My Secret Tool in My Writing Toolbox

Developing empathy and applying it to fictional character development

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Have you ever thought about how you developed your writing abilities? One of my abilities is that I can get into a character’s head and feel what the character is thinking and feeling. I was thinking about this the other day and realized just how closely this skill is to developing empathy.

I find myself as being an empath, but I haven’t always been that way. Back when I was in my early twenties, I went through a particularly spiritual period. During this time, I would take time to meditate on God’s Word and listen to what I felt he had to say to me.

Many people would think that what I was hearing was all in my head, but I’m not so sure because, in one incident, I heard great advice that changed my life forever.

I remember when I was doing something. I don’t remember what it was, but it had something to do with my family and I said to God something like. “What is wrong with them?”

Almost as clearly as I am thinking right now, came back the words. “The problem isn’t with them. The problem is with you.”

As soon as I heard the words in my head, I knew that what I had just heard was the truth. I was being self-centered. I was unwilling to see…