Fiction therapy

Literature—any art for that matter—is about exploring the challenges of the human condition, the things that make us uniquely human.

And so is psychotherapy, especially techniques such as acceptance and commitment therapy.  There’s a lot of talk about metaphors, storytelling and inner voices. Among other things.

And it’s surprising how much of the advice therapists give can be applied to writing.

Advice

Here, I explore the similarities between fiction and therapy, and give some writing advice, based on therpautic concepts. Many were first published in my monthly column on WriterUnboxed.

 

• How to respond to criticism
• Discover your characters’ goals
• How to find inspiration

Fiction examples

I’ve also included more than 100 examples from literature, films, writing guides, TV and the web that illustrate these similarities.

• Sometimes you need to pause
• Henry James and ‘the sin of self-esteem’
• Dealing with your own prejudice