How to write anxiety?

Anxiety is a powerful emotional force in fiction, one that, when written authentically, pulls readers closer to your characters and deepens their emotional investment.

Whether it’s the quiet dread of a looming confrontation or the gut-churning fear of the unknown, anxiety can add richness and realism to your storytelling. But writing it well requires more than stating, “She felt anxious.” You have to show it.

When is anxiety important in your novel?

Anxiety is most useful when the stakes are high, the outcome is uncertain, and the reader needs to feel that tension. Think of anxiety as a spotlight: it draws attention to moments that matter. When your character is facing:

• A pivotal decision
• A feared confrontation
• A personal vulnerability being exposed
• The unknown (waiting for results, outcomes, or someone’s arrival)
• High-risk situations (escaping, hiding, or anticipating danger)

These are the moments when anxiety not only feels realistic but also elevates the emotional tension and the fear. By leaning into this feeling, you can make your readers live through your character’s unease, fear, or even panic.

Body language of anxiety

Anxious characters rarely sit still. Their bodies betray what they’re feeling before their words do. Use body language to give readers an immediate, visceral sense of your character’s anxiety. Here are some examples:

• Fidgeting – wringing hands, tapping feet, bouncing knees
• Tension – clenched jaw, tight shoulders, balled fists
• Avoidance – averted gaze, head down, turning away
• Small, repetitive movements – biting nails, picking at skin, twisting jewelry or clothing
• Sweating or flushed skin – anxiety often shows up physically in the skin
• Shaking or trembling – subtle or full-body tremors
• Restlessness – pacing, inability to stay seated, constant shifting

When writing, pick a few telling gestures instead of listing them all. For example:

"She twisted the ring on her finger. She had done it so much the skin beneath it had burned."

Internal sensations

To truly pull readers inside a character’s head, tap into the internal landscape of anxiety. These are the physical and mental experiences your character has that no one else can see:

• Racing heart or feeling like their heart is “in their throat”
• Shortness of breath, chest tightness, or the sense they “can’t get enough air”
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Nausea or “a pit in their stomach”
• Muscle tension or a feeling of being “coiled tight”
• Cold sweat or prickling skin
• Tunnel vision or feeling detached from reality

Emotionally, anxiety can feel like dread, overwhelm, panic, irritability, or helplessness. Here’s an example:

"Her heart hammered against her ribs like it was trying to escape. Every breath felt too shallow, like she was breathing through a straw."

Common behaviors

Anxiety doesn’t live only in the body, it shapes behavior. It's usually seen as a negative character trait. An anxious character may:

• Avoid certain people, places, or conversations
• Overprepare or overanalyze
• Procrastinate or become paralyzed by indecision
• Ask for reassurance repeatedly
• Check things obsessively (locks, messages, plans)
• Snap at others or become irritable under stress
• Zone out or dissociate
• Isolate themselves socially

Use these behaviors to show how anxiety is altering your character’s actions or decisions:

"She read the message again—fifth time now—and still couldn’t decide if it sounded too desperate."

Escalation

Anxiety doesn’t always stay at one level. Letting it escalate increases the tension and stakes for your character. You might show it evolving like this:

1. Mild worry – a nagging thought or nervous habit
2. Rising dread – internal and physical symptoms begin to show
3. Visible distress – pacing, shortness of breath, panic creeping in
4. Full-blown panic – meltdown, panic attack, irrational behavior

Let this build gradually. Readers should feel the progression. For instance:

"She glanced at the clock. Five minutes late. Her foot tapped. Ten minutes. Her palms were sweating now, her stomach twisting. Fifteen. Something was wrong. Something had happened."

Short-term consequences

In the short term, anxiety can lead to:

• Poor decision-making (rushed or delayed)
• Misunderstandings in conversation
• Embarrassment or shame from a public reaction
• Conflict with others, maybe anger
• Self-sabotage or impulsive choices

Show how anxiety costs your character something in the moment. This keeps it grounded in the story’s emotional arc.

Long-term consequences

If anxiety is chronic for your character, it shapes who they are. Long-term consequences might include:

• Difficulty maintaining relationships
• A pattern of avoidance or missed opportunities
• Low self-esteem or imposter syndrome
• Exhaustion or burnout
• Cynicism or fear-based thinking

These traits help build complex, layered characters. A backstory rooted in anxious tendencies can explain present behavior without excusing it.

"Years of biting her tongue had trained her to keep her thoughts tucked deep where no one could challenge them, especially not herself."

Associated verbs

To avoid overusing "felt anxious" or "was nervous," lean on verbs that suggest anxiety through action or implication. Here’s a list of strong, evocative verbs:

• Trembled
• Twitched
• Flinched
• Shuddered
• Recoiled
• Fidgeted
• Hesitated
• Paced
• Stammered
• Hyperventilated
• Darted (as in eyes darting)
• Clutched
• Winced
• Tensed
• Obsessed
• Wavered
• Shrank
• Scrambled
• Rushed
• Muttered

You don’t need to name the emotion when the action already speaks it loud and clear.

Writing anxiety well means showing, not telling. It means layering internal sensations, external behaviors, and escalating consequences to create a fully immersive experience. Your readers don’t just want to know your character is anxious—they want to feel it too.

Let anxiety be the pressure that forces your characters to grow, change, retreat, or explode. Use it to bend the arc of your story. Done right, it won't just make your characters real, it will make them unforgettable.