The Psychology of Character

[JamesSavik]

One of the things I'm good about is doing research to flesh out my characters and try to make them real. Their psychology is an important part of understanding them. A classic mistake is creating a character bio in your story. Many times I've seen an author introduce a character:  John Doe is 18, tall, muscular, hung like a horse and is a freshman at state. Sure, that's a Nifty 😉characterization, but not satisfying and very superficial.

While this has the virtue of being succinct, it doesn't give the reader the pleasure of getting to know him. There are many tricks for doing this like having other characters describe them when they meet, their friends talk about them or getting to know them through dialogue - straight from the horse's mouth so to speak.

An important part of characterization that's much more subtle is their psychology, and that's a very deep well. To write a character, you have to understand the character, and see the world through their eyes. This is a huge challenge, but it creates authenticity that resonates with the reader.

In this thread, I'm going to share some of my research.

 

In one of my recent stories, I had a character with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder). The stereotype of a kid with ADHD is that they bounce off the walls, and that's fair as far as it goes. There are several flavors of ADHD, but that's only one of them.

 

That can describe how people with ADHD act, but what's going on inside their head? This is a rather brilliant short film that can give you an opportunity to see through their eyes.

 

 

[Libby Drew]

5 hours ago, JamesSavik said:

An important part of characterization that's much more subtle is their psychology, and that's a very deep well. To write a character, you have to understand the character, and see the world through their eyes. This is a huge challenge, but it creates authenticity that resonates with the reader.

Yes, yes, and yes. This is a gem. 

[JamesSavik]

Abuse Trauma

Yeah, this is a fun topic.

This is the quiet kid who comes to school wearing long sleeves to cover the bruises. As it progresses, it's to cover the cuts. Abuse victims often transition directly to substance abuse, often as early as middle school.

I've heard this character archetype called the Lost Child. That's often how they're perceived. This is a kid who will try to be invisible and won't easily interact with peers. If someone approaches them, he'll view them with hostility and suspicion.

Their self-worth is cratered because, if they can't even get along with their parents, why would anybody else want to have anything to do with them?

Abuse takes four forms: physical, sexual, emotional and neglect. All four can leave deep emotional scars.

It's also very, very difficult to spot, especially in boys because they don't want to talk about it(1) and will fervently deny anything is wrong. If you look at the statistics, boys very rarely report abuse because of fear, shame, and the reputation of the system for acting precipitously or incompetently. This denial can last into adulthood. Victims blame themselves, or worse, just assume that's how things are.

While it's difficult to get a boy to report abuse, many times their behaviors absolutely scream it. However, these behaviors can be all over the map. Think of a Venn diagram with two bubbles that overlap.

One bubble is the introverted style, and it's exactly as it sounds. Typical behaviors of the introverted style of an abused boy are: avoidance, shyness, low self-esteem, poor physical care, and if given a chance they will participate half-heartedly or not at all. Think Goth kid. He seeks escape inside himself.

The second bubble is the extraverted style. This is your typical charming bad boy. He may present as a bully and seek physical confrontations.  He may act out physically or sexually. You will often find them playing sports where they can be physical as an outlet. He seeks escape externally.

Where this gets confusing is that the two styles can overlap and present features of both styles. Sometimes they can flip over time, leading to dramatic personality changes. A common theme with boys suffering from abuse trauma is they try very hard to fit in and NOT BE NOTICED.

Boys who have suffered abuse trauma often end up in trouble - especially over substance abuse issues. They are treated for alcoholism or addiction, but the underlying problem is unaddressed, complicating any kind of recovery. Other forms of trouble they are likely to fall into are shoplifting, vandalism, and fighting. While most people might shrug this off as boys being boys, and there's some truth to that, but when it becomes a pattern, there is a problem.

 

To writers, characterization for a boy with abuse trauma is challenging. Their behavior can range from people-pleasing to violently anti-social. I feel if we write this character, we should do him justice. They will be complex and difficult, but if done right, they'll steal your readers' hearts.

Two of them are in my latest story - Initiation Weekend: Tommy Johnson and Rebel Wright. Tommy is a 17-year-old who has tried his best to please an angry, abusive father with rage issues. Rebel Wright, a stormy 14-year-old, is much more subtle, but his behavior gives him away. Notice how his behavior patterns flipped from an angry bully to sweet to the point of gullibility.

The best characters aren't just words. People are complex critters, with layers and depth. When we explore those depths, characters acquire dimensions that transcend the mere two dimensions of prose. If you build them right, the reader can almost see them and feel for them.

