The Character Therapist

So I was going to post today about writing the book that is awesome, but that's going to have to wait for tomorrow (you're on the edge of your seats, aren't you? That's right you are.).

Today on Elizabeth Spann Craig's blog she has a guest post. Jeannie Campbell, LMFT, talks about how to use a character as a red herring in a mystery plot. This post itself is fantastic, but I checked out Jeannie's blog and it's chock full of writing goodness.

She's a licensed marriage and family therapist, so she looks at fictional characters from a psychological bent. The results are amazing, especially if you're writing something really character driven. Considering how messed up I usually make my characters, this is a treasure trove of information for me. 

Even if you're writing something less character oriented, I think having a good idea of your character's emotional state as you push him through the gauntlet of your plot helps the reader connect with your character better. 

As Jeannie says on her blog, "Understanding the character’s driving goals and motivation in relation to their emotional state will help you figure out what plot points need to occur to maximize the character’s arc to its fullest potential."