Angry writer... well not so much right now

[Tiger]

Some of my writing, especially the darker writing is a release for anger. That is rather problematic right now though. I don't feel angry these days. I know it's weird that I want to be able to feel angry so that I can write more of my sequel, but I am so level-headed these days and too happy to be angry. How can I write something that is a release for my anger if I'm not angry?

[Daisy]

Some of my writing, especially the darker writing is a release for anger. That is rather problematic right now though. I don't feel angry these days. I know it's weird that I want to be able to feel angry so that I can write more of my sequel, but I am so level-headed these days and too happy to be angry. How can I write something that is a release for my anger if I'm not angry?

I'd just be happy your happy .

 

leave the writing til something else happens in the future and you need to vent. move onto another hobby in the meantime.

 

i no longer feel like writing in my journal and I think thats because Im happier too, but i feel its a shame because I like to read back and watch how my thoughts changed. but...oh well, I'm happier, its something to be happy about .

 

Celia

[Tiger]

Well, I do like being happier (well except for today) overall. I just wish I could tap into some of my more aggressive emotions so that I can feel more inspired to write. Seriously, does anyone have any suggestions of how to get my blood boiling to where I have an incessant need to vent frustration through depictions of violence and gore along with people being mean? I like writing like that.

[CarlHoliday]

I'd like to help, but my blood and gore seems to come too easily. I have to practically force myself to turn it off. On the other hand, I am a fairly level headed person, as long as we don't speak of the drugs that keep me that way, and I still find it easy to turn on the gore.

 

Maybe if you tried not using the blood and gore as a vent to your anger. Try sitting down and writing a little toward the dark side. Let it seep out naturally and see what happens. Maybe your problem is you've convinced yourself you can't write darkly if you're not angry. Do you really want to be mad at the world and yourself enough to generate blood and gore?

 

You see it's very simple to take the innocent bunny out of the cage. Pet it's back and listen to it whimper in response to your soft touch. See that cleaver over there? Pick it up and without thinking lop off the bunny's head.

 

See, that wasn't so difficult at all.

 

Good luck with your problem.

 

Carl

[jfalkon]

Eventually this problem may fix itself. As you get more frustrated the anger will build until you find yourself ready to throw your computer out the window. The you will think better of it and murder a characrter instead.

[Tiff]

I know what you mean about feeling the need to be inspired by anger. It does help bring out certain writing. But I wouldn't really want to be angry just for the sake of writing. I mean, being happy is the most important. I think if you're feeling good, that's all that matters. Everyone aims to feel that way and we don't achieve it.

 

As for getting into a dark state of mind for your sequel, maybe you should reread the first story, and get back into the story, plot, and characters. Once that happens, you "feel" the story and can write from that. After all, you just don't need anger to fuel your creativity. You can get back into the story, or the zone, as I like to call it, and start tapping those keys.

 

Good luck, I'm sure you'll manage soon.

[Tiger]

I took Carl's suggestion and started write a violent scene. It was a lot of fun. I must say that I particularly enjoy such scenes even when I'm happy. It was more of a mental thing. Thanks for the advice everyone!

[Cynical Romantic]

Just spend an hour driving around in downtown Montreal traffic. The anger thing will take care of itself.

[D and B]

Something that has always worked well for me is to (re-)read an incident of abuse, bullying, self-righteous judgmentalism, etc., and channel the outrage I feel into the anger my character(s) ought to be experiencing in the situation I've set up for them. (If you can do it -- I can only rarely; some can't at all -- "immersing" oneself in one's character, so that I'm feeling his/her reactions, also works well. If you can write first-person, this may be the way to go.)

[David McLeod]

Well, I do like being happier (well except for today) overall. I just wish I could tap into some of my more aggressive emotions so that I can feel more inspired to write. Seriously, does anyone have any suggestions of how to get my blood boiling to where I have an incessant need to vent frustration through depictions of violence and gore along with people being mean? I like writing like that.

 

 

I read somewhere that the best actors and actresses have a mental file cabinet of memories that they evoke when they need a particular emotion. One may remember the death of a parent or loved one in order to bring tears; one may recall a special success to evoke elation. What memory do you have of something that made you particularly angry? Recall it. Rehearse it; think about what you should have said to the jerk who cut you off at the exit ramp, or the person who made you feel particularly small. Or, if all else fails, watch a half-hour of Fox News.

[hh5]

I read somewhere that the best actors and actresses have a mental file cabinet of memories that they evoke when they need a particular emotion. One may remember the death of a parent or loved one in order to bring tears; one may recall a special success to evoke elation. What memory do you have of something that made you particularly angry? Recall it. Rehearse it; think about what you should have said to the jerk who cut you off at the exit ramp, or the person who made you feel particularly small. Or, if all else fails, watch a half-hour of Fox News.

 

I hear their shrinks are well paid. Like son don't you know that psychosis sent you to college and paid for 1/2 the house. Now you cure it!!!

 

A good question - Are you trying to invoke a General Anger or a specific type of anger.

It may make a difference.

