Quick Tips For Writing Desperation
Desperation is the emotion that drives characters to their limits, leading to their most intense and extreme behaviours.
By showing how characters become more desperate as your plot progresses, you can create characters that are interesting, dynamic, and relatable.
Here are some tips for writing desperation in your characters. As the plot moves forward, these elements can get worse, showing their decline.
How do they behave?
- Obsessive and/or compulsive
- Repetitive actions like hand wringing, or overuse of stock phrases
- Self-destructive and risk-seeking
- Enhanced aggression
- Avoidant and isolationist
- Manipulative
- Exploitative
- Short-tempered
- Impulsive decision-making
- Unrelenting pursuit of something
What physical signs do they show?
- Heart palpitations and short, rapid breathing
- Sweating profusely
- Shaking or trembling
- Sudden onset of nausea
- Feeling weak or dizzy
- Muscle tension
- Headaches
- Insomnia caused by worry and stress
- Feelings of fatigue
- Stomach pain and cramping
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How do they interact?
- Begging or pleading with others
- Manipulating others to get what they want
- Increasing paranoia and questioning other’s motives
- Pushing away loved ones
- Becoming overly clingy
- Either an inability to trust or being too quick to trust others
- Self-sabotage
- Single-focus conversations
What do they look like?
- Unkempt hair and poor hygiene
- Rumpled, slept-in clothing
- Nervous tics, like fidgeting, pacing, or picking at nails
- Extreme and unexplained weight loss
- A haunted, faraway, or panicked look
- Dark-rimmed, bruised eyes from lack of sleep or exhaustion
- A constant sheen of sweat and clammy skin
- Unusual clothing choices
What body language do they display?
- Hunching over, as if trying to protect themselves
- Fidgeting or pacing
- Avoiding eye contact
- Clenching fists or grinding teeth
- Sweating or shaking
- Staring intently at something
- Repeatedly touching hair or face
- Darting eyes and biting lips
- Meek and under-confident stance
- Pleading look
What is their attitude?
- Feeling hopelessness
- Sad and dejected
- Becoming increasingly irrational
- A loss of faith in themselves and others
- Obsession to the point of resorting to extreme measures
- A sense of helplessness
- Blaming others
- Feeling powerless
- A sense of urgency
What are some positive things that can come out of desperation?
- Increased motivation to achieve their goals or solve their problems
- Resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity
- Heightened creativity and resourcefulness
- The ability to form deep and meaningful connections with those who share their struggles
- Catharsis or character growth through their struggles
What are some negative things that can come out of desperation?
- A tendency to become self-destructive or engage in risky behaviour
- Difficulty forming and maintaining healthy relationships
- Increased isolation or loneliness
- Chronic stress and physical health problems
- A tendency to make impulsive or irrational decisions
- Prone to depression and anxiety