Category Archives: Psychology

Description of aspects of psychology that affect our everyday lives

The Crazy Writer

Posted on September 21, 2023 by knlistman

Writers, like other creatives, tend to exhibit pathological symptoms from time to time. So, psychologists have studied the life of writers, researching their unconventional behavior like they examine the pathology of a disease. Writers can appear contradictory because the strongest … Continue reading →

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Is Creativity Fair?

Posted on August 24, 2023 by knlistman

Creative people often feel driven to be different, to strive for the original idea and take it as far as possible despite the deprivation and pain that results. They fear that inspiration may abandon them and leave them stranded, or … Continue reading →

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The Challenge of Writing Humor

Posted on May 26, 2023 by knlistman

I struggle with writing humor. What I find funny is often too close to real life for others to comfortably laugh at it. What others find amusing may irritate rather than entertain me. Once I heard a bit of advice … Continue reading →

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Asking for Ideas

Posted on November 24, 2022 by knlistman

Writing a well-crafted novel is hard labor, like going through a struggle harder than childbirth. Some authors want to seek out a short-cut, a sure thing, or a fully fleshed-out plot that has been used successfully in the past. However … Continue reading →

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Woman on a Tightrope

Posted on October 6, 2022 by knlistman

Recently the movie Not Okay hit a nerve by using “Unlikeable female protagonist” as one of the content warnings for its rating. What did the likability of the main character have to do with identifying the appropriate audience for this … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, Drama and movies, Laughter and humor, Optimism and Pessimism, Self confidence, Writer's resource | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When Do the Ghosts Show Up?

Posted on July 28, 2022 by knlistman

According to my friends I read depressing books, such as Cry the Beloved Country and Crime and Punishment, and actually enjoy them. What kind of books do I avoid reading because I find them depressing while others seem to relish … Continue reading →

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Emotionally intelligent characters?

Posted on June 2, 2022 by knlistman

Readers may seek out stories with a hero with greater than average athletic ability and high intelligence because they are drawn to the larger than life character who is strong or ingenious. However, when a reader asks for a character … Continue reading →

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Writing Sarcasm

Posted on March 31, 2022 by knlistman

The difference between satire and sarcasm makes the first one easier to express in writing. I can take a well-known trope and push it to an unreasonable extreme to create a satirical story. However, delivery of sarcastic lines often requires … Continue reading →

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When Writing is a Race

Posted on March 10, 2022 by knlistman

I’ve always envied authors who write quickly. Many of them pull ideas from their own life. Sometimes, when I finish reading a good novel I feel like I’ve met some of the characters, because the author has actually met the … Continue reading →

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How likeable does a character have to be?

Posted on January 27, 2022 by knlistman

We often hear it is absolutely necessary for your protagonist to be likable. I take this advice not just with a grain of salt but with a huge chunk of sodium chloride. One of my very dislikable characters (according to … Continue reading →

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