Fear, Anger, Pleasure

Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter — What if? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers prompts —

The Exercise — Write three short paragraphs, the first "fear," the second "anger," and the last "pleasure" without using these words. Try to render these emotions by describing, physical sensations or emotions. Try to make your language precise and fresh.

The Objective - To learn to render emotional states without a falling back on tired and imprecise language.

Fear: Franklin was looking around the corner of his house to see if the police car had stopped. Oh, how he didn't want to go to jail. He thought, how much he hated being there the last time. It was so much harder than when he was younger. And there were still guys in there who blamed him for being in there. He shivered as he thought about how he could easily end up dead.

Anger: Angie was driving away from her counseling appointment when she drove right into the ditch and right out! Her knuckles had turned white; she was gripping the wheel so tightly. She was so distracted thinking about what the counselor had the nerve to say to her. She thought that if anyone else said that to her, she would have punched them right in the face. She wasn't sure how she got out of there without giving him a piece of her mind. She thought she might have picked up his feet that he had on his desk and tipped him over. Imagine him sitting there, with his big belly, flipping those crackers in the air, catching them with his mouth, and eating them in a session. The more she talked, the more furious she became, while calling him a pig. She decided she wasn't ever going back, and she wouldn't recommend him if he were the only counselor in town.

Pleasure: It was so much fun, so relaxing, and Patty felt so much joy in doing for others. It really made her day and sometimes her week. She had served meals to the homeless for 20 years, and tonight she would be serving a group of soldiers. It fills her heart knowing she has the opportunity to give back for all this country owes these men and women. Her sister just couldn't understand why she was so awestruck by this group of women and men. Isn't it the same reward as serving the homeless? Patty tried to explain, but it fell on deaf ears how grateful she was to serve and how much it was her honor to serve this group of guys and gals. She tried to explain how it felt better to her than a nice, relaxing bath, a massage, and it was similar to time spent with her boyfriend, with his focus on making her happy.