Writing Trauma - Tumblr Posts
How To Write Trauma Like The Lego Batman Movie
Using Batman from The Lego Batman Movie as my example. I will give you dissertation on how to write trauma whether that trauma is related to orphan shenanigans or not!
STEP NUMBER ONE: TRAUMA AIN'T COOL
This is the biggest thing that The Lego Batman Movie gets spot on! Batman, throughout the movie, behaves more like an emotionally-stunted comical manchild then the suave self-insert straight power fantasy we're used to seeing.
Not only is this more realistic then the countless power fantasy stories that romanticize traumatic experiences and shitty coping mechanisms but it serves the narrative.
And the movie is all the better for this since it's this character development which serves as the necessary emotional core for the movie. If Batman was the perfectly suave badboy then him learning to have a family wouldn't be emotionally groundbreaking.
STEP NUMBER TWO: Have The Trauma Impact EVERYTHING and do it uniquely pwease
From Batman's child-esque tendency to throw tantrums to his higly performative playboy appearance which seems more like movie then man to his edgy sensibilities, everything has been grown from Batman's infamous backstory of orphanry.
His childish and immature attitude give the sentiment that Batman has reverted back into the maturity of a child which is a common coping mechanism as it allows someone to return back to the good old days.
His playboy "stoic"/edgy mean sensibilities (when in public and as Batman) are designed to keep people away as his greatest fear is having a family only to lose them again.
I enjoy the mention of "reverting back into childhood memories" as a coping mechanism because it's a coping mechanism that's not widely explored because society tends to denigrate dependency as "weakness that doesn't deserve to be explored".
Most of the time it's just stoicism which is portrayed as cool and sleeping around which is portrayed as bad not because it's hurting the person but bad because of our puritanical values
Final Lesson: Flaws Are Only Flaws If They're Treated As Flaws
Alot of writers know they need to write flaws connected to a character's trauma because they read writing advice blogs (hey) but they don't want to write actual flaws.
So what is a guy(gender-neutral) meant to do?
Write fake flaws!
This tends to be what Batman as a legacy falls into. Batman is a sleazy capitalistic megalomaniac with control issues who has an obsessive relationship with criminals and every single emotionally unattached woman (and Joker) he can get his hands on.
But it's cool!!! Because it's philosophical, and hot, and power-fantasy worthy.
However, The Lego Batman Movie subverts this! Batman's fear of losing his family and his subsequent abandoning of Dick, Alfred, Barbara, and the Joker nearly lead Gotham to ruins.
It's only when he overcomes his flaws, he can succeed in his goal of protecting Gotham
TL;DR: Trauma isn't cool. Trauma causes a shit ton of issues that create so many different kinds of coping mechanisms from the admirablely unhealthy to the pathetically unhealthy. And the only time you should (cutely and sanely) ship Batman and Joker is in this movie universe.
Writing Traumatic Backstories
Hello,it's me again! Sorry for dissappearing, I wanted a short little break from Tumblr. Obviously, I should have clearly communicated that fact instead of just going cold turkey!
From @differentnighttale : "How do I write characters who deal with severe trauma and pain with sensitivity and understanding"
Obviously with our topic today, there is going to be mentions of traumatic events and such. I won't go into any graphic or specific details but I just wanted to make it clear with a trigger warning
Since this lovely asker is specifically asking about sensitivity, I won't be addressing other related concerns about writing trauma but just focusing on this clear sensitivity! GET READY CAUSE THIS IS LONG!
Step One: Specificity Is Everything
You need to understand that various different traumatic instances will have their own different reactions based around various different incidents depending on what exactly happened and how many times it happened.
In general, the more times something happened, the more likely it would be leave an imprint. Obviously this is an oversimplification for the sake of an explanation :)
For abuse situations and other person vs person situations:
Consider the relationship your character has with this abuser! Is it obsessive? Neglectful? Don't just say it was a bad relationship! Describe to yourself what behavior and attitude specifically made this an unhealthy situation.
Did the abuser use any repetitive imagery? Did they use a specific tool most often? Did the abuse center on something specific? This can help guide you towards what can "trigger" this character!
What are the long-term affects this abusive situation have on this character? Did it make them question and distrust their self-worth, their safety, their identity, their body, their stability? Anything?
Was this abuser always bad? I don't mean in the "good person gone bad" route! I mean "is this character always abusive"? Most abusers aren't horrible 24/7 and can have their better sweeter moments. This often leaves their victims confused since the victims know more then anyone that this person wasn't just plain evil.
For natural disasters and accidents:
Where is the blame? Is it nature herself? Themself for not being careful enough? A real legitimate person who genuinely caused this accident? An imaginary individual that had no relationship?
