Anger in Writing

Anger in Writing 
Writing Corner Nov/Dec 2022

Dear Writer: I realized I wanted to tell you that there are some ways of articulating anger that can work. And I know that many life stories hold anger which is hard to ignore or process away. It is also hard to share without seeming self-centered or as though you are obsessed with it.

So, the top strategy is to use humor. A lot of comedians are really angry and get away with it by making good jokes. Think Bill Mahr, Don Rickles, Andrew Dice Clay, and Conan’s “Insult Comic Dog”—a puppet, but really insulting.
 
Humor can be subtle too like Frank McCourt in Angela’s Ashes. Though much of the book shares the terrible poverty in Ireland at the time, McCourt managed to include humorous things he recalled, like being given a little money to learn traditional dancing.

Instead, he used the money to see a movie and for some candy. He was asked each week what he’d learned about dancing. His solution was to invent dance steps and perform them. His descriptions of the steps and the reactions of his family are welcome and relatable moments in the book.

The second method is really to make sure that your anger is expressed on behalf of the Reader. 

For example: I’m pissed that this kind of thing happened to me and my ill father, AND I’m telling you because I’m pissed that someone might do it to you. 

This role is like coming to your reader as their personal champion knight. The rule with this strategy is to aim all zingers at the imagined foe of the reader. Giving examples of other people’s struggles is fine. Mostly, be wary of sounding sorry for yourself. A champion knight is devoted to the readers s/he is trying to save.

The third way of downloading and sharing anger is directly to address your anger. This requires emotional honesty and bravery. Don’t try to prove that your dad did things to you that were wrong, just tell the reader that you became angry and still feel that way about this particular incident/behavior/comment. If you do that, it will be good also to name OTHER feelings that came up that led to the anger…most often those are sadness, fear, or insecurity.

Sympathy for someone else in the situation works well…a sibling or parent, a neighbor, family friend, or maybe co-workers for the “tyrant boss,” for example. 

That would give the reader the message that you’re letting them into your reactions in a way that readers do appreciate. We all like to see and feel hard to express emotions from our authors. AND again, importantly, you’d be taking full responsibility for having those emotions whether anybody approves of those or not.  

Ariele Huff’s new ongoing class Ancient Healing Methods for Modern Stress begins in Winter quarter 2023. Want more information on this class or one of the many online writing and ZOOM classes? Contact Ariele at ariele@comcast.net. (Looking forward to meeting you or working further with old friends.)

Ariele M. Huff hosts Sharing Stories, creates Writing Corner, gathers poems, and edits them for Poetry Corner. She teaches online, ZOOM, and Skype classes; edits manuscripts and authors books—over 30 on Amazon; and publishes herself and others on brands Candy Bar Books and Band Aid Books.

SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).
SHARING STORIES is featured on www.northwestprimetime.com, the website
for Northwest Prime Time, a monthly publication for baby boomers, seniors, retirees, and those contemplating retirement. For more information, call 206-824-8600 or visit www.northwestprimetime.com. To find other SHARING STORIES articles on this website type "sharing stories" or a writer’s name into the search function above.

---