we write the aftermath?


Before addressing the aftermath, spend some time with your character before and during the tragedy. Think about who they are and how they display emotions on a regular basis. Do they keep their feelings to their chest for no one to see or do they embrace their emotions in full passion and let everything out in the open? Usually, your character will land somewhere in between and it is up to you to find out how they handle extreme situations.


Five Stages of Grief

You also need to assess the tragedy and how much of an impact it will have on your character. Remember the five stages of grief developed by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance (DABDA), as these stages will help you plan out the emotional process.


Don't be afraid to get emotional with your characters. Some writers shy away from the emotional depths of their tragedies because of their own personal experiences but lack of emotional depth can lead to flat writing.


Embrace your characters when you write them and travel into their psyche to see what pains them and how it affects their being. If you want your readers to be angry, you as the author have to be able to get angry too. Remember to take care of yourself throughout the process and take breaks when needed as this will help you explore those emotions and become less hesitant to examine your characters. They express emotions in a variety of ways and everyone reacts differently, so here are a few ways to show the outward feelings.


Expressing loud emotion


  1. Let it all out (think denial or anger)

This is where they scream. They scream, cry, fall to their knees and let out all the emotions they had bottled up. They may lash out in conversation or cry uncontrollably at random moments. Outbursts are bound to occur and irrationality will be a friend in your character’s mind, but eventually they must work through the grief to get to another side.


  1. Obsession (think anger or bargaining)

Sometimes a tragedy can have a big impact on someone and it may send them down a spiral that turns into obsession. Whether the source of inspiration is the tragedy itself or something different, your character’s inner monologue may become singularly focused on their plans. This can lead to sleep deprivation, anxiety, and an outward expression of emotions towards the obsession.


  1. Remembering (think depression, verging on acceptance)

Sometimes characters need to take a trip down memory lane to grieve what they’ve lost. Pulling out old photos, visiting memorable places, holding onto personal mementos, etc. They may hold on for a short period or a long one and they may need help to be pulled out of it. These may be slow scenes that help your character become attuned with what they are feeling and help them grow from it. 


  1. Growth

In some cases, your character may follow all of the steps the doctor says. See a therapist, speak of the event, learn to grieve and grow. If this is fitting to your character, remember the purpose of your story to see if there needs to be an interruption to this peace or if the peace will be strong for the purpose of your story. 



While some can express their emotions outwardly, others are more reserved and like to keep their emotions inside. This is where an author needs to get creative as their characters do have emotions inside them, but they need more personal ways to express them to others. Here are a few ways you can communicate emotions when your character internalizes everything.


Expressing quiet emotion


  1. Redundant action

Some characters have trouble expressing their emotions which can lead to more silent acts. When relating to aftermath, a repetitive action—something they also did before the tragedy—with slight adjustments would show changes in their internalized emotions. Sitting on the porch at the end of dinner every night because it was their nightly routine with their past lover is a good example.


  1. Isolation

Sometimes characters feel like they have to isolate themselves from the rest of the world in order to grieve. This could lead to aggressive behaviors towards loved ones to actively push them away or intentional physical blocking to create space. With this approach, there’s usually a loved one that helps them break out of this isolation and helps them back into the world or to a realization of some kind.


  1. Distractions

Sometimes your character needs to stay distracted to avoid their feelings. They may turn into workaholics and seem to never leave their work or maybe they invest themselves into others' lives too much so they do not have to deal with problems in their own. Keep them busy for a while, then take away the distractions so they must finally face their feelings.


Take a deep breath. Writing aftermath can be draining and emotionally taxing, but the more practice you get with it, the more comfortable you will be in becoming attuned with your characters and their emotions. You’ve got this, take care of yourself through the process and write something beautiful.


About the author: Marissa Miranda (she/her) is currently working on her BA in creative writing along with her minors in communication and business at ASU. She has a bookshelf in her room that is overflowing with books, from fictional romances to elegy poetry. When she is not at school or working on her writing, she is either working through college as a host at an Italian restaurant or watching every TV show and movie she can find.

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