by Darian Smith
What story events can occur to push the character beyond what they can currently cope with in their grief?
What happens with the grieving character has no patience to deal with this?
How do plans for action change as a result of the loss?
There’s a Little Bit in All of Us
The Theory
No discussion of psychology would be complete without some thought going into those times when psychology goes bad. Just like regular health, mental health sometimes gets out of balance.
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory measures a variety of psychopathologies and is one way to look at where potential challenges may lay in a person’s psychology. Basically, it’s a chart of various traits that could, in extreme form, become a disorder.
The idea behind it is that everyone has elements of psychological disorders within their makeup – insisting on cleanliness may indicate tendencies toward Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, for example. But these tendencies are normal. They only become a disorder when they start to impact on a person’s normal functioning in life.
Our characters will have these tendencies as well and it’s good for writers to think about where the character’s tendencies – and possible weaknesses under stress – may be.
Think about which of these elements your character has. Do they have them strongly enough to actually be a problem in their lives? Could it be a full blown disorder or is it just at the “normal” level with slight tendencies that indicate a possible predilection? How are they coping with that? Do they need help? Or is it just a tendency that is visible when under stress?
Some of the possible psychological issues that could have elements present include those listed below. It is important to note that what I describe as “mild form” is NOT a disorder and is entirely normal. It is the normal side of something that, in an extreme form, could become a disorder but for most people never will. This is simply an interesting exercise in character building.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – in mild form might be a desire for cleanliness and slight superstitiousness. At a problematic level could be germ phobia and obsessive rituals such as checking light switches a set number of times, and having to follow prescribed patterns of behaviour for fear of something bad happening.
Depression – in mild form might be a tendency to get down easily. At a problematic level could be incapacitating and shown by sleep disturbance, change in appetite, lack of enjoyment in pleasurable things, difficulty getting motivated, suicidal thoughts.
Anxiety – in mild form might mean the character is a bit of a worrier. At a problematic level could mean a racing heart, sweating, trouble breathing, panic attacks, phobias.
Bipolar – in mild form means the character may have mood swings. At a problematic level they get bouts of depression alternating with mania, bursts of energy, enthusiastic but unclear thinking, and feelings of invincibility.
Hypochondria – in mild form, being a bit overly aware of body issues. At a problematic level, the character may have a crippling conviction that he or she has a serious illness they do not have.
Paranoia – in mild form, the character may be a bit sensitive or safety conscious. At a problematic level they are distrustful, suspicious, and imagining threats and slights that do not exist.
Anorexia – in mild form, a character might calorie count or exert some other form of control over what they eat. At a problematic level, they are skipping meals and not consuming enough to fuel their body as a way to feel as though they have some form of control in their life.
Bulimia – in mild form, this could be comfort eating. At a problematic level, this is binge eating to cover deep emotional problems and then purging by vomiting or excessive exercise to counteract the effects.
Schizophrenia – in mild form, this could perhaps be a tendency to believe in the mystical, ghosts, messages from angels or ancestors (entirely normal in many cultures), odd thinking, social isolation. At a problematic level, delusions, voices that others don’t hear, and beliefs that are disconnected with reality.
This summary is intended as a starting point for giving your characters minor traits and flaws. If you’re considering giving your character a full blown disorder, be sure to research it more thoroughly. There are many misunderstandings in the public awareness about mental health conditions and you’ll want to portray them as accurately as possible. More information on these and other psychological issues can be found in the DSM-5, which is a manual for diagnosing and categorising psychological disorders.
Example
In the hit TV show, Friends, Monica is portrayed as a character who likes to be in control, cleans when she’s stressed and also used to be considerably overweight in her younger years. She has transformed this obsession with food into a career as a chef, but has a tendency toward comfort eating if under extreme pressure. These traits can be viewed as being on the OCD and Bulimia spectrums, but are still within normal range. If the show were a drama rather than a comedy, these traits could develop further throughout the story to develop into actual disorders.
Further reading
DSM-5 Insanely Simplified, By Steven Buser M.D., Chiron Publications, 2015
Worksheet – Build the Character
Answer the questions below to use the theory in this section to develop your characters.
Where does the character fall on a continuum for each of the following? I.e. do they have slight tendencies, none, moderate, or strong enough to be considered a disorder? What behaviours show this?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Depression
Anxiety
Phobia
Bipolar Disorder
Hypochondria
Paranoia
Anorexia
Bulimia
Schizophrenia
Other?
Worksheet – Build the Story
Answer the questions below to use the theory in this section to develop your plot and increase conflict.
How do the characters in the story react to each other’s tendencies and traits?
What events in the story can pose a problem for the character’s particular set of tendencies?
What characters have opposing traits? How does that impact their relationship and the story?
Me and My Shadow
The Theory
Everybody has secret parts of themselves that they’re ashamed of and your characters should be no different. Carl Jung described this part of a person as the shadow self and it’s a vital part of your character for a writer to understand.
The character themselves may never understand or acknowledge their shadow, but the writer needs to show that it is there. These are the traits that the character doesn’t like in themselves. The hints of racism, the manipulativeness, the cowardliness, and other things that it is easier not to look at, not to accept as being part of ourselves. A good writer shows their character’s flaws and those flaws make the character fallible and human.
These shadow traits are likely to be the same traits that the character finds most annoying in other people. Often we find the qualities we dislike in ourselves the most objectionable in others and the easiest to decry in others. Seeing our own shadow traits in others is sometimes known as projection. We project those qualities onto someone else, along with whatever baggage and judgement goes along with it, rather than acknowledge it in ourselves. Think about what qualities your character might have, how to show them to the reader without the character realising, and what other characters they might project onto.