What is the specific fear that this situation ignites? Is it this crushing feeling of isolation as they were suffering with no expectation of help? Is it the realization that life is out of their control which keeps them awake at night? Is it the chaos of that day? The fear of regret? The fear of death?
Answering these questions can often illuminate different ways to approach a character's traumatic backstory in unique and interesting ways. It also highlights potential coping mechanisms for your character.
Step Two: What Exactly Is Trauma's Effect On The Brain?
Remember: The following analogy is an oversimplified explanation of trauma. Afterward, the science explain-y part will come in :)
Imagine that the brain is an archive system. It gathers memories and puts away those memories under certain files. Then, the traumatic event(s) happen. Suddenly, the brain is unable to properly understand this. This causes the boss prefrontal cortex turns off. Now, the assistant is forced to take over. This assistant doesn't know what to do so they just do what they always do! Unfortunately, this fails to pacify the threat. And now the brain is mixing up all of the trauma's documents in an effort to just shove it into a filing cabinet. It doesn't work. Now everything new that arrives in needs to try and work through the trauma documents which are taking up the place!
SCIENCE PART!
During traumatic events, the "fear circuity" is activated. This causes the prefrontal cortex or the "decision-maker" to function less effectively. This causes a person goes into auto-pilot mode where they follow social habits.
This is why a person in a traumatic situation will sometimes engage in polite behavior with their abuser in an effort to "save face" as they typically do in social situations!
These events often physically mpact the brain! Specifically, in relation to learning and survival!
Advice In Order To Avoid Common Tropes:
Trauma is a highly complicated subject that is highly individualized and messy. But here are some "no fly" lists which often lead to traumatized characters appearing inauthentic and real traumatized people insulted.
Don't solve trauma in one conversation or one event. Working through trauma is ultimately about "moving on" in the sense of constantly moving forward but not leaving the trauma behind.
Don't romanticize certain coping mechanism. Oftentimes, media will have a hypersexual girl who learned to be hypersexual for trauma reasons. But this character doesn't exist so we can understand them. They exist for sexual appeal and tragedy brownie points.
Only include traumatic events if you can handle exploring them. If you aren't willing to deal with the implications of a certain backstory or serious mid-story event, don't write it in there.
Don't make it entirely resolved by the end. Recovery isn't about learning to "get rid" of the affect trauma has on someone. It's about working with those issues so you can learn to not drown in your issues.
Don't make the journey linear. Have your character relapse into bad unhealthy behavior. Make them have to struggle to relearn the same lessons again and again. It'll make the journey far more interesting and realistic.
Don't make bad coping mechanism black and white. Bad coping mechanisms were necessary once upon a time. They are good tools that have lived past their usefulness but they aren't illogical or evil.
Don't excuse bad behavior. Traumatic backstories offer an explanation of a character's behaviors but it doesn't make a character's actions okay.
They aren't just traumatic backstory. Oftentimes, they only thing we ever learn about a character is their deep issues and facade. But real traumatized people aren't just defined by the bad things that happen to them. They had dreams, goals, and friends that aren't pure tragedy.
They are people. While people are definitely defined by their trauma, don't make them think only of their trauma. People with sad backstories aren't more special then people who don't. They have stupidly weird behaviors, they have hobbies that aren't related to their issues. Don't make them think of just the bad stuff.
You are welcome. I genuinely appreciate being able to express my thoughts about writing and writing advice.
Anytime you need advice on a certain subject, i'll be write here ;)
Obviously, not literally since I have a life outside of Tumblr but you get the gist @differentnighttale
Writing Traumatic Backstories
Hello,it's me again! Sorry for dissappearing, I wanted a short little break from Tumblr. Obviously, I should have clearly communicated that fact instead of just going cold turkey!
From @differentnighttale : "How do I write characters who deal with severe trauma and pain with sensitivity and understanding"
Obviously with our topic today, there is going to be mentions of traumatic events and such. I won't go into any graphic or specific details but I just wanted to make it clear with a trigger warning
Since this lovely asker is specifically asking about sensitivity, I won't be addressing other related concerns about writing trauma but just focusing on this clear sensitivity! GET READY CAUSE THIS IS LONG!
Step One: Specificity Is Everything
You need to understand that various different traumatic instances will have their own different reactions based around various different incidents depending on what exactly happened and how many times it happened.
In general, the more times something happened, the more likely it would be leave an imprint. Obviously this is an oversimplification for the sake of an explanation :)
For abuse situations and other person vs person situations:
Consider the relationship your character has with this abuser! Is it obsessive? Neglectful? Don't just say it was a bad relationship! Describe to yourself what behavior and attitude specifically made this an unhealthy situation.
Did the abuser use any repetitive imagery? Did they use a specific tool most often? Did the abuse center on something specific? This can help guide you towards what can "trigger" this character!