 

_______

 

 

(1) Certainly not with an adult, but they may open up to a peer. Sometimes friends can be literal lifesavers.

 

Edited April 4, 2024 by JamesSavik

[LJCC]

On 3/31/2024 at 3:55 PM, JamesSavik said:

Many times I've seen an author introduce a character:  John Doe is 18, tall, muscular, hung like a horse and is a freshman at state. Sure, that's a Nifty 😉characterization, but not satisfying and very superficial.

...John Doe is 18, tall, muscular, hung like a horse and will punch your face if you piss him off, but will also, er, like, not punch you if you suck his dick and he'll fall for you if you ask about his feelings, but not so much, since he's very manly and will only open up to you coz' of plot reasons. He also has plot friends who don't have any backstory and will come and go for various reasons. Did I mention he has emotional scars that will get healed by the most manliest chick-with-dicks character simp who wants to fix him?

I've read stories like this in Nifty, and pretty much everything is a summary. If I were John, I'd be like, "Are you kidding me? Are you fucking kidding me? My entire life and character summarized in one paragraph in an 80k novel? And you didn't even spread it around, it's literally in one paragraph. Fuck you, author."

[JamesSavik]

Early Onset Puberty in Boys

Precocious Puberty can occur in both boys and girls for a number of reasons. It can be caused by glandular malfunctions or, tumors. This is an actual disorder, and can occur in both sexes as early as seven.

Early Onset Puberty is natural, runs in families (genetic), and can be very awkward for a boy socially. Suddenly, a fifth or sixth grader, can tower over their peers, and have all the puberty-related changes like a growth spurt, deepening voice, maturing genitalia, and libido to match.

For most boys, the more obvious manifestations of puberty begin around thirteen or seventh grade. Early onset puberty can start at ten or eleven and can present some challenges for boys.

First - parents can miss this completely. Sure, little Billy is getting bigger, but he's a growing boy. Right?

Second - when a boy in elementary school, fourth or fifth grade, starts puberty, it invites comment and curiosity by their peers.

Third - most boys of this age aren't prepared for puberty emotionally.

Boys with early onset puberty are apt to engage in sex play, and exhibitionism, which can cause them a great deal of trouble. They literally can't engage in sex with their peers, as peers aren't ready or equipped for it. They often end up with older partners and negative consequences.

Sexually, they are the equals of boys two and three years older than they are, but they don't have the emotional maturity and experience to match.

Their peers may react with jealousy at their more developed... attributes.

Two examples of my character who are blessed (or cursed) with early onset puberty are:

Scotty Cross from The Summer Job.

Billy Barnes from The Company.

 

Edited April 6, 2024 by JamesSavik

[JamesSavik]

Dissociative Identity Disorder

Here's a malady that has often been misunderstood and is one of the most abused troupes in fiction. Often called Multiple Identity Disorder, it is a very rare, misunderstood and often presents itself in unique ways.

For years, DID (formerly called Multiple Identity Disorder) has been controversial. Some psychiatrists have denied it exists, and it was used as a dubious and failed criminal defense strategy in high-profile murder cases.

DID is extremely rare because it takes a horrendous amount of abuse to trigger it. Any sane person, family member or teacher who witnessed it would blow the whistle - unless they are religious fanatics. Victims are often raised inside cults and subject to abuse of all sorts: physical, emotional, sexual and neglect. DID is a rare response to abuse trauma. Other responses are much more common, and DID is often comorbid with all sorts of other psychiatric maladies.

DID is much more common in females than males and the stats are confusing, but most of them look like a 65/35 female/male split.

Contrary to fiction, personalities almost always retain the gender of the sufferer.

Abuse causes Dissociation, or an emotional detachment. Many people who experience abuse trauma describe this state as "going away".

Repeated abuse/trauma can cause this state to extend and form personalities amenable to the abusers.

 

For instance: John Doe is a teen who has been abused in all manner of ways since he was a small child.  Four different personalities manifest.

Good John is a sweet boy who is compliant and obedient. Good John will obey and do all his chores. He's a people pleaser.

Bad John is the angry child who has been suppressed. Bad John understands he's a punching bag and acts out on his anger.

Sexy John is compliant with and enthusiastic about sexual abuse. It's easier that way, doesn't hurt as much, and it is over sooner that way. He may trick or lure other children to the abuser.

Calculating John is a cold and calculating personality that lies in the background and manipulates things for all the John's benefit. Calculating John is a controlling personality who is distinct from the others. His imperatives are survival oriented. He watches and makes decisions like not antagonizing his abusers.

John will appear to be the same person, but one of these personalities will be predominate.

