Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-26447851-20160705140237/@comment-29015383-20160712214638

Actually, those 'urges' and 'itches' are a common thing among people and has an actual name. It's called Intrusive Thought.

Now also for most people these are a passing annoyance as they can easily dismiss these. I can see possibilities of a character that isn't able to easily dismiss these thoughts. When he sees a dog standing on a ledge to sniff something, he'll push it off just to see it fall. He sees an old lady waiting for the train, he might push her down the track as it arrives.

You'll have to do some research on this, especially since this will touch on mental disorders if you do go down this road. Also, always remember there is MORE to a character than his mental stability. What does he like? Does he have soft spots? Things he just cannot stand? Look at yourself and those you know, maybe even popular characters in the media, be it movie, game, or book. Why are they liked or disliked. Who are these characters, what are their motivations?

My last point on scaryness is this: Don't look at what might scare others. Look at what scares you. Why does it scare you or make you uncomfortable? What makes you want to avoid this? If you know these things, you'll be able to describe them in a believable manner.

I hope this is of some help to you. :)