Jason Howell asked Sarah McCoy:

As writers, we deal in conflict. And where there's conflict there is bound to be anger. Can you share one of the bigger anger vectors in your life? Whether it's to do with a personal concern, a worldview-related concern, or something to do with the writing world. Does this anger ever make its way into your work? If so, how? How might a writer make use of his or her anger so as to keep from becoming bitter?

Sarah McCoy Great question, Jason! Being human, we all struggle with conflict, frustration, fear, anxiety and anger. I am a big proponent of recognizing the emotion (not hiding it or sweeping it under the carpet) but not allowing the feeling to govern my actions. I give it validation and try to ascertain the source/cause of that negative emotion rather than allowing it to swallow me whole. Mind over drama. True heart over flimsy sentiment. While anger can feel like a solid rock inside of us, it only has the power to hurt us and those around if we cultivate it and set it as king of our thoughts/actions. That's my personal take on dealing with anger conflicts.

Writing is an pivotal part of my personal validation and healing process. If I take that anger nugget out of myself and place it in a character then I'm able to view it from an objective, 3rd-person POV. I can see the macro picture... how actions taken in the name of that negative emotion affect not just the character but so many innocent around them. As a writer, it helps me to understand the feeling for my characters and myself.

Hope this answers your question to some degree. I love delving into the psychological factors at play in my books--why people do what they do; what's the thought process behind the action; how does one action impact generations that follow for good and bad, etc. This definitely shows up in all my novels.

Yours truly,
Sarah
www.sarahmccoy.com

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