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Writing Fear Class Worksheet

The document outlines a framework for understanding and writing about fear in characters, including key questions to explore their fears, physical reactions, and types of fear. It emphasizes the importance of identifying overarching fears and how they influence character priorities and actions. Additionally, it provides guidance on addressing and 'fixing' fear by examining what characters lack and how they can overcome their fears.

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8 views2 pages

Writing Fear Class Worksheet

The document outlines a framework for understanding and writing about fear in characters, including key questions to explore their fears, physical reactions, and types of fear. It emphasizes the importance of identifying overarching fears and how they influence character priorities and actions. Additionally, it provides guidance on addressing and 'fixing' fear by examining what characters lack and how they can overcome their fears.

Uploaded by

7kbhq5fvwq
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Writing Fear Class Notes

Fear Questions
1. What is being threatened? What is the loss the character faces?
2. What does his fear say about his priorities?
3. What is the degree of fear
4. What are the overarching fears of the character—the ones the he deals with throughout the story—
not just in immediate circumstances?

Physical reactions
Facial expressions
Movement (trembling)
Effects on body (goosebumps)

Types of Fear
Consider the following types of fear. Which one is your character’s overarching fear? (Generally only one or
two). For all other fears, how much do these scare your character? There should be a range in her fear level.

1. Extinction
2. Mutilation or Bodily Invasion
3. Loss of Autonomy
4. Separation, Abandonment, Rejection
5. Humiliation, Shame, Worthlessness, Loss of Reputation
6. Physical Deprivation
7. Causing the death of a loved one
8. War and natural disasters
9. The Unknown

Writing Fear Course Worksheet 1


© 2020 Barbara Vance
[Link]
Fixing the Fear
Ultimately, fear is due to a lack of something. When faced with it, our character immediately starts think
about how to relieve it. Below are a list of possible things your characters might lack and questions she might
be asking. This is by no means exhaustive!

o He doesn’t know what to do


§ What don’t I know?
§ What must I learn?
§ What must I obtain?
§ How will this help me?
o He doesn’t understand something
§ What don’t I understand?
§ Who could help me understand?
o He lacks perspective
§ How do other people see this?
§ How else could I see this?
o He lacks familiarity
§ What am I unfamiliar with?
§ How can I become more familiar with this?
§ Who could potentially help me?
o He lacks experience in a given area
§ What experience must I gain?
§ How will I gain this experience?
§ When will I gain this experience?
§ Who has this experience already and could potentially help me?
o He lacks necessary resources to act
§ What resources do I need to get through this successfully?
§ Where will I find the necessary resources?
§ How will I acquire them?
o He doesn’t believe in his own ability to attain the desired outcome
§ What must I believe to do this successfully?
§ What must I believe to overcome this fear successfully?

The Psychology of the Character

• What is Threatened? The loss they face?


• What is the future the character is seeing?
• What does this fear say about his priorities?

Contextualizing Fear

• Degrees of fear
• Is the fear legitimate?
• How will this fear affect other characters?
• What does this fear say about the culture in which the character lives or grew up in?

Writing Fear Course Worksheet 2


© 2020 Barbara Vance
[Link]

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