I’ve read numerous articles on how to make your character (pro- or antagonist) more believable by knowing the symptoms of various psychological disorders.  Some people take their research seriously and will invest a great deal of time by reading up, asking around or interviewing to get just the right information they require to write.  I tend to just rely on what I’ve read, experienced or watched in a movie or on TV.  That will probably change as I continue to grow as an author.  Even Fantasy writers need to do research.

My last entry in which my father discussed PTSD reminded me of an article I read that tackled this issue when it comes to writing fiction and using PTSD as a plot device. That first article in the series basically spells out what people get wrong when using PTSD as a way to move the plot in the direction they want.

Perhaps your protagonist suffers from PTSD. You can certainly use that as a reason for said character to go ballistic at the drop of a hat. The problem is, “losing it” is an extremely rare symptom of PTSD sufferers.  Most of the time they simply react differently when they have memory flashes, they may be harsher, more stubborn, whatever. The point is, they aren’t acting like themselves, but the change isn’t hugely dramatic in most cases. Yet authors will time and again use PTSD as a justification for a normally “good” character to do something totally out of character.

The other problem with using PTSD is that an author may use it to move a plot forward, but then once that part is over, the character suffering from PTSD will go back to normal.  PTSD is an on going condition. One does not simply have it some of the time. And truly this can be said of any plot device. You can just pick something up and then ignore it because it’s no longer needed. Your readers will know and they will call you on it.

The second post the author, Arachne Jericho, wrote on PTSD describes a few instances where she believes authors mostly got PTSD right. Mostly.

I’m unfamiliar with her first example, which is from Babalon 5. However, I am a Lord of the Rings lover from the word go, so I know exactly what she’s talking about when she mentions Frodo and his inability to return to his life after being the ring barer and returning from the Ring’s destruction.

Ms. Jericho writes:

The type of “fit” that Frodo has is more usual to PTSD sufferers; it’s outwardly quieter, but no less consuming than the Set Piece version that has people rampaging through corridors with weapons. Indeed, Frodo is so despairing and not at all psychotic that people who know only the stereotypes of PTSD would say that he’s more depressed than traumatized. Especially since everyone knows that he endured; these days it’s all too common for people to forget that those inflicted with PTSD have it because they endured in a situation others might have committed suicide over and did not, in fact, break entirely.

I think many of us forget that psychological disorders effect different people in different ways.  Frodo was not just depressed, he was distraught and unable to resume his life.  He was, when the Fellowship of the Ring began, a carefree and curious hobbit.  Not so when Return of the King comes to an end.

In the third installment of PTSD articles, the author tackles two more cases of PTSD in fiction that she believes are even more realistic.  The first being a book called World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks, which is a fictional documentation of what would happen if the world really were over run by zombies.  This book is on my to-be-read list because I’ve heard a great many good things about it.  And this is simply another push to get me to read it.

The author of the article writes, in regards to WWZ’s mention of PTSD:

A zombie invasion raises an interesting question: is such an event a force of nature, since zombies are without sentience (in most literature at least, including World War Z)? Or, because zombies used to be living people, still look like people, and in the worst cases are actually loved ones, is this perceived by the human mind as being violence with human intent, even betrayal? Whatever the answer, PTSD is as guaranteed to be involved with a not insignificant portion of the human population, just as hundreds of WWI veterans suffered from PTSD.

The book also tackles a new form of PTSD, Apocalyptic Demise (or Despair) Syndrome (ADS).  I can certainly see how this might be a possibility.  You aren’t directly involved yet the fear of the total annihilation of your species would be a huge shock to many.

The other piece of fiction she mentions is the West Wing. I’ve never seen an episode of this, but I’ve heard some good and bad reviews. It’s just not my cup of tea. However, if you’d like to read more on her evaluation of how the West Wing handles PTSD, her article does a wonderful summary.

The final article on PTSD by Ms. Jericho tackles a character she believes was well written and handled PTSD as an on going condition.  The character is Lord Peter Wimsey, written by Dorothy Sayers.

In the article, the author mentions that the first Lord Wimsey novel, a detective novel, is in the public domain. So I believe I’ll be reading Whose Body? within the next few months.

Obviously there is a great deal on PTSD and most psychological orders that I do not know.  However, it wouldn’t take much, especially in this day and age, for me to do a simple bit of research to find out exactly what the symptoms of PTSD are.  Articles like the ones Ms. Jericho has written are excellent in that they give us examples of what’s good and bad to reference.  If you’re like me, you require visual examples. Even if those examples are the written word and not tv or movies.  If I have something I can go over, something tangible to work with, then I can better understand a subject.  And Ms. Jericho’s articles do just that for me in regards to PTSD.

And, with that in mind, it’s not hard to see why my father’s friend took his own life ten years ago.  He struggled with it for many years, since the early 70s. And he was never properly treated for PTSD.  It’s a tragedy.  But it’s also a lesson we can learn from.  And one writers can apply when writing.  I know I’ll think twice before I give a character an affliction again.  I certainly don’t want to fall into the trap of using something as a plot device only to simply drop it later on with no thought.

(My apologies for the lateness of this article. I’d meant to write and publish this much sooner.  However, I still believe it needs to be shared, so here it is, late though it may be.  Enjoy.)