Therapists are the type of character whose occupation can easily seep into their ‘off the clock’ life. It's not something that can often be helped. Psychologists don't ‘turn off’ their perception of behavioral patterns and personality analyses, the same way you can't ‘unsee’ the rabbits after you ...

I've already written a bunch of articles on writing mental illness, so I figured I should write about writing therapists as well!

Oh, the woes for therapist representation in narrative works! All the stereotypes are there: from the shrink that is actually a little (or a lot) loopy and ...

I like mentor characters.

This is not just me of course; the mentor and protagonist relationship is powerful. Some of the best moments in many stories are the first encounter with the mentor, the training and sense of discovery for the protagonist, and the eventual loss of the mentor character ...

After traveling several miles on winding roads, Adrienne Barbara Whippet has just arrived in the town of Barkham to meet her father. The only problem is that her first meeting is with a lawyer of her father’s estate and her father is no where in sight. Adrienne enlists the ...

So there's this saying that it's a completely different thing to talk the talk than walk the talk- to do as you preach. To put your money where your mouth is. To actually apply what you say you ascribe to.

In short, putting into action everything you've ...

Last time we talked about motivation in people, and its relationship to behavior. And I must say you all had great comments I feel deserve to be addressed, so instead of a four-part tour to the world of what makes people tick, I will add a fifth part where I ...

I know you are probably rolling your eyes right now, thinking I'm about to rant about the Star Wars sequels again. I'm not.

Ok, I might a little, but not in the typical manner. And I'm inviting you to hear me out because this isn't a ...

Welcome to this intergalactic prison filled with a wide range of creatures and prisoners committed to serving time in space. Each inmate, including a rocket pack hotshot, a street-brawling young man, and a lawbreaking, exotic kitty-lady dancer, spends their time thinking back to the exact moment that landed them in ...

Copyright! What is it?

You’ve heard of it I’m sure. Do you know what it is? I’ll explain: it gives you rights over things that you’ve created so others can’t just steel your hard work and use it for themselves. It doesn’t apply to ...

In a story when any character is plausibly eligible to die, the stakes are high. We worry for everyone, even main characters than in other stories wouldn't be on the chopping board at all. It's a great premise to have for your story setup, because it makes the ...