When a person feels hatred, there are definite physical reactions when this dark emotion rips through his or her body. What happens internally and mentally in this person? What if this hatred has been brewing inside for a long time? What if it the person has held this hatred in and not allowed it to show through his or her actions?
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How would your character behave? We are going to use Dave and Roger as examples again.
What would be going on internally?
When Dave encounters Roger, a person he loathes, what goes on inside of him?
His body temperature would rise. This could account for the physical reaction of his face and neck turning various shades of red.
Dave tensed his muscles for so hard and for so long that he strained them. Therefore, his muscles would ache and be sore.
His heart would pound, and he would take in long, deep breaths. These breaths would be so deep that his chest could be seen moving every time he inhales or exhales.
If he clinches his jaws together and grinds his teeth, this would cause his jaw to hurt.
It is possible that from all of the internal and physical reactions going on with him, that he would hear a roaring in his ears. I like to think that the roaring is from his blood boiling with rage. All of these reactions could also cause a pounding headache.
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What would be going on mentally?
Have you ever been around someone whose mood was so dark and depressing that it was impossible to smile or be happy? Dave’s mood would be this dark, so dark that no one would be able to reach through the darkness flooding his body.
When Dave’s mood is this dark, the decisions he makes would be rash. His judgment would be impaired.
He would have irrational thoughts, and a lot of them would be about how to get even for some wrong done to him, whether the wrong was intentional or not. His desire to get even would be so great that he wouldn’t care how much of a risk he was taking to do so.
Fantasies of how he could humiliate or destroy Roger could dominate his thoughts. Not only would he be thinking of how he could accomplish these things, but he would rejoice when something bad really did happen to the Roger.
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What are some signs of hatred that is suppressed?
When around Roger, he would clamp his teeth tightly together to try to keep any harsh words from escaping.
He would take deep breaths to try to calm himself down.
He would seek out things to distract him or divert his attention from the one he hates so much.
He could refuse to stay in the Roger’s presence. He could think that if he stayed away from Roger and the situation that was causing him so much grief that it would just go away.
He would surround himself with friends who support him and feel just as he does. This would probably make him feel that he was in the right.
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What if he has felt this way for a long time?
Poor Dave has felt this way about Roger for a very long time. At first, he suppressed this hatred, but no more. As a result, he has lost the ability to find in enjoyment in anything positive. He has not been happy for a very long time.
It really doesn’t help that he no longer enjoys eating, and he has trouble getting a good night’s rest.
Dave no longer has a bunch of friends. He has become so fixated on his hatred and desire for revenge that he has become a loner. Now, instead of spending time with others, he stalks the object of his hatred. Fantasies, often violent, involving Roger are about the only things he gets any pleasure from.
Dave could go so far as to commit crimes against Roger. He could assault him, or he could put a violent and bloody end to Roger’s life.
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Writing Exercise
Hopefully, you have already started a notebook for writing exercises and have begun to list the ways you act when you feel hatred for someone or something. Now is the time to go back and add how this intense emotion makes you feel on the inside. Do you react to hatred internally and mentally the same ways that Dave does? Or are your internal and mental reactions different?
Have you ever suppressed your hatred for a certain person? If so, how did you act around this person? How did you act when you weren’t around this individual? How did holding in this hatred affect you?
Have you ever felt hatred for anyone over a long period of time? What difficulties did your reactions cause in your life?
Your life can be one of the best resources for developing your characters. If you haven’t already done so, start making notes on a character who has hated one certain person for a very long time. Once you have developed this character enough, a story centered around this individual should be right there waiting on you to write it.
Amazon link: The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi has helped me immensely in my writing. The writer’s guide to character expression is what I referred to when writing this article.
Recommended Article: Physical Reactions That Show Hatred
