Before writing a traumatic scene, take a moment to think about what trauma means.

The emotional and physical shock after a person suffers from a traumatic event will often lead to deep psychological trauma. Writers assess several emotions when planning out a traumatic scene in a story. Depending on how they wish to touch on the subject, it can be a clear challenge.

We’ve all gone through trauma in some way in our lives. In fact, many writers draw inspiration from their personal experiences and incorporate their feelings and thoughts into the story to create traumatic scenes. There are many forms of trauma in literature–ranging from characters who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, grief, anxiety, or depression. All of which affect people in different ways.

If the goal is to create lingering trauma to the character, they might might display traits of paralyzing fear when encountering their attacker in a public setting. A stranger brushing past them on the street might trigger a memory simply from that accidental touch.

It is the raw, gritty emotions characters display that make us empathize with them, so it’s essential to evoke those emotions when writing complex scenes that include trauma. Our feelings aren’t all black and white or easy to understand, and that’s realistic–which will ultimately make the character’s conflict with the event realistic.

Be Honest

Recall a time in a book where you’ve read a story where a character displays signs of trauma. Take the time to assess how their experiences affected you as a reader honestly, and then think about your own experience where you may have gone through similar trauma.

If you want to write an authentic scene with an adequate representation of trauma, it’s essential to think about what makes you emotional. Be honest with yourself and consider the experiences in your life. One of the best ways to write n authentic scene in a story is by writing honestly. What do you want the reader to experience? How would you like them to connect to the scene or character?

Pay Attention to the Characteristics of Emotions

Have you ever paid attention to the thoughts that characters in books experience during traumatic events? What did you notice? Maybe the way they felt their heart pounding in their chest, their hands clammy, and the “fight or flight mode” activated. All of these details add to the scene. Understanding the natural response to stressful situations can help significantly when you start writing a traumatic scene.

When we are sad, we tend to feel an ache in our chest. Our hearts start beating so fast, it’s difficult to ignore. Pressure building behind our eyes as we feel the need to cry, possibly due to the overwhelming feeling of frustration or uncertainty.

Anger can often be characterized as “seeing red” or losing touch with reality as the person acts on the rage they feel. Characters that often lose their cool in a scene don’t take time to think about what they’re doing. The aftermath resulting in the character almost immediately regretting their actions once it subsides. This is a genuine example of what happens when allowing anger to take control of you. Fear can often ignite the need to run away in someone who has experienced a trauma. Anxiety feeds to the trauma as it makes the person paranoid, sad, or made to feel like they are on the spot.

All of the emotions drawn up as examples above can add to a traumatic scene. They create an intense conflict for the character and ultimately keep readers interested to learn more about the story.

Do The Research

One of the best ways to understand a topic you choose is by doing thorough research. If you don’t know anything about complicated procedures such as surgery—but your story hinges on a surgery—pick up a medical book. Talk to doctors who have performed it, and interview someone who has gone through it. You wouldn’t want to write about Selective Mutism, an anxiety disorder, if you didn’t know its long-term effects on the person or understand the community. Watch movies, talk to experts, and read books or articles about specific trauma you’re writing and its long-term effects.

The best way to learn how to write a traumatic scene in a book is by understanding it to the best of your ability. What do you want it to mean to the character? All these steps will ultimately be what will make you a good writer too!