What are the long-term affects this abusive situation have on this character? Did it make them question and distrust their self-worth, their safety, their identity, their body, their stability? Anything?
Was this abuser always bad? I don't mean in the "good person gone bad" route! I mean "is this character always abusive"? Most abusers aren't horrible 24/7 and can have their better sweeter moments. This often leaves their victims confused since the victims know more then anyone that this person wasn't just plain evil.
For natural disasters and accidents:
Where is the blame? Is it nature herself? Themself for not being careful enough? A real legitimate person who genuinely caused this accident? An imaginary individual that had no relationship?
What is the specific fear that this situation ignites? Is it this crushing feeling of isolation as they were suffering with no expectation of help? Is it the realization that life is out of their control which keeps them awake at night? Is it the chaos of that day? The fear of regret? The fear of death?
Answering these questions can often illuminate different ways to approach a character's traumatic backstory in unique and interesting ways. It also highlights potential coping mechanisms for your character.
Step Two: What Exactly Is Trauma's Effect On The Brain?
Remember: The following analogy is an oversimplified explanation of trauma. Afterward, the science explain-y part will come in :)
Imagine that the brain is an archive system. It gathers memories and puts away those memories under certain files. Then, the traumatic event(s) happen. Suddenly, the brain is unable to properly understand this. This causes the boss prefrontal cortex turns off. Now, the assistant is forced to take over. This assistant doesn't know what to do so they just do what they always do! Unfortunately, this fails to pacify the threat. And now the brain is mixing up all of the trauma's documents in an effort to just shove it into a filing cabinet. It doesn't work. Now everything new that arrives in needs to try and work through the trauma documents which are taking up the place!
SCIENCE PART!
During traumatic events, the "fear circuity" is activated. This causes the prefrontal cortex or the "decision-maker" to function less effectively. This causes a person goes into auto-pilot mode where they follow social habits.
This is why a person in a traumatic situation will sometimes engage in polite behavior with their abuser in an effort to "save face" as they typically do in social situations!
These events often physically mpact the brain! Specifically, in relation to learning and survival!
Advice In Order To Avoid Common Tropes:
Trauma is a highly complicated subject that is highly individualized and messy. But here are some "no fly" lists which often lead to traumatized characters appearing inauthentic and real traumatized people insulted.
Don't solve trauma in one conversation or one event. Working through trauma is ultimately about "moving on" in the sense of constantly moving forward but not leaving the trauma behind.
Don't romanticize certain coping mechanism. Oftentimes, media will have a hypersexual girl who learned to be hypersexual for trauma reasons. But this character doesn't exist so we can understand them. They exist for sexual appeal and tragedy brownie points.
Only include traumatic events if you can handle exploring them. If you aren't willing to deal with the implications of a certain backstory or serious mid-story event, don't write it in there.
Don't make it entirely resolved by the end. Recovery isn't about learning to "get rid" of the affect trauma has on someone. It's about working with those issues so you can learn to not drown in your issues.
Don't make the journey linear. Have your character relapse into bad unhealthy behavior. Make them have to struggle to relearn the same lessons again and again. It'll make the journey far more interesting and realistic.
Don't make bad coping mechanism black and white. Bad coping mechanisms were necessary once upon a time. They are good tools that have lived past their usefulness but they aren't illogical or evil.
Don't excuse bad behavior. Traumatic backstories offer an explanation of a character's behaviors but it doesn't make a character's actions okay.
They aren't just traumatic backstory. Oftentimes, they only thing we ever learn about a character is their deep issues and facade. But real traumatized people aren't just defined by the bad things that happen to them. They had dreams, goals, and friends that aren't pure tragedy.
They are people. While people are definitely defined by their trauma, don't make them think only of their trauma. People with sad backstories aren't more special then people who don't. They have stupidly weird behaviors, they have hobbies that aren't related to their issues. Don't make them think of just the bad stuff.
How To Write Trauma With Humanity
This short post is for those who think that they might be so focused on writing trauma well that they accidentally forget to write an actual character.
As someone who has an "interest" (read: deeply passionate and completely consuming dedication) for psychology and character analysis, I feel like sometimes writers don't really know how to write a character with trauma.
To quote a quote:
Don't Write A Traumatized Character, Write A Character With Trauma
I'm just trying to talk about those situations where the only interesting thing that we ever learn about this character is the fact that they have trauma and that's sad.
People tend to think that PTSD and trauma in general is just:
sit in dark, crying inconsolably about death
have nightmares
hide the fact that you have PTSD with broodiness
try to revenge
die tragically or happy ever after
Remember: Nobody has time for that
These people have obligations, responsibilities, family members, loved ones, and dreams that don't allow for this type of lifestyle.
