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some tips for writing trauma (either for backstory or current events) coming from someone with trauma

these are just from my experience and general tips to handle trauma with the sensitivity it needs so yeah :)

remember to do your own research though!

don't use trauma solely as a plot-device/a way to "better" a character. while yes a person can get some "positive" experience from trauma, trauma tends to affect people very negatively

not all trauma causes ptsd or c-ptsd. ptsd and c-ptsd are serious mental disorders and people struggle a lot with them. ptsd and c-ptsd are caused by trauma and common causes are warfare, sexual assault, childhood trauma and many more. if you do choose to give your character ptsd or c-ptsd, do your research (and ptsd and c-ptsd are different)

what qualifies as trauma varies from person to person. someone might get traumatized by something, someone else might not. everyone's brains handles potentially traumatic experiences differently

trauma affects people differently. like mentioned earlier, some people develop ptsd. some people develop other disorders/illnesses like depression or anxiety. many blame themselves for their trauma. some develop phobias. not only do people change on the inside, their visible behaviors can also change. a behavior i myself have is avoiding anything to could potentially remind me of my trauma and many do the same. there's many potential outcomes of traumatic events

different "types" of trauma can cause different outcomes. for example, sexual assault might not cause the same outcome as having abusive parents. keep what traumatized your character in mind when you figure out how it affects them

love will NOT cure trauma. it's a "trope" i'm sure many of us have seen in young adult novels but it's simply not how it works. while yes, having a significant other can be great support, it won't just stop the effects of trauma. one of the most helpful things for reliving trauma is learning how to cope with it and learning healthy coping mechanisms

and of course, DO YOUR DAMN RESEARCH

#trauma #writing #writing trauma #writing tips #writing help

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When you return to an angsty scene you wrote to make it even worse even though the first version already had people emotionally broken:

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Cassini’s Top Tips for writing a psychopathic/sociopathic character!

This is not a list of symptoms or other things! These are some more tips to approach the topic in general

Psychopaths and sociopaths are not inherently bad people! They are more at risk for criminal behaviours compared to neurotypicals. You can write a psychopath or sociopath without them being the “villain”

It’s okay to practice writing one! It doesn’t have to be perfect the first time, just don’t publish it the first few times until you feel like you did a good job, be open to criticism about it!

DO.YOUR.RESEARCH. This is SUPER vital, search up symptoms, look at interviews of people who are psychopaths or sociopaths and if you are able, talk one of them yourself!

Don’t demonise psychopathy/sociopathy. Yes, a good portion of serial killers are psychopaths or sociopaths, but not all. It’s a struggle to live with it as any other mental illness. Even me, a hyperempath, don’t think down on them because they struggle or can’t feel empathy as an example.

This is honestly all I can remember for now, feel free to mention other stuff and correct me!

#writer #writing tips #writing help #psychopathy #sociopathy #writing #writer tips #writer help