Comments on: Do Characters have a Nervous System?

By: denise

denise — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 05:52:57 +0000

great ideas

By: Jenny Hansen

Jenny Hansen — Wed, 13 May 2026 03:51:19 +0000

In reply to Ellen Buikema. I ALWAYS need to work on my viscerals! You're not alone here, Ellen. :-)

By: Sarah Sally Hamer

Sarah Sally Hamer — Mon, 11 May 2026 22:50:51 +0000

In reply to Lisa. Getting to know them is SO important! That's the difference between a good character and a great character. We want them to SHOW us who they are! Thanks, Lisa!

By: Lisa

Lisa — Mon, 11 May 2026 21:45:03 +0000

Love this, Sally. When I write, I try to get to know my characters, let them come alive for me. Process each scene with them. Your post is fantastic.

By: Sarah (Sally) Hamer

Sarah (Sally) Hamer — Mon, 11 May 2026 20:51:45 +0000

In reply to Ronda Wells. Exactly, Ronda! I use my psychology degree all the time in my writing, because characters act like we do. :) Thanks for the post!

By: Ronda Wells

Ronda Wells — Mon, 11 May 2026 20:09:32 +0000

Great post!! One huge point for writers is our limbic system in the brain reacts first to flight/flight events before the "thinking system" reacts. Your brain sees the brake lights long before your foot gets to the pedal. So, reactions in fiction need to be in the correct sequence to "feel" right. So don't have a character think "I need to run from this tiger" before his heart rate rises, muscles tense and set him up to run!

By: Sarah (Sally) Hamer

Sarah (Sally) Hamer — Mon, 11 May 2026 18:13:15 +0000

In reply to Ellen Buikema. Margie IS awesome! It is nice to get kudos when we get a character "right" and it's even better to build one in such a way that "they" speak for themselves and we just write it down. :) Thanks, Ellen!

By: Sarah (Sally) Hamer

Sarah (Sally) Hamer — Mon, 11 May 2026 18:10:57 +0000

In reply to Debbie Vilardi. You're exactly right, Debbie. There are characters who receive horrible, terrifying news and not have an outward reaction. Which is why, when we build our characters, we can figure out why they react and do what we can to show that "underbelly" of emotion. Good points!

By: Ellen Buikema

Ellen Buikema — Mon, 11 May 2026 17:36:37 +0000

Fantastic post, Sally!

I know I've done characters justice when I receive comments during critique like, "That is so Hannah!" Then go on to say more about how she would react.

Visceral reactions ... I need to work on that.

Thanks for the specific recommendation for a class with Margie Lawson. Margie is awesome!

By: Debbie Vilardi

Debbie Vilardi — Mon, 11 May 2026 15:12:56 +0000

I try to write humans instead of characters. Even if the character is an inanimate object, the human reader must be able to identify with them. I have one character who could easily become a caricature. But the reader understands there is longing and pain underneath. She's a villain, but not to herself. To herself, she's a survivor. I sit myself in my character's bodies as well as their minds. Sometimes it's what the character doesn't say or do that matters. I'm going to share this post with one of my groups as a reminder. Because I see it a lot too. But I can see someone whose children have been taken reacting calmly because it's so unbelievable. Perhaps she is in shock and anger will hit in a minute or two. It's all in what's been established for her that leads to that moment.