 

Needless to say, if you take on writing a character like this, it can be a wild ride. For instance, if Sexy John is in charge in the middle school locker room, things are going to get interesting. Bad John will be wildly popular with the kids who sneak smokes behind the building, and Good John will be a teacher's pet. Calculating John will blame others for all their misdeeds.

DID is the aftermath of a disastrous childhood. Sufferers present from mild to profound symptomatology. You will need to do a lot of research and think through how this character will act and react to situations and which personality will manifest. It makes my head hurt thinking about just how deep a dive it could take.

 

I have only one character who manifests a mild form of DID. It's Joey Ashcraft from the Company.

Joey's mother is an alcoholic who stays drunk and eventually became unemployable. Joey became a hustler to bring cash home and evolved a protective personality called Rebel. Where Joey is a sweet little boy, Rebel is loud, brash and aggressive-a survival adaptation. When Rebel was removed from the chaos and provided support, Rebel receded as he was no longer necessary, and Joey became dominate. Rebel is still in there and will emerge if he's threatened, but in his new circumstances where he's safe and secure, Rebel is unnecessary and Joey is dominate. He is under psychiatric care.

This was an extremely simplistic example, but about the best I could manage.

.

For a short example, see: Two for the Price of One

Edited April 16, 2024 by JamesSavik

[JamesSavik]

Big T Trauma

 

There is trauma, and then there is TRAUMA. Some therapists call it Big T Trauma. It's not caused by harsh words. This is not to disparage the ordinary traumas we deal with occasionally. This is no shit, life-wrecking big ticket trauma. The kind that marks you indelibly for life.

Big T Trauma comes about from:

• Natural Disasters
• War
• Accidents
• Assault with injury
• Rape
• Physical/Sexual Abuse

There are several factors that influence outcomes:

• Duration of the Event - Wars or abuse that last years will be different from a mugging or tornado that lasts minutes.
• Support - If support is immediately available.
• Medical Care - If injured, medical care is available.
• Shame - whether the victim will seek help.

 

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

No one knows why some people can go, fight in a war and feel no ill effects, and another soldier will be broken by the experience. It is a heavily studied phenomenon, and no one can tell you why exactly. We do know what it looks like. Trauma can rewire you for survival, but this rewiring job isn't optimized for living life.

For instance: many soldiers who fought in the Korean War couldn't sleep at night because NK soldiers would use the dark to infiltrate UN lines and cut throats. This keeps him alive in combat, but makes him a poor fit for an 8-5 job.

PTSD has several ugly hallmarks that make life difficult.

• Hypervigilance - the nervous system is on high alert constantly. This makes a person look jittery all the time.
• Sleep Disturbances - difficulty falling or staying asleep, insomnia and nightmares
• Chemical Dependency - PTSD suffers often use drugs and alcohol to self-medicate for their symptoms and create even worse problems for themselves
• Flashbacks - the event replays in your head
• Intrusive Thoughts - part of the survival imperative. For example, if you go into an unfamiliar building, you look for a quick way out just in case.
• Avoidance - you desperately don't want to think or talk about IT.
• Mood Disorders - depression and anxiety
• Negativity and hopelessness
• Suicidal ideation

Folks, this is as ugly as it gets. PTSD is challenging to treat, difficult to live with, and hard to get the sufferer to even acknowledge it. This shit kills people.

I'll end this here, and pick it up next week.

 

This photo from WW 2 is the classic example of the 1000 Yard Stare.

Edited April 21, 2024 by JamesSavik

[JamesSavik]

How would a character with PTSD act?

That depends on numerous factors. Age, type of trauma, severity and the length of time. A little girl in a car accident with injuries will present differently from a combat veteran or survivor of a tornado outbreak. However, there will always be a core of symptoms.

Celeste Carlson is 15. When 13, she was in an accident that broke her arm, ribs and punctured a lung. She was in for an unpleasant hospital stay and almost had to repeat 7th grade. Compounding the accident, the girl driving was killed at the scene. Celeste refuses to ride in small cars, will only ride in SUVs and straps in like it's the space shuttle. She cries easily, is triggered by traffic, and often has nightmares. When Celeste gets rattled, it can take a good while for her to get back on balance(minutes to hours). She may often be seen as distracted.

