FEAR THESAURUS

HEARTBREAK



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HELPFUL TIP:

A deeply embedded fear often stems from trauma, so it can be helpful to explore emotional wounds that may be a factor. Your character might also become risk-averse, which can create problems in their relationships and limit their fulfillment. And for a character to achieve their story goal, they must overcome any fear-based thinking that's holding them back. The Character Builder is a great resource for pulling all these factors together.
NOTES:
Love requires vulnerability, and that's not easy for everyone. People who open themselves up to others will experience heartbreak at some point, whether through rejection, abandonment, or simply losing someone they care about. This kind of pain is deeply unpleasant, so characters naturally fear it and will try to avoid re-experiencing it.

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE:
Staying busy to keep from building relationships with others
Isolating themselves; not getting too close to people
Using humor as a coping mechanism to suppress emotional pain
Avoiding risk in friendships and romantic relationships
Avoiding places that remind the character of a past heartbreak
Being the life of the party but not making deep connections with others
Engaging in romantic relationships that are safe (because they won't go anywhere)
Avoiding relational commitments
Being emotionally unavailable
Having impossibly high standards when dating 
The character prioritizing themselves over others, always looking out for number one
Being vocal about not settling to justify a resistance to dating or commitment
Becoming hardened and skeptical 
Being jaded about love—believing it's a fallacy, it never lasts, etc.
Frequently bringing up the past; needing to talk about relationship dysfunction, betrayals, or how someone hurt or abandoned the character 
Dumping love interests before they can reject the character 
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COMMON INTERNAL STRUGGLES:
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FLAWS THAT MAY EMERGE:
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HINDRANCES AND DISRUPTIONS TO THE CHARACTER'S LIFE:
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EMOTIONAL WOUNDS IT COULD STEM FROM:
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SCENARIOS THAT MIGHT AWAKEN THIS FEAR :
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HUMAN NEEDS THAT COULD BE IMPACTED:
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GOALS MADE DIFFICULT BY THIS FEAR:
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CONFLICT SCENARIOS THAT OFFER GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES:
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HOW THE CHARACTER CAN MINIMIZE OR OVERCOME IT:
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