Fear and conflict feed each other, creating
tension, which is why we ensure our characters experience
this emotion frequently. But the real story gold lies in not the quantity
of fear, but the purpose for it. In fact, all stories should include at least 4
types of fears.
A Core Fear (to Generate Inner Conflict & Shape
Character Arc)
Characters have at least one deeply rooted
fear that steers their beliefs, actions, and choices in unfortunate ways. More
than anything else—adversaries, conflict, obstacles—this internal fear has the
potential to hold them back, too. So, if your character is important enough to
have an arc, this is a fear they should address, along with the painful past
that caused it. The stakes are high; if they cannot subdue or minimize this
fear through character arc growth they will ultimately falter and fail, meaning
their story goal will remain out of reach.
Anticipatory Fear (to Ramp
Up Tension)
When the future is uncertain, fear of what may
happen rears its head. For the character, it’s the strain of not knowing how
things will work out—will they be able to fix a problem, get to where they are
going on time, convince others that a threat exists? Will they know the right
choice when it presents itself, be able to circumvent danger, and step up to
meet the moment as they must to survive? For readers, it’s the strain of caring
for characters who are in over their heads, facing terrible options, and stuck
navigating a labyrinth of impossible situations. In both cases, tension
stretches into a tight rubber band, and waiting becomes an internal agony of
sorts.
This is the perfect fear to trigger a
reader’s ‘need to know’ so they keep reading…and reading.
Immediate Fear (to Raise
Stakes and Force Characters to Act)
When threats have teeth ready to bite, the
character’s fear flips the switch to survival mode: fight, flight, or freeze
(and if these aren’t good strategies, fawn). Senses awaken, focus sharpens,
blood pumps faster, adrenaline surges. They are forced to act in whatever way
gives them the best chance to survive the danger. Sometimes they dodge disaster
by a hair, other times mistakes, missteps, or simple unknowns dump them from
the frying pan into the fire.
Immediate fear is a signal for conflict
that can’t be avoided, forcing the character to step into the moment and act.
It can reveal who your character really is, good or bad, and often leads to
complications, unintended consequences, and other fallout that pushes the stakes
even higher.
Personal Fear (to Reveal Character
and Humanity)
Everyone has their own unique set of fears
that may not be arc-worthy drivers of the story but do shed light on who a
character is and what some of their internal struggles are. Whether it’s an
existential fear like never finding happiness, or something else like a fear
not fitting in, these soft spots show a character’s human side.
How your character handles difficult
moments show readers how they problem-solve, work through challenges, and
ultimately, their level of resilience!
Fear has a place of importance in
every story. What is your character struggling with? Let me know in the
comments!
If you’d like to explore fear further, The Fear
Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to What Holds Character’s Back looks at 80+
deep level fears and how to write them into your story. If you need ideas
for which ones your character may be wrestling with, check out this master
list of fears.
