Mental Health Issues in Fictional Characters
I wanted to bring up this topic since it seems to be a bit on the controversial side. The heroine in my second book, Destiny United, suffers from an anxiety disorder that gives her frequent panic attacks.
I eavesdropped on a conversation between a writer friend and an agent at a writer’s conference about this very topic. This writer’s story was a historical romance novel about a man just home from war who suffers from PTSD. The agent told her that publishers don’t want stories about people with “issues”. Because women read romance for escape, they aren’t interested in reading about heavy themes like PTSD.
Although the advice didn’t change much about my choice in creating an anxiety disorder in Erin, I did keep it in mind while writing.
First some background. Both heroines in my first two books were raised in foster care. The reason I chose this route is because: a) I wanted my heroines to have obstacles to overcome, b) having been a foster parent and adopting two children from foster care, it is a passion of mine, and c) I needed mysterious pasts to go with the storyline.
I have a son with special needs and multiple close family members who have mental health challenges. This is a topic very dear to my heart.
That being said, romance readers do not want to read about characters with heavy issues, according to this agent. I haven’t actually polled people on this so I can’t confirm it as a fact, but I’m guessing she’s right to some extent. This is her career after all.
Though anxiety disorders, or any disability/mental health condition, is not a light matter, I had to keep it light in my book. Again, giving readers a sense of realism along with the escapism they crave. If you didn’t already know, it’s a tough balance. So, yes, Erin has panic attacks. She depends on boyfriends to get through her daily life. She can’t go to mall, restaurant, or movie theater without self-medicating. It is relevant to the story but really only an active part for the first third.
Marcelo, being the hero, forces her away from her sheltered, fear-trapped life and coaches her through her anxiety so she can live again. Here’s an exchange from the end of the book where she explains it nicely:
“You’ve come a long way from the scared little girl I met in Albany. I only had to drag you kicking and screaming from your safe little world to get here.”
“No,” she snorted. “You took my safe little world, tore it up, stomped on it then burned it to ashes.”
He shrugged and stalked towards her. “I challenged you.”
“You taunted me.”
“I pushed you.”
Beyond what I thought I could handle. You thrust my fears in front of my face where I couldn’t ignore them. You forced me to take a good, hard look at what was holding me prisoner and decide if I wanted to die there alone.
Erin's particular disorder was a result of trauma endured as a teenager, not a chemical imbalance. It came from fear and there are different degrees of fear. Her fears were encouraged by purposefully sheltering herself where she thought she was safe and secure. It involved staying in a static state where she was rarely challenged to grow as a person.
She was "healed" not because mental illnesses are easy to "get over", but because it stemmed from a place that could change. Brain chemistry, as an adult, can not change without the help of medication. But conscious fear can.
Did Erin's “healing” happen much more quickly than it would in real life? Well, yeah. I have to keep the story moving and give readers a HEA. Is healing as easy as someone telling funny jokes and concentrating on breathing? Of course not. Is there such thing as vampires, fae, werewolves, and witches?
You see where I’m going with this?
It’s fiction. I strive for my books to mimic real life themes; trust, forgiveness, love, while also giving you a sexy hero who only cares about your pleasure in bed and says romantic things your husband would never think of.
Isn’t that the point?
What I look for in a book (of any genre) is 1) entertainment, 2) humor, 3) depth and emotional connection
What about you? Does a character with “issues” ruin a book for you? Are there any books that deal with mental health challenges or disabilities well in your opinion? What are the 3 things you look for in a good book?
I eavesdropped on a conversation between a writer friend and an agent at a writer’s conference about this very topic. This writer’s story was a historical romance novel about a man just home from war who suffers from PTSD. The agent told her that publishers don’t want stories about people with “issues”. Because women read romance for escape, they aren’t interested in reading about heavy themes like PTSD.
Although the advice didn’t change much about my choice in creating an anxiety disorder in Erin, I did keep it in mind while writing.
First some background. Both heroines in my first two books were raised in foster care. The reason I chose this route is because: a) I wanted my heroines to have obstacles to overcome, b) having been a foster parent and adopting two children from foster care, it is a passion of mine, and c) I needed mysterious pasts to go with the storyline.