Example
In my novel, Currents of Change, Moana holds strong positions of responsibility and leadership within her community and her marae. She is a strong advocate of her indigenous people’s rights and as such, in her conscious mind, is against racism. When Sara arrives in town, Moana makes a snap judgement about her based, in part, on her family name. That prejudice, which she fights hard against in other people, is part of her shadow self.
Once it is pointed out to her, Moana must either come to terms with it and change her ways or find ways to prove to herself that her judgement is justified as the story progresses.
Further reading
Owning Your Own Shadow: Understanding the Dark Side of the Psyche, by Robert A. Johnson, HarperOne reprint edition, 2013
Worksheet – Build the Character
Answer the questions below to use the theory in this section to develop your characters.
What are the qualities the character hides from themselves?
What would they find most embarrassing if people knew?
What behaviour demonstrates these qualities to the reader and to other characters without the character being aware of it?
Worksheet – Build the Story
Answer the questions below to use the theory in this section to develop your plot and increase conflict.
What shadow qualities in themselves does the character find irritating in others?
Who do they notice those qualities in?
How much do they project onto other characters and how much is really there?
How do they behave with the characters they are projecting onto?
How do the characters being projected onto react?
About the Author
Darian Smith lives in Auckland, New Zealand with his wife (who also writes) and their Siamese cat (who doesn’t).
He has a degree in psychology and English, a Diploma of Counselling, and is a member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors. Darian set up a free counselling service near his home, ran a private counselling practice for several years, and currently works with people living with neuromuscular conditions such as muscular dystrophy.
He has won prizes for short stories and a novel and been a finalist for the Sir Julius Vogel Award three times.
For more information about Darian and his upcoming work, please check out his website at www.darian-smith.com.
Currents of Change
by Darian Smith
A suspenseful novel about magic, secrets, a haunted house, and a touch of romance.
Haunted house. Haunted heart.
When Sara O’Neill goes on the run, she believes the tiny New Zealand town of Kowhiowhio is just the sanctuary she needs. But a dangerous presence haunts her new home, threatening Sara’s chance at peace. Can she create a new life while dealing with ghosts from the old?
For local electrician, Nate Adams, parenting his young daughter alone has not been easy. Even with his help, can the house – or Sara’s heart – be repaired?
Someone doesn’t want an O’Neill in Kowhiowhio.
Sara’s return is awakening generations of secrets.
Why has the house never had electricity?
Can she discover the ghost’s story before it’s too late?
The truth will set…something…free.
"Well-paced paranormal romance. . . would appeal to readers who like a good ghost story, with a little bit of history and a dash of romance in the mix."
- SQ Mag International Speculative Fiction eZine
"I really enjoyed this book - a light, but interesting read that I didn't want to put down." - The Happy Homemaker
Get your copy at Amazon.com or selected bookstores.
Shifting Worlds
A collection of short stories by Darian Smith
Foreword by Jennifer Fallon
Drag queens fight zombies.
An immigrant artist hopes love conquers all.
Deep space explorers wrestle with an alien artefact.
A superhero is locked in an insane asylum.
16 stories span the worlds of fantasy, sci-fi, & literary fiction, & cause the characters’ worlds to fundamentally change.
“Never fails to entertain and surprise…this collection has it all” – Jennifer Fallon
“Deep, relevant, and extremely readable…a superb collection from one of New Zealand’s emerging talents. Highly recommended.” – Beattie’s Book Blog
Excerpt:
There’s a moment, just before waking, when I forget it’s gone. I feel the ghost of it on my shoulders, the warmth inside. It boosts my confidence and makes me stronger. I am more myself. I am ready to rule the islands and mould the day to my bidding.
Opening my eyes is a disappointment. My old bones ache with craving. It’s been missing from me for almost three decades, but I feel it just the same. I’m simply an old man with his memories and regrets. I had my chance. I was not worthy.
Get your copy at Amazon.com or selected bookstores.
Reference list
An Introduction to Family Therapy, by Rudi Dallos and Ros Draper, Open University Press, 2000
DSM-5 Insanely Simplified, By Steven Buser M.D., Chiron Publications, 2015
Metaframeworks, by Douglas C. Breunlin, Richard C. Schwartz, and Betty Mac Kune-Karrer, Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2001
http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/
On Grief and Grieving, By Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Scribner, Reprint edition, 2014
Owning Your Own Shadow: Understanding the Dark Side of the Psyche, by Robert A. Johnson, HarperOne reprint edition, 2013
TA Today by Ian Stewart and Vann Joines, Lifespace Publishing, 1987
The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts, by Gary Chapman, Northfield Publishing, 2014
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, by John Gottman and Nan Silver, Harmony, 2015
What is Narrative Therapy by Alice Morgan, Dulwich Centre Publications, 2000
Examples
Beauty and the Beast, written by Linda Woolverton, directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, Walt Disney Pictures, 1991
Bridget Jones’s Diary, by Helen Fielding, Picador, 1996
Friends, created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, NBC, 1994-2004
Frozen, directed by Jennifer Lee & Chris Buck, Disney, 2013
Game of Thrones / A Song of Fire and Ice, by George R. R. Martin, HBO, 2011
Love Actually, directed and written by Richard Curtis, StudioCanal, Working Title Films, DNA Films, 2003
Notting Hill, by Richard Curtis, directed by Roger Michell, Polygram Filmed Entertainment, Working Title Films, 1999
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, T. Egerton Whitehall, 1813
