Hey everyone! I want to lead off with a reminder of my contest for the entirety of the month of April. I am giving away a copy of one of my favorite books of all time, John Dies at the End. All you have to do to enter is follow me on twitter (@alexnaderwrites) and then tweet this message: Follow @AlexNaderWrites and RT this for a chance to win A copy of John Dies at the End in paperback
Now to continue along with my series on things that inspire my writing today’s post is a little different. The previous four posts have all been some form of media. This one, however, is a little less tangible.
I consider myself a fairly empathetic person. I have always tried to put myself in other people’s shoes and feel what they are feeling. This isn’t always possible because no matter how understanding you are, there are just some people you can’t understand (people who think Superman is the greatest superhero ever, for example).
I don’t know very many writers personally, but I imagine they all have to be somewhat the same as me in that respect. If they weren’t every character would come out the exact same and that just not how life (real or fiction) works. Writers have to be able to get in the head of the antagonist or their motives will never be believable. If we don’t understand why our characters feel the way they feel how will our audience. I could be completely wrong and if you are an apathetic writer leave me a comment and I will take it all back (maybe).
I’ve ended the last three posts with a picture of what I talked about, but since I can’t think of a good picture for empathy I leave you with this:
Recap:
A is for Atmosphere
B is for Benny Imura
C is for Crow
D is for Doomtree
E is for Empathy
Eloquent Until The All Caps Cussing 
Great post once again, Alex! And can I just say – love the new head shot! Very professional. 🙂
Being an empathetic person is one of the most important aspects of making a relationship work, IMO. Always considering the other’s thoughts, feelings, and reasons definitely go a long way in keeping stability.
Terri
Thanks. My boss is a photographer and he got that picture on my lunch break. That’s a bonus about living in the mountains, there’s a good view from pretty much everywhere. Being empathetic must be helping my relationship, I’m coming up on a nine year wedding anniversary. 🙂
I don’t think I’ve meet an apathetic writer. Being able to empathize is just too vital to writing after all.
I’ve been working on a technique referred to as ‘Deep POV’. Basically, getting into the head of your protagonist/antagonist so the reader feels who they are, their wants, their needs, what directs them to act the way they do. Great writers have this down pat. Great post. Greetings from Texas @ ‘Tate’s Other Side’
Great post. I agree. Writers do need to be in a different person’s shoes.
From A to Z Challenge,
Sonnia J. Kemmer
No one wants to read a mundane character/s. Some of the best characters of all times were created with the use of empathy. I believe that is why readers often feel emotional ties towards the antagonists. 🙂 Great post!
An AtoZ’er,
Courtney