SWRT 220 | The Writer as Student of Human Nature

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Robert, & Kathryn ask, how can we develop our characters if we aren’t naturally curious about people? We three writers find ourselves putting our friends, family, neighbors, even strangers under our version of the microscope. What do we--and our stories--gain as observers of human nature? Where does our authenticity come from as writers? Is there a method to our madness?  We’re always diving into the lives and minds of our characters in an effort to bring them to life for our readers, which makes us amateur, or armchair, psychologists. But how do we keep from getting it wrong? The key is not a technicality of research or analysis, or in our attitude toward others. We’ve found that compassion and empathy make for the best character development.