All writers have demons…let’s face it, they are part of the reason we write in the first place. Whether or not those demons are good or bad is purely an individual thing. Some of us try and drink them away others resort to sitting in dark corners cussing at them. I say….use em!
I have always found a place in my writing for my demons. For instance, I am leery of the dark and a smidgen claustrophobic so I have characters in some of my books who are working through those same demons. I know that I am not the only writer who does this. Stephen King has an obvious fear of clowns and Dean Koontz has issues with the possibility of time travel and the bad it can cause. I can point out dozens of writers who use their demons. It’s great therapy too.
There is another reason to use your own demons in your writing…because characters need their own demons to make them more believable and help readers connect to the brokenness that is inside us all. You know your demons better than anyone else so why not share them with some of your characters? Keep in mind you can’t share them with ALL of your characters because that would be redundant but you can share them with a select few and that will help your character development.
We all have those things that haunt us for whatever reason. We are all, after all, damaged in some way. But rather than pine over not being the perfect person and therefore the perfect writer, realize that those very flaws that you are touting as a bad thing are actually a very good thing for the writer. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t seek therapy if you have visions of murdering your annoying neighbor with a ball-peen hammer but for the most part use your demons. Share those flaws!
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