To make a character real, they need to mirror the reality that we experience. This is a challenge, because the world each person lives in
Category: Character Development
When Your Character Does Something They Regret
We’ve all had those moments where you act now, think later. Moments where you slam on the brakes when you see a Chihuahua on the
Writing Characters Through the Lens of the #MeToo Movement
I’ve said it before, but I’m going to say it again – connecting with fellow lovers of the written word is the best part of
Good People Making Bad Choices: Could this be your character?
Good people making bad choices is something that many of us struggle to fathom. I mean, surely if they were ‘good’ then they would ultimately
Dependent Personality Disorder: Psychological Disorders for Writers
Personality disorders are fascinating–many are comparatively rare and they all lead to some pretty unreasonable and difficult to understand behaviours…which kind of makes them ideal
Is Your Character Really in Love?
As we explored last week, relationships are complex, and romantic ones are certainly no different (they are possibly the poster child for complicated…). Psychology has
Capturing an Unhappy Relationship: A Writer’s Roadmap
Relationships are a complicated beast, and if you write romance like me, then you’re wed (pun intended) to the HEA (happily ever after) ending. But
The Halo Effect: Your Readers are Applying it
So the hero in my latest release has a few unlikeable traits (as in, pretty unethical and unsavoury behaviours), which would be fine in some
Narrative Therapy and Your Character: The Story Within The Story
Narrative therapy is not the dominant therapeutic framework I utilise in my clinical work, but like most eclectic practitioners, I have enough of an understanding
The Emotional Craft of Fiction: Why Writers Should Read this Book
The advice to read craft books is a good one. Writing has many layers, from the nebulous theme of your story, right down to the
How to Show and not Tell Intelligence
Although the concept of intelligence and what exactly it means for a person to be intelligent are the subject of considerable controversy and debate, it’s
Developing a Character with a History of Sexual Assault
There’s many things I love about the landscape of writing, but one of the most wonderful discoveries is the breadth of knowledge out there waiting
Paranoid Personality Disorder: Psychological Disorders for Writers
Personality disorders are fascinating. They have their very own section in the Diagnostic Services Manual, Fifth Edition (the psychologist’s and psychiatrist’s bible when it comes
The Importance of Mental Health Research When writing Fiction
I’ve mentioned before that I believe we’re all psychologists at heart. The study of the human psyche fascinates us all because it gives us a
Narcissistic Abuse and Codependence for Writers
I firmly believe we’re all psychologists at heart, because psychology is founded on the desire to know ourselves (yes, that is a little narcissistic…), but
7 Key Ways to Reveal Your Character’s Wound
This week’s blog post was prompted by a discussion with a fellow writer. This writer reflected that they’d gained useful information in relation their character
