Coming Back From The Dark Side

How do you come back from the truly dark stuff?

This question has appeared a few times lately. One writer friend outright asked me how I handle returning to “normal” with the dark stuff. Someone else confessed to a NaNo support group his fear of writing a particularly tortured and messed up character.

One way to deal with it is to set up a routine to cue yourself to switch modes. It can be something small, like wearing a particular sweater during writing sessions or making a specific kind of tea after a session. Anything to trigger that Pavlovian response.

It’s also an excellent idea to give close friends and family a little warning that you may need some extra love and support to keep you grounded and in your own headspace while you’re working on a difficult story.

My husband is hugely supportive and understanding and is instrumental in keeping me healthy and function.

This was a strange question to me, at first. I’d never thought much about it; it was just something I did, and I didn’t necessarily notice the darker elements of my stories affecting me in any particular way.

I imagine that having a touch of sociopath would help.

I’d love to hear other ideas and ways of keeping healthy when our stories turn to the dark side!

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