Sometimes rage causes violence, sometimes violence causes rage. In my creative writing classes, I would have students read a short story, and ask them to look for the violence. “What is violence?” I would ask them. And of course they would say things like a fight, someone shooting a gun. And yes, those are correct answers. Violence is also roughly sitting a toddler in a high chair who’s resisting being strapped in. Violence is cursing at someone. Violence is jerking the leash when the dog won’t listen. Violence is a door that closes with force. Violence is a glass broken, a book thrown to the floor. Violence is jarring, and surprising, and it gets attention, and it can come from rage, frustration, or even a need to control through fear.

Rage is defined as violent, uncontrollable anger. Sometimes, when we feel rage, the violence is all inside: we further upset that stomach ulcer we’ve been working on, or chomp down on the side of our cheek. I have been there! 

So what do we do, as humans, when faced with disappointment, depression, exhaustion, or rage?

Rage is a great writing moment for all of us. Every single person I have ever edited, included myself, has been guilty of too much tell, and not enough show. Think about when you feel rage; what do you do?

She felt mad.

He was clearly depressed.

Blech! Really? She was mad? He was depressed? How would we know? So think back over your most recent feeling of rage. and your actions around coping with that. Were you unable to sleep? Did you have trouble sitting still? Were you binging cheese puffs? Was your stomach sour? Did you want to hit something? Did you want to run until you were exhausted? Could you not face talking to anyone? Was any light too bright? Was the temperature all wrong? Did the dog smell bad to you when he had just had a bath? Telling me this is better.

She felt the room squeeze in around her, and knew she would have to kick at the walls to survive this.

He was unable to lift his head. He walked around all day, observing the pavement, hoping he would find an open manhole to fall down and disappear.

I read the descriptions, and then I imagine the emotion that goes with having trouble sitting still, or feeling itchy all over, or not sleeping for two days. By giving me description and letting me imagine the feeling that goes with it, you get me to be a part of your story, and it touches me much more deeply.

I was telling a friend that I remember an episode of Mr. Rogers where he showed children that, if they were mad, they could play a song on the piano and bang really hard on those keys to get out their feelings. I think he was teaching children what to do with overwhelming emotions. Mr. Rogers was next level. We act out on overwhelming emotions, even if the act is to shut down. We do something. Do your characters do something?

So, who is your character? How does the character feel, and how you would describe it to your readers, to define who the character is?

Having trouble with knowing if you’re showing or telling? I offer free meet and greets if you want to talk about your project (https://book.titan.email/cwpublishing), and I’ll answer all your questions even if I’m not the one you hire. Also, having edited hundreds of stories, I know this: your story is special, and someone out there is waiting to read it, so don’t die with your story. Finish it, and get it out there to the person who reads your story and finds something in it that makes being here worthwhile.

Be the bold writer who shows us rage, so we feel it too, under our skin! “Rage, rage, against the dying of the light!”