I have a son with special needs and multiple close family members who have mental health challenges. This is a topic very dear to my heart.
That being said, romance readers do not want to read about characters with heavy issues, according to this agent. I haven’t actually polled people on this so I can’t confirm it as a fact, but I’m guessing she’s right to some extent. This is her career after all.
Though anxiety disorders, or any disability/mental health condition, is not a light matter, I had to keep it light in my book. Again, giving readers a sense of realism along with the escapism they crave. If you didn’t already know, it’s a tough balance. So, yes, Erin has panic attacks. She depends on boyfriends to get through her daily life. She can’t go to mall, restaurant, or movie theater without self-medicating. It is relevant to the story but really only an active part for the first third.
Marcelo, being the hero, forces her away from her sheltered, fear-trapped life and coaches her through her anxiety so she can live again. Here’s an exchange from the end of the book where she explains it nicely:
“You’ve come a long way from the scared little girl I met in Albany. I only had to drag you kicking and screaming from your safe little world to get here.”
“No,” she snorted. “You took my safe little world, tore it up, stomped on it then burned it to ashes.”
He shrugged and stalked towards her. “I challenged you.”
“You taunted me.”
“I pushed you.”
Beyond what I thought I could handle. You thrust my fears in front of my face where I couldn’t ignore them. You forced me to take a good, hard look at what was holding me prisoner and decide if I wanted to die there alone.
Erin's particular disorder was a result of trauma endured as a teenager, not a chemical imbalance. It came from fear and there are different degrees of fear. Her fears were encouraged by purposefully sheltering herself where she thought she was safe and secure. It involved staying in a static state where she was rarely challenged to grow as a person.
She was "healed" not because mental illnesses are easy to "get over", but because it stemmed from a place that could change. Brain chemistry, as an adult, can not change without the help of medication. But conscious fear can.
Did Erin's “healing” happen much more quickly than it would in real life? Well, yeah. I have to keep the story moving and give readers a HEA. Is healing as easy as someone telling funny jokes and concentrating on breathing? Of course not. Is there such thing as vampires, fae, werewolves, and witches?
You see where I’m going with this?
It’s fiction. I strive for my books to mimic real life themes; trust, forgiveness, love, while also giving you a sexy hero who only cares about your pleasure in bed and says romantic things your husband would never think of.
Isn’t that the point?
What I look for in a book (of any genre) is 1) entertainment, 2) humor, 3) depth and emotional connection
What about you? Does a character with “issues” ruin a book for you? Are there any books that deal with mental health challenges or disabilities well in your opinion? What are the 3 things you look for in a good book?
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I have an ms where the MC also deals with panic attacks. While some people who may not get it, the ones who are familair will def relate. 3 things I look for in a book are: voice-a strong goal-and tension that keeps me wanting to turn the pages.Great post!
I believe it's less in the concept and more in the execution. In short, nearly anything can work, if it is well written.
While some people who may not get it, the ones who are familair will def relateVery true. I had to double check my heroine's reactions with a close friend who has social anxiety.
I believe it's less in the concept and more in the execution.
Good point.
A character with issues would not deter me from reading it. Again for me it depends on the ability for it to be woven into the story.
There are a few books where the hero or heroine has Asperger's, an autistic spectrum disorder, and I know one hero's book in particular is pubbed traditionally. So there is room in romance for mental health issues. I think a mental health concerns have to be woven in carefully, and not used as a ploy to elicit pity or brownie points. If the author only mentions the condition once or twice for the first 2/3 of the book, but later uses it as a scapegoat for the character's behavior during the latter 1/3, it just doesn't ring true to me.
The issue shouldn't define the character, though. Instead, it should be integrated into the person as just one facet of who they are.
I've actually read a novel set back in the 1800's, where the heroine was institutionalized. By the time the hero had discovered her whereabouts, she'd been there for years and had retreated into herself after experiencing horrendous abuse. For over half the story, she had the mindset of a child.
Yet it worked for me. It wasn't a pretty story, but I remember it because it was so different from anything else I had read at that time. And the author didn't gloss over it like it was a token issue.
I've actually read a novel set back in the 1800's, where the heroine was institutionalized. By the time the hero had discovered her whereabouts, she'd been there for years and had retreated into herself after experiencing horrendous abuse. For over half the story, she had the mindset of a child.Wow. That sounds intense. Do you remember the name of the book? I'm interested in reading it.
It seems like what matters isn't the topic itself, but how it's written. I'm glad to see so many readers open to the subject in romance novels.
And I hope the way I've used the heroine's anxiety disorder doesn't come across token or a ploy. In my mind, it was an effect due to trauma she'd suffered.
Thanks for the comments!
Leia Shaw
Leia wrote: "I've actually read a novel set back in the 1800's, where the heroine was institutionalized. By the time the hero had discovered her whereabouts, she'd been there for years and had retreated into he..."Hi Leia,
The book is Obsession by Katherine Sutcliffe. Her romances are often dark, and Obsession was actually one of her least liked novels, according to her reviews. But I loved it.
But it's definitely not a traditional romance. Lol, lots of readers said it didn't have much romance in it all all. But to me, the hero's love was so compelling because he loved and cared for the heroine so much. At times, I feared for his sanity as much as hers.
I'm sure your character's anxiety disorder doesn't come off as token:) As long as it's part of the storyline (doesn't have to be a huge part--really depends on the mental health issue the author chooses), and you show how she grows and handles her disorder, I think that's all that's needed.
My pet peeve is where the character has a mental illness that is never brought up again, except maybe in passing. You know, to the point where I wonder why the author threw it in at all, because it didn't really play a part in the storyline at all. That's what I meant about 'token'.
Thanks Lisa. I'll check out that book. I like dark and even sometimes sad reading.Leia
I think that certain mental health issues are considered more acceptable in the world of romance than others. A lot of the books that feature military heroes, also have him battling with PTSD in some form. Of course it's rarely addressed in more than a cursory way, possibly because it's a tool used to add dimension to the character not a primary plot device for the novel. Female characters tend to have depression and more rarely bipolar. For instance, the moody mother, who retreats to her room often, cries incessantly, and dies after doing something reckless. Or a heroine with a phobia of darkness or enclosed spaces. All of these issues are serious, but easier to make secondary than something like schizophrenia. It'd be great to see a book dealing with other more stigmatizing issues like that or substance use. If done properly, I think it can be a beautiful story and a nice change of pace from a kidnapped heiress or vengeful villain.
Shh I'm reading - LOVE your profile name!It'd be great to see a book dealing with other more stigmatizing issues like that or substance use.
See I would totally agree in a literary or regular fiction novel. But in romance, I wonder if it would be too heavy.
But I suppose it depends on what mood the reader is in. If I'm in a sexy mood, I read an erotica. If I'm in the mood for something light and fun, I'll read Janet Evanovich or a funny historical. Dark and heavy, I'll read Christine Feehan. For a challenge I've been thinking about tackling The Game of Thrones series (though that's not romance). I guess there's a time and a place for everything.
a nice change of pace from a kidnapped heiress or vengeful villain.
Ditto that! Lol!
Leia
Hi Leia-Thanks for the compliments on my profile name.
I don't think that dealing with those issues would make a romance novel too heavy, but it would definitely be challenging to do it right. Lisa Kleypas did a beautiful job with Married By Morning creating Leo as a character with a dark past, although his past wasn't central to his story (and was more prominent in other Hathaway novels).
It depends on what mood the reader is in
I absolutely agree!
I like having characters who are challenged by mental illness - just not defeated by it.I'm not much for the 'serial killer' types of pyschosis that creates villains. But PTSD, bipolar, anxity and substance abuse don't stop the Main Characters from being sympathetic.
However, the writer has to be able to handle the issue without overkill or 'tokenism' - when they do it makes for a really good story.
thanks for chiming in K.A.! i agree - watching a character live through the challenge or blossom because of the challenge can be wonderful. defeated by it, unfortunately, is sometimes a reality but a downer to read.
The trick is to stay in the lines of romance (or whatever the genre is) in order to get readers engaged.I prefer a dose of realism with my romance.
Nichelle