Empathy is an invaluable skill for any writer. If you only ever tell the tales of people like yourself who have similar values and matching motivation, you run the risk of becoming one-note and typecast. While there are some writers out there who specialise in writing roman à clef (plots based on real life events dressed up as fiction) about their struggles with life, love and loss, they are limiting themselves.
Writing empathetically opens you up to countless perspectives worldwide and throughout history. When you turn your hand to writing a day in the life of a Mormon Cruciverbