We have all felt despair.
We've all felt like there's nothing that we can do (like when a story isn't
going anywhere). Despair is frightening. It's also something people cling
to out of a lack of anything else. The trick in writing about it is not
becoming pitying or maudlin toward the characters.
"Most people would rather be certain they're miserable, than risk being happy."
-- Robert Anthony
1. Write a one page descriptive
passage or scene that juxtaposes a time of contentment with a time of despair.
2. Select a holiday or
other special occasion to illustrate despair. Write a scene that shows
the contrast between what should be a joyful time and the despair the narrator
feels.
3. Recall a time when
you have felt complete despair. Write about that time. Write about what
made you feel that way, both the big and little things. Write about how
you felt. What did it take to release you from the despair? What prevented
you? Use your own experience to add life to your later writing.
4. What would make you
cling to despair? What would the circumstances have to be like to leave
you with that feeling and nothing more? Can you picture it? Create a character
who's in this situation. Write a page, entirely in internal monoluge, detailing
their thougths and feelings and expanding upon their predicament.
5. Try to write a scene
of despair with humour. Use first person pov so the voice is authentic.