forum Self Therapy?
Started by Mio
tune

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Mio

I mean, I'm sure many of us get our emotions out by creating. But, has anyone else accidentally taught themselves something or realized they were accidently working out their personal issues through the character(s)?
Like, I had a character which kept trying to find reasons to put behind certain feelings, basically rationalizing their way out of having certain emotions at times. And, I had to write them realizing that that doesn't always work, and that sometimes you just feel things even when they have no reason. Which in turn hellped me realize have often I try to talk myself down from emotions insteead of letting myself be human.
Massive philosophy debate asside. I've realized the main characters for my book all have huge flaws of mine like that, which they have to face to begin character growth. Now, obviously every character an author makes carries a shard of them. But, these are some big shards. They're pretty scary, and I think they're causing some writer's block. I'm especially stuck on how to write the part I'm on. Because, I've written the words that my character needs to hear- that possibly I need to hear-. But, since the other character delivering them is also just me, I'm not processing the words in my soul. So, the words don't feel right, but they are. I guess, they just feel sort of hollow at the moment to me.

@FRANKtheTritoposaur group

Thats honestly a big part of my writing too. Alot of my short stories are just me venting. And because the stories are short and normally end in well- death. I get the therapy by listening to other people talk about the character mental problems and how they would fix them.

@IcarusFightsTheSun book

my mc (spoko) was pretty much me writing out my depression. her story is that she used to be a happy-go-lucky, bubbly, trouble maker/magical prodigy, but then she mysteriously gets cursed and all they know is that she'll lose her soul unless they can fix it before then. the whole series is her and her friends traveling around the world looking for a way to break the curse. in the end the quest fails and she loses her soul.
she became cold and empty, and for a while she tried to live the same way she used to, but it became too painful and she went crazy. going to horrible lengths to fill the void with any sort of emotion.

of course her soul-less state has changed and the last part about 'horrible lengths' was just for plot, but i think most of that was myself trying to create someone to identify with, someone who would know how i feel and in turn would let others know too. i mean, she had it all, but that still didn't stop her from hurting no matter how many people told her how great her life was.

Mio

I feel like I get that a little bit. I've put so much of myself in sometimes that I've cried with my characters. I've had people try to tell me I shouldn't get so attached, and that I should seperate the book from myself. But then, how's it supposed to feel genuine?

@Serenity88 group

all of my characters are little bits of me, broken off and given names. I haven't gotten to writing much, but I will probably treat my characters the same way I treat the corresponding piece of myself- not nicely🥲

Mio

I get the temptation to do that, but I usually try to teach them new things instead. I'm not sure if it would help or hurt me to create a character just to work my frustrations out on them

@thecasual_hooman drive_eta

so life sucks rn ngl as a human and wannabe-whriter I love making story only to be happy with my work and I show someone and they look at me and say ¨you made this? why? its lame and stupid¨

Mio

I get that. But, if they don't understand then I don't feel they have a right to call something stupid. Write for yourself, not others. I understand wanting to get some positive feedback though.