When a character suffers emotional pain, the brain’s response is to stop the discomfort, and often this results in a coping mechanism being deployed. Whether it’s an automatic response or a learned go-to strategy, a mechanism helps them cope with the stress of the moment or escape the hurt of it.
But if the character develops an unhealthy reliance on that mechanism, problems will arise. Long-term, certain coping behaviors will impair their connections with others, their ability to achieve goals and dreams, and their resiliency in handling life’s pressures.
At some point, they must have an Aha! moment where they realize their coping method is holding them back and they need to seek other ways to deal with stress. Namely, they’ll have to adopt healthier mechanisms that enable them to manage difficulties and ultimately have a happier future.
To help you write your character’s growth (or regression) journey, we’ve created The Coping Mechanism Thesaurus, which contains a range of coping methods. The one we’re highlighting today can be damaging, and we hope this partial entry will help you show your character’s struggle in a way readers can relate to.
Fantasizing About Revenge
Definition
Imagining seeking vengeance to regain a sense of power or justice. This may include thinking in generalities or mentally planning revenge in detail.
What It May Look Like
Feeling helpless, powerless, and small
Seeing themselves as a victim
Holding grudges
Their mind always churning with the same circular thoughts
Talking incessantly about the person they want to hurt
Not being able to fully concentrate at work or school
Basic Human Needs It Could Compromise
Esteem and Recognition: A character who’s stuck in a place of hopelessness will feel impotent and unable to effect change.
Safety and Security: Should the character’s fantasies motivate them to take action, they could endanger themselves, others, and their own freedom.
Fallout (and Possible Turning Points)
A random tragedy befalling the intended victim, making the character realize they don’t want to see anyone suffer
Being turned in to law enforcement as a potential threat to the intended victim
Realizing they’re becoming someone hateful
Commitment to Change
Replacing unhealthy coping mechanisms with positive ones is how your character turns the page, but it starts with internal work, new habits, and practices:
Facing the realistic consequences of enacting revenge and realizing it’s not worth it
Adopting techniques to change their thought patterns and avoid unwanted thoughts
Truly seeking to forgive the offending party
For help brainstorming your character’s responses to stress, see our master list of healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Need More Descriptive Help?
While this thesaurus is still being developed and expanded, the rest of our descriptive collection (18 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.
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