I see this question asked a lot, but I’m not going to answer it. Neither should you. Why not? Suicidality is a very real condition. In 2021, nearly 50,000 people died of suicide; over 12 million gave it serious consideration.1 These are real people whose lives are potentially in danger. Because suicide is often an […]
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Question: How do I give my character multiple personalities?
Writers love giving their characters multiple personalities, and I can’t blame them. More formally known as dissociative identity disorder (DID), the concept of multiple personalities offers a rich and complex terrain for exploring themes related to identity, the human mind, and the nature of the self. When done correctly, it can add narrative tension to […]
10 Best Gifts for Writers
Happy December! I haven’t posted on this blog in a while, so I’m going to try something new. Since it is now the season of capitalism – I mean, Christmas – it’s time to think about giving gifts to the people we love. And if someone you love is a writer, this post is for […]
Q: My character is having a seizure – what happens now?
A. While the character is seizing, keep them safe by clearing the area. Seizures can look really scary, but most of the time they’ll stop on your own. If you want your character to look like they know what they’re doing, have them clear a space around the seizing character, moving furniture and other objects […]
Q: What is an abortion?
A: An abortion is the loss of a pregnancy prior to 20 weeks gestation Abortion has been in the news a lot this week, and rightfully so. But I’ve seen a lot of miscommunication being thrown around, particularly around the idea of what an abortion is, and what it is used for. The purpose of […]
Q: What Conditions Could Cause My Character to Become Mute?
A: There are 3 overarching causes of an inability to speak: psychiatric changes, neurologic changes, and changes to the mouth and throat. Mutism is an inability or refusal to speak. It can be congenital – meaning that the reason your character can’t speak is something they were born with – or it can be acquired. […]
Question: How long does it take for hypothermia to set in?
Answer: It Depends I know that isn’t very satisfying, but hear me out. Hypothermia occurs when your character’s core temperature – usually somewhere between 97-99oF – drops to below 95oF. There are a lot of different factors that contribute to your character’s core body temperature. These include: The ambient air temperature While hypothermia can theoretically […]
Q: What could cause my character to bleed out during childbirth?
This is a great question. Some bleeding during childbirth is totally normal, but too much can be life-threatening. In fact, postpartum hemorrhage –excessive bleeding during/after childbirth – is the #1 cause of maternal death during childbirth. There are several underlying causes of postpartum hemorrhage. Here are a few. 1. Genital Trauma No one ever said […]
Q: Why might my very young character develop a fever?
Anyone who’s had to stay up night after night with a sick child understands what a terrifying experience a pediatric fever can be. Most of the time, though, fevers are a totally normal response to an infection, and little needs to be done. The most common causes of fevers in children are respiratory viruses – […]
Q: What happens if my character is brought to the hospital after attempting suicide?
What Won’t Happen There are a lot of rumors, misunderstandings, and misconceptions surrounding the treatment of suicide attempts. I’ll start out by addressing some of the most flagrant here. Your character won’t wake up in restraints. In fact, they won’t even be put in restraints unless they are extremely agitated and cannot be calmed down […]