#42: EMPATHY: The Number One Tool Writers Need to Develop Dynamic Characters

Season #2

Last week, I gave you the 5 dialogue tricks every writer needs to create a clear and dynamic storyline. This week I discuss how to create dynamic characters through empathy. 

The basis of story is understanding the human condition from an empathetic point of view. In order to do this it is absolutely necessary for a writer to understand and confront their own sin nature. If you don't understand people, you cannot be a good writer. So this, in turn, means that you must be aware of the world around you. The actual world, not the false created world you pretend it is. 

There is a desire to deny evil, because if evil doesn't exist, then we're not guilty. And what do human beings want to do more than anything? We want to justify ourselves! By knowing that evil exists inside of ourselves, we can then translate more believable characters and more believable scenarios to our stories. 

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UP NEXT - Next week we get out of our comfort zone and change the way we think about engaging culture.