Many people with PTSD *seem* like standard members of society. They sometimes participate in community activities. They have hobbies and vague interests that they put on their dating profile but don't really care about.
People with PTSD and trauma are interesting REGARDLESS of their trauma and trauma-related bullshit, not because.
If the only thing that's interesting about a character is what something else did to your character, it's not really interesting.
What's their dreams?
What do they like to eat in the morning?
What's their values?
Stop Trying TO ANSWER These Important Questions With:
"don't care :3 trauma will make this character complete :D"
Obviously, when it comes to advice I can't give you 100% accurate advice since I don't know the entire philosophy of your characters nor do I know the specific worldbuilding details.
If this advice doesn't apply, think about it but don't try to force it :)
First Things First: Trauma Responses Are Complicated
Oftentimes, when it comes to coping mechanisms, they have two contradictory fears or desires for something which cause confusing behavior if you aren't aware of their struggles. A common fear combination is the fear of abandonment and the fear of engulfment. Or the desire to be unconnected and the desire to find belonging.
When it comes to Daxoril's characteristics, they already have some of this but I think an interesting quality to explore, if you haven't already, is the soul-sucking clinginess Daxoril could display towards Keya.
I think it could add internal conflict to both Keya and Daxoril.
Keya could feel guilty for feeling exhausted by Daxoril's constant clinginess while Daxoril could feel shame for failing to remain unconnected.
Second Thing: It's The Small, Dangerous Things
A big pitfall that writers often fall into is writing outward displays of a lack of trust or whatever a character is dealing with, and just ignore the inner complexity.
Trauma responses tend to become ingrained in a person's thinking behavior. It's not just social. It's not just physical. It's everything.
Daxoril expresses these fears throughout their profile:
Guilt over not being strong enough
Lack of trust
Fear of being simplified
Now, when it comes to establishing just how fundamental these fears are, it actually doesn't need many pages. Have a few establishing moments where a character notices something and then either have "backstory confession" or have the camera show what the character feels in the midst of trauma response.
Daxoril could try to work through their fear of not being strong enough through over-exercising (physcial) and pushing their comfort boundaries (emotional)
Daxoril could embody their trust issues through always having weapons next to them if that's within their character. Constantly searching a specific character's behavior for anything that reminds them of their original abuser.
Daxoril could turn into a huge people pleaser who constantly tries to establish a positive reputation. Heck, they could start using the same manipulation techniques that were used on them!
Last Thing: Consequences @melda0m3
Flaws only count when they have consequences. Daxoril's fears need to either physically manifest BECAUSE of their flaws or their fears need to be used against them.
How To Write Trauma With Humanity
This short post is for those who think that they might be so focused on writing trauma well that they accidentally forget to write an actual character.
As someone who has an "interest" (read: deeply passionate and completely consuming dedication) for psychology and character analysis, I feel like sometimes writers don't really know how to write a character with trauma.
To quote a quote:
Don't Write A Traumatized Character, Write A Character With Trauma
I'm just trying to talk about those situations where the only interesting thing that we ever learn about this character is the fact that they have trauma and that's sad.
People tend to think that PTSD and trauma in general is just:
sit in dark, crying inconsolably about death
have nightmares
hide the fact that you have PTSD with broodiness
try to revenge
die tragically or happy ever after
Remember: Nobody has time for that
These people have obligations, responsibilities, family members, loved ones, and dreams that don't allow for this type of lifestyle.
Many people with PTSD *seem* like standard members of society. They sometimes participate in community activities. They have hobbies and vague interests that they put on their dating profile but don't really care about.
People with PTSD and trauma are interesting REGARDLESS of their trauma and trauma-related bullshit, not because.
If the only thing that's interesting about a character is what something else did to your character, it's not really interesting.
What's their dreams?
What do they like to eat in the morning?
What's their values?
Stop Trying TO ANSWER These Important Questions With:
"don't care :3 trauma will make this character complete :D"
Quirks/Habits Your Whumpee May Develop As a Result Of Trauma
Warning: Minor self harm.
Biting their nails/skin
Chewing the inside of their cheek
Saying 'no' to all new things
Repetitively running their hand up and down their arm/outer thigh
Gritting/grinding their teeth
Running their fingers through their hair
Zoning out during conversations
Getting defensive over minor things
Shutting down when things get too much
Sleeping to avoid stressful situations
Never making eye contact
Going non-verbal
Apologising far too much
Eating too much/not enough
Talking to themselves
Scratching their skin
Biting their lip
Shying away when people make sudden movements
Shivering at random moments
Saying 'ow' before anything has touched them
Blaming themselves even when It's not their fault
Punishing themselves when something goes wrong