Ow (Mental Health/Health Issues in Writing)

Books are great because they allow us to live vicariously through the characters. Talking to dragons, having magic, battling the big bad with fire—it's the stuff of dreams.

But the only way we can connect with the characters is if they're realistic, which means imperfect*. Not only should the main characters have a fatal flaw that they either succumb to (failure, tragedy, villain) or overcome (success, hero), but they also need other little human quirks.

It could be something reliance on a favourite snack or a daily exercise habit, but it can also be a mental or physical health issue.

I have played with some of my personal demons through many of my characters.

Anxiety (Alyssa, Vera) and chronic pain (Jet, Naya) are common themes throughout many of my books. They might have magical abilities, but they're still like us. They face the same challenges, the same hills. Every day, against some terrifying obstacles, they have to choose how and if they have the spoons to overcome those obstacles. 

Jet finds healing in hot baths; Alyssa takes comfort in affirmations and support from her inner circle.

But at the end of the day, with all their human, relatable struggles, they still find the courage and fortitude to stand strong against their enemies to win the day, which is something I do my best to take to heart.

What's a character you've spent time with lately that you related to for some beneath-the-surface reason?

(*for more about how I create my characters, you can check out this recent blog post)