Amy Rivers joins Bonnie and Miranda on this episode of The Writing Forge to discuss trauma in fiction.
This week’s question: Assuming you're writing fiction, think about your main character. What trauma have they experienced? If you don’t have an answer to that question, what trauma could you introduce into their lives to help them grow?
- When writing trauma, the key is to find a balance between the emotional impact of the trauma without being too gratuitous or graphic in the descriptions.
- Think about what kind of triggers you’re going to be covering and how people who have been traumatized in that way may respond.
- The main goals of books, whether reading or writing, is to gain empathy for people.
- Try to be as true to the situation as possible without forcing people to live it. People experience trauma differently, and sometimes fading to black is more helpful than spelling it out, because it allows people to process in their own way.
- Think about what kind of writer you are and what kind of message you’re trying to convey. You can be faithful to real life healing and its rises and falls, or you can resolve trauma by the end of the book. Neither is more right than the other; it’s about how you handle the journey.
- Writing trauma authentically usually requires a bit of plotting and a little extra reworking in the editing process.
- Use of sensitivity readers can be very helpful to find what lines you may be inadvertently crossing.
- Memoirs, textbooks, firsthand accounts, and online groups are great sources that can help you learn about trauma and how it can affect everyone differently.
- Make sure to take care of yourself when reading or writing about trauma. Take breaks when you need them and practice good self-care. Walks, talking with friends or professionals, and meditation, are just some examples. Research and experimentation will help you find what works best for you.
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Cover art by Maggie Walker