Nick Morrison is 44. When he was young, he decided it would be a good idea to join the Marines. Then Iraq, part 2 happened. Nick was part of the Mean Green Machines' Shock & Awe campaign. Iraq part 2 was a different war than the original Desert Storm. They tried to do it on the cheap with a Coalition of the Willing so they saw very heavy fighting. He was probably going to do OK until Fallugah and an Improvised Explosive Device that put him out of action for six weeks. Twenty years later, Nick works as a field engineer and travels a great deal. He's married, but it's rocky. He's jumpy, loud noises can rattle him, and he has nightmares. His wife suspects he is cheating on the road, but the truth is he's faithful and uses the alone time to drink.

Scooter McGee is 25. When he was 17, an EF-3 tornado smashed into their rural Arkansas community at three in the morning, killed 22 people and blowing him into a tree on a mattress and breaking his arm. Scooter started drinking before the cast came off. After graduation, he became an apprentice electrician. He's a functional alcoholic. Bad weather gives Scooter the shakes. His old friends wonder what's up with him because all he does is work and see his girl, and go hunting and fishing to cover up his weed and alcohol hobby.

The hypervilligence part of PTSD is exhausting. It's like you are constantly on red alert. This is why people with PTSD are often described as twitchy. They may be too tired to sleep (insomnia).

 

Edited May 27, 2024 by JamesSavik

[LJCC]

I remember my individual behavior professor saying that in every human, there's this thing called a life-changing event. It may happen at an early age or later in life. These events shapes and changes a person's values. There are intrinsic values taught at an early age that moulds a person and these values are constant.

However, with the introduction of such life altering event, these values shifts slightly to the left or right. They need to be powerful, dramatic factors that steers a person's core value to shift.

For example:

• Marie, a 55-year-old English teacher, faces a devastating heartbreak when her 22-year-old gay son Tommy takes his own life. Torn between her devout Christian beliefs and her love for her son, Marie is shaken to the core, rejecting the religion that once brought her solace.

  Determined to honor Tommy's memory, Marie joins an advocacy group fighting against prejudice towards the LGBTQ+ community. It's there that she meets Zeke, a gay Muslim student at her school who is being bullied for his identity.

  Seeing the parallels between Zeke and her late son, Marie takes the young man under her wing. She teaches him about resilience, terrified that he might suffer the same fate as Tommy. In return, Zeke helps Marie on her journey of self-forgiveness and compassion.

  Through their bond, Marie comes to terms with the fact that she never hated Tommy for being gay. As a single mother, she had simply hoped for a "better" life for her son—a heterosexual marriage, a traditional future. Tommy's death made her realize the depth of her own prejudice, buried beneath her faith and desire for his happiness.

  With Zeke's guidance, Marie learns to embrace love and acceptance, determined to prevent another young life from being lost to the pain of intolerance. In honoring her son's memory, she finds the courage to become a fierce advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, ensuring that no other parent has to endure the same devastating loss.

• Arnold, a 38-year-old father of three, experiences a profound tragedy when his youngest daughter, Anabelle, is found dead near her college campus. Years later, the killer is finally apprehended.

  Consumed by grief and a thirst for justice, Arnold becomes an outspoken advocate for the reinstitution of the death penalty through the electric chair. He joins a 4-day rally outside city hall, determined to see the law passed in this "modern age."

  However, Arnold's stance is more complex than it first appears. While he professes his belief in "a life for a life," the reality is that he never truly believed in capital punishment before. It is only after the devastating loss of his daughter that he comes to see the electric chair as the only means of finding peace and resolution for his immense anguish.

  Arnold's quest is not simply a quest for the law, but a deeply personal one. He feels that only the execution of his daughter's murderer can provide the justice he so desperately craves. The loss of Anabelle has shattered his worldview, driving him to advocate for a punishment he once opposed in the hopes that it will finally bring him the closure he needs to move forward.

• Teddy, who has been with his partner Gary for almost two decades since the age of 16, is blindsided when Gary abruptly files for divorce, citing the monotony of their marriage. In a last-ditch effort to save their relationship, Teddy suggests an open relationship.

  Reluctantly, Gary agrees, and Teddy begins exploring intimacy with other men. Through these encounters, Teddy discovers a newfound understanding of his own desires and preferences in the bedroom. It's during this period of self-discovery that Teddy meets Tanya, a cisgender woman who is open to exploring unconventional relationships.

  As Teddy and Tanya's connection deepens, Gary realizes the depth of his love for Teddy and that he may have made a mistake. However, by this point, Teddy has come to a profound understanding—it's not the lack of physical intimacy that was missing, but the emotional connection and companionship he shared with Gary that have ultimately slipped away.

  Eventually, Teddy and Gary decide to proceed with the divorce, recognizing that their marriage has irreparably broken down. Years later, Teddy welcomes a child into their lives, while Gary finds a new love blooming on the horizon.