Debilitating fears are a problem for everyone, an unfortunate part of the human experience. Whether they’re a result of learned behavior as a child, are related to a mental health condition, or stem from a past wounding event, these fears influence a character’s behaviors, habits, beliefs, and personality traits. The compulsion to avoid what they fear will drive characters away from certain people, events, and situations and hold them back in life.
In your story, this primary fear (or group of fears) will constantly challenge the goal the character is pursuing, tempting them to retreat, settle, and give up on what they want most. Because this fear must be addressed for them to achieve success, balance, and fulfillment, it plays a pivotal part in both character arc and the overall story.
This thesaurus explores the various fears that might be plaguing your character. Use it to understand and utilize fears to fully develop your characters and steer them through their story arc. Please note that this isn’t a self-diagnosis tool. Fears are common in the real world, and while we may at times share similar tendencies as characters, the entry below is for fiction writing purposes only.
Fear of Being Labeled
Notes
The world is a confusing and uncertain place that’s easier to navigate when things make sense. This is one reason it’s natural for human beings to label the people around them. But no one wants to be labeled—told that they are a certain way or have to fit into a mold. This can be especially painful when the character doesn’t believe the label fits (whether it does or not). When this happens enough, it can create frustration, insecurity, and a fear that could go a number of directions: the character may hide the aspects of their identity that fit the label, act out against the accusation, or surround themselves with people like themselves to avoid anyone who might put them in a certain box.
What It Looks Like
The character mimicking their peers so they won’t appear to be different
Being extremely private
Giving vague answers when asked about themselves
…
Common Internal Struggles
Keeping a learning disability, an illness, etc. secret despite knowing help is needed
Struggling with shame or guilt over the label
The character struggling to accept who they are
…
Flaws That May Emerge
Abrasive, Childish, Confrontational, Defensive, Dishonest, Disrespectful, Evasive, Hostile, Hypocritical, Insecure, Jealous, Judgmental, Prejudiced, Reckless, Stubborn, Timid, Weak-Willed
Hindrances and Disruptions to the Character’s Life
Living with shame because of who or what they are
Changing to live up to others’ expectations
The character living well below their full potential
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Scenarios That Might Awaken This Fear
A secret they’ve been hiding (about their gender identity, personal beliefs, mental health, etc.) being revealed
A tragedy occurring that could result in a new label for the character (losing a limb, developing a chronic illness, etc.)
Experiencing discrimination
…
Other Fear Thesaurus entries can be found here.
Fear is a Crucial Piece of Your Character’s Arc
Fear will hold your character back in the story and affect how they see themselves and the world. It’s defining, determining who they are at the start of your story and what they’ll have to overcome to succeed in the end. Don’t overlook or underestimate this vital piece of the character’s arc.
The content you’ve just read is a sample of one entry found in our Fear Thesaurus at One Stop for Writers. To access the complete entry and the other collections in this powerful show-don’t-tell Thesaurus Database, start a free trial.
Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.