Who Doesn't Love an Irrational Woman?

Just a quick entry today. I had a brilliant idea one how to #BeMeanToCharacters, so I thought I would share it.

But first you get to suffer through a personal experience.  Not sorry—live through it.

So being a woman, I get to enjoy a monthly cycle of annoyingness.  Men have cycles too, so it’s not just me, but I’m pretty sure it’s worse for women.  Hormones can really suck. That’s all I’m saying.

A few weeks ago the hormones were really sucking. Way worse than usual. In all honesty, I was more angry than a math class full of teenage angsty artists who want nothing more than to go commune with paints or whatever. Not a single thing in the world could make me happy. Not even the chocolate donut. Which means there is real trouble.

It didn’t help that I’d decided to give up Diet Coke for the month. I do that once or twice a year, just so I can say I can stop anytime.

Don’t judge.

Anyway, back to anger. There have been precious (and blessedly) few times in my life when I’ve felt this irrational and angry at the same time. I was telling a good friend of mine about it, and she said, “I know, it’s like an out of body experience. You  know you shouldn’t say it, and you’re yelling at yourself  not to, but there it comes, out of your mouth, all bitter and mean to smack the person you’re talking to in the face a few times.”

Hormones suck. Did I say that already?

Here is my #BeMeanToCharacters take-away.

Give your character some topic or thing that they are irrational about. I’m not thinking a fear of spiders. We already covered fears.  No, let it be something that shouldn’t even be an issue, but in their mind it blows up into a raging volcano each time it comes up or into the room.

It could be a person, it could be a topic, it could be a pet-peeve. Anything. Just give them reactions they can’t help, poke at them a bit and see what happens.

Poor characters. They’re never going to get a break.

Carry on, everyone!

#BeMeanToCharacters