 

Ex: If you're trying to write anger to an X-Wife and never been married or don't have an X-Wife that be hard.

Ex: If its road rage then evoke the memory not go and drive it.

Ex: If its like a sharp pain then I may not wanna hit my finger with a hammer.

[Meeko]

I read somewhere that the best actors and actresses have a mental file cabinet of memories that they evoke when they need a particular emotion. One may remember the death of a parent or loved one in order to bring tears; one may recall a special success to evoke elation. What memory do you have of something that made you particularly angry? Recall it. Rehearse it; think about what you should have said to the jerk who cut you off at the exit ramp, or the person who made you feel particularly small. Or, if all else fails, watch a half-hour of Fox News.

 

 

You know this is true, I don't have much experience acting but I have done a few and you are totally right, they have to be able to feed off of a memory anything to make them able to express a certain feeling when they need it and to be able to turn it off just as quickly as they turned it on.

[JamesSavik]

I suppose you could start drinking heavily. It worked for Hemmingway.

[corvus]

I read somewhere that the best actors and actresses have a mental file cabinet of memories that they evoke when they need a particular emotion. One may remember the death of a parent or loved one in order to bring tears; one may recall a special success to evoke elation. What memory do you have of something that made you particularly angry? Recall it. Rehearse it; think about what you should have said to the jerk who cut you off at the exit ramp, or the person who made you feel particularly small. Or, if all else fails, watch a half-hour of Fox News.

 

Interestingly, there are two opposing camps on this "method acting" business. One camp thinks the actor or actress should do "substitution," or put his or her own personal memory into the situation in order to conjure the emotions. The other camp thinks that the actor or actress should believe in the script and story so much that the emotions come as a result. (See Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler.) In principle, I'm inclined to trust the latter, otherwise everything one writes becomes obnoxiously autobiographical, and the character loses identity; but I also believe that character and author are linked inseparably.

 

There are apparently lots of ways to get angry, but only one way to be angry that is in-character. And that's what the author is responsible for depicting.

[David McLeod]

Interestingly, there are two opposing camps on this "method acting" business. One camp thinks the actor or actress should do "substitution," or put his or her own personal memory into the situation in order to conjure the emotions. The other camp thinks that the actor or actress should believe in the script and story so much that the emotions come as a result. (See Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler.) In principle, I'm inclined to trust the latter, otherwise everything one writes becomes obnoxiously autobiographical, and the character loses identity; but I also believe that character and author are linked inseparably.

 

There are apparently lots of ways to get angry, but only one way to be angry that is in-character. And that's what the author is responsible for depicting.

 

Your point that the character must remain in-character is perhaps the key to this entire discussion. Certainly, authors must know their characters well enough to know how they would react to key situations, the diction they would use, for example. By introducing "method acting" as an analogy, and giving those of us who don't know anything about the subject two names to google, you've shown one of the strengths of the GA community: a wealth of diverse knowledge, and a group of people willing to share it. Thank you.

[DomLuka]

It

[Graeme]

Dom, I've chatted with another author who told me that when his characters feel emotion, he does, too. When he's writing an emotional scene, he feels that emotion as if he's there in the story. So, what you've said is not uncommon.

 

Personally, I can sense the emotions, but I have a degree of detachment from them when I'm writing. I'm usually more affected when I go back and re-read the scenes. That's just the way I am. My view is that we all write the way that best suits us and we should all take other authors' recommendations exactly as that -- recommendations -- and don't assume that they will work for everyone.

[corvus]

Personally, I can sense the emotions, but I have a degree of detachment from them when I'm writing. I'm usually more affected when I go back and re-read the scenes.

 

This is quite interesting -- I think my experiences are much the reverse. I get very worked up during the writing process and can only hope that the writing captured some fraction of the feeling I had while writing. This approach *has* changed over the years, though -- I think I'm more cognizant of and tempered regarding the act of writing, though in the ideal world it'd be a subconscious sort of management.

[Graeme]

This is quite interesting -- I think my experiences are much the reverse. I get very worked up during the writing process and can only hope that the writing captured some fraction of the feeling I had while writing. This approach *has* changed over the years, though -- I think I'm more cognizant of and tempered regarding the act of writing, though in the ideal world it'd be a subconscious sort of management.

Everyone is different I know of several authors that write the way you describe, but that's not me. I suspect I'm simply too critical of my word choices while I'm writing to allow myself to dive into the emotions.

[J_Ross]

I try to get myself 'in character' when I have to write an emotion that I'm not feeling. It happens on accident most of the time and for me, it's really not all that difficult to put myself in the shoes of one of my characters. It doesn't seem to matter how I started out feeling, if I jump in and try to put myself in the story, I'll come out feeling the emotion I wanted to protray. I'm not sure if it translates, but it works for me. More than once, I've come away from writing a scene completely exhausted at all the emotions.

 

I suspect I'm simply too critical of my word choices while I'm writing to allow myself to dive into the emotions.

I always wish I could be a little more detached when writing. I never pay much attention to word choice and I think that's partly why I'm always disappointed with the final product.