Editor’s Note — Trigger Warning: This article deals with fictional accounts of domestic abuse and foul language.

Getting into a writer’s head can lead to very confusing things if not explained. I feel like writers have such crazy and wild imaginations, and sometimes to understand how we do this just needs to be explained.

Throughout this article, I’ll provide excerpts of a story I’ve written to take you deeper into the writer’s process.

Yellow, coming through the window, shining in my face, gently waking me up. I get up with a light yawn, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. I get out of bed, making my way to the bathroom, doing the usual to get myself ready for the new day. Wanting to do something a little different with my hair today, knowing it was more of a special day. The launch of my new book was today. 

Writing is so easy when you have an idea to write about, just sit and jot down the main point you have. Making an introduction to a story is my favorite part, but it can be really hard too because it has to be to be good, it has to grab the reader or else they don’t/won’t care to turn to the next page, let alone finish it.

The mere thought that it is already done and coming out is fanatical. I never believed I would make it this far, coming so close to everything I had planned in my life, all of it is actually happening.

Getting inside of the characters’ heads and knowing what and how they think is a great way for me to be able to express the characters’ true emotions and personality. It also gives certain readers a change and a way to connect with some of the characters.

“Giving my characters a part of myself is something I do often,” said Quin Benedict, an OwlFeed journalist who also writes fiction. “Doing this makes it a lot easier for me to connect with them and have the ability to give readers a deeper understanding of what my characters are about.” 

I was able to relate to this a lot. It gives me the capability to create a better sense of scenery to imagine.

Walking out to the car, I got in before my driver had the chance to open the door for me. Smiling at him, I get in. “It’s okay, let’s just get there as soon as possible please,” I say. “Okay”, he says, while getting into the driver’s seat.

Sitting by my lonesome in the back seat, I start to wonder, back and back, when- it all started.

Flashing back to as far as I can go, as far as my mind will let me. The violence, the silences I felt.

When I start in the middle of someone’s life I like to get back and give a little background of them. The moments I tend to go back to are the moments that most impacted their life choices and best can describe how they became the way they are.

*27 years ago*

“Shut the hell up!” He yells. “Kyle stop, you need to stop,” Maria says to him. Sitting in the corner of the living room, hiding, was 4 year old, Yvonne. Trying her best not to cry, trying to stay quiet so she would not get into trouble. But she was scared, so scared, for herself and for her three-month pregnant mother. 

Sometimes giving a character a traumatic backstory is a good way to connect with more people on a deeper level. But because things like this can be very triggering for some, it is best to put a warning in the beginning.  But it all depends on what kind of audience you are trying to reach out to.

Kyle was Maria’s boyfriend, and the father of her unborn child. Maria is Yvonne’s mom, but Kyle was not her father. “My 4 year old is in the other room, you need to stop right now.” Maria continued. “Do I look like I care about who the hell is here, especially that stupid little girl, it’s not like she understands. And when I’m done with you, she’s next,” Kyle roared. 

“NO! You better not touch her! I will kill you if you lay a hand on-” Interrupted by a quick slap to the face and a kick to her stomach, Maria fell on the floor crying. Hearing her mom in such pain, caused Yvonne to come running to her mom’s side.

My goal is to make certain parts of the stories as real as possible, my objective is to take my readers to that place and have them living out this moment.

*Present Day*

Looking up and noticing we are stopped in front of the building that I am meant to meet my editor in, getting out of the car, with a bright and ready-to-go, smile on my face ready to greet him. 

Shaking my head to get back to reality, walking up to the door and as I am about to open the door, Rein opens the door as if he was already there waiting for me the whole time. He is my editor and best friend. We’ve been through so much together, I couldn’t have made it where I am today without her. 

At some points in my writing, I feel like it starts to feel kind of weak, I am still working on that. When that does happen I like to sit and talk to my friends, whom I consider good writers, and ask for help or advice. 

It is never too late or a bad idea to ask someone else to help further your growth in writing. You can just sit there for a few minutes or even hours just bouncing ideas off of each other. These are the kind of things that can make some of the best writers.

“You’re late Nyein, everyone is waiting for you,” he says to me as I walk in. “Sorry I got lost on the path of life.” Laughing at my response, he grabs my hand and leads me upstairs. 

Here we go, to brighter and better things…

Nyein is Yvonne. She has gone through a lot in her life, changes she should have never had to have gone through, but in the end, it all made her stronger and the person she is today. She is a fashion designer, I know, shocking right. I bet you thought she was only a writer/author. 

No, not at all, she started out as a designer because she knew that only writing would not get her very far fast enough to make a lot of money. 

Her life was very rough, she had an emotionally unavailable mother and a dad who was almost never in the picture. This left her confused with so many things growing up. On top of that, her mother was only 16 when she had her, her dad 17, and not even knowing she was his until she was about 2 years old. 

Facing so many hardships in the world all alone in her mind. Her dad pushing her to be better no matter the cost, he seems to prioritize her school and grades over her mental health. Her mother tried hard, you could see it in her eyes when she looked at Yvonne that she loved her deeply, but Maria had never gotten over her own childhood trauma, leaving her to be quite distant from her daughter, emotionally and physically. 

Yvonne had to learn to get over this, because in the real world, no one cares or has time to deal with this kind of thing. Learning this at a young age, Yvonne pushed herself to do anything she could to get away from her, dejected, pitiful old life she lived. Not for anyone but herself, becoming known as the great, Nyein, fashion designer and new, incoming, book writer.

She chose to become independent, independent from her dad, her mom, her past, and her mind. To be her own person, loving life, her life. Making it her own.

In my opinion I think it is always a good idea to go into greater detail and explain who your characters are as a person. Expressing yourself through them is sometimes the best way to do so.