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Frustration is often the most important emotion for fictional characters. Their reaction to failure drives the plot. Using examples and exercises, learn ways to create frustrated characters that will draw your reader into a realistic setting.

Using emotion to create strong, emotional characters and move a plot is critical for any writer in any type of genre. Knowing what kind of emotion to use and how to use it is a different matter, however. And while our fictional characters experience the same wide range of emotions that we do, frustration is often the overarching element that drives a plot and creates motivation.

FRUSTRATION — THE USEFUL EMOTION IN FICTION

Quick—what is the most important emotion your fictional characters feel? Love? Hate? Anger? Desire? All of these are critical. Love for a person or desire to attain a goal drives most plots. Hatred or anger drives most of the rest. Anna Karenina loves Vronsky; the wicked queen hates Snow White; Ahab is furious at Moby Dick; Nero Wolfe desires to solve murders. However, despite this impressive list, the most important emotion in fiction is something else.

Frustration and Character: She Did What?

Think about the people you know. I'm sure, even though I've never met your friends and family, that they differ from each other in many significant ways, one of which is how they handle frustration. Some typical ways that people react to being blocked from what they want:

anger

tears

determination to try harder

blame the closest person

blame the universe

blame themselves

drink

vent frustration to a trusted friend

give up

seek revenge on whatever is frustrating them

pray

shrug and pretend stoicism

slide into depression