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As a writer I find my favourite challenge is, no matter the type of prompt or theme, always in creating a realism-based experience for the reader. I often find myself bending over backwards to write realistic psychologies for my characters with realistic reactions for those psychologies; even in surreal settings, perhaps even especially then, the realistic and relatable qualities of the character are paramount in order to give the reader something relatable to bond with.


Sometimes, however, I find myself falling short of creating that realistic experience for the reader, and I have to stop and figure out why I failed. In almost every case the reason was that I had been missing some essential part of the experience; further research usually turns up some small, missed aspect without which the scene would never feel truly real, usually missed due to lack of personal understanding.

The most challenging question that pops up when this happens is often “How do I write realistically those experiences of which I have no personal knowledge?” A question that, habitually, brings itself into play when writing creatively. With most things a sound backing in research will help, but over the years I have encountered some things that have defied my understanding and descriptive ability.

Action scenes are a good example of this struggle, appearing all the time as a staple in modern literature. I have read many exemplary action scenes, in both roleplay and literature, but few of them realistically implement the use of adrenaline. Adrenal responses are, alas, a long misunderstood thing in literature, with most writers favouring the idealised and popular concepts of adrenaline-fuelled strength and speed… Without describing the realistic effects of adrenaline on psychologies and cognitive abilities. This is, understandably, not something most would know without first having experienced it regularly enough to note the differences – which most of us, thankfully, have not.

I had a chance to correct this knowledge-gap recently when my partner decided to randomly turn to me to note that there was, in fact, a massive difference between a person’s normal demeanor/affect and that which appears under the influence of an adrenaline rush. People react entirely differently during adrenaline surges. They become completely different people almost the same way someone with multiple personalities (DID) shifts personalities; they react rather than think, in an automated process based on conditioned responses.

This produces, in instances of violence or trauma, cognitive dissonance that presents later once the adrenaline filters out. For example, a Marine who’d just mindlessly shot 6 people, immediately after doing so is bragging and elated, loud and bawdy with vigor, pride. Cut to an hour or two later, and that same excessively manic, almost lustily violent person has now become someone quiet, calm and more naturally apprehensive and aware of the situation they’re in, a seamless shift from adrenaline-high to normal. This causes a looping type of cognitive dissonance when in areas of sustained violence or threats (‘atrocity producing environments) that, when left unchecked, can form part of the foundation for complex psychological disorders such as PTSD. The shifts between personality can be extreme (such as in the case of soldiers who react to violence with enthusiasm when in adrenaline high, but later clearly dislike it), or subtle (becoming angry, hysterical, more violent while in adrenaline high, but later seemingly suddenly to have become normal again).

Also relevant is the fact that no matter how trained the character may be, the adrenaline ‘persona’ that kicks in is devoid of active thoughts past immediate decision/reaction, as cognitive processes are interrupted in favor of reacting. Adrenaline fueled responses tend to be based on pre-existing instinct reactions and /or trained reactions. Thought gets harder the more training (or natural conditioning) you have for the probable situation, and the less time you’re given to react in.

This is something that most miss simply because it isn’t something we’re made aware of, without personal, firsthand knowledge or the retold experiences of someone else (or a solid foundation in research). Action scenes in popular media and literature tends to paint the picture of time slowing down, of protagonists who have the ability to think clearly and with focus as they consider options. This gives the unrealistic impression that there is no personality or cognitive shifting happening when under the effects of adrenaline and that, along with the nifty ‘super strength’ and ‘super speed’ we also perceive time differently. This, unfortunately, is the exact opposite of the typical human response to adrenaline surges. In point of fact, time isn’t noted at all as the body reacts first leaving the mind to catch up in its wake.

While it is true there are atypical responses to adrenaline in the system that comply with the popular conception of how one would react, this is by definition not the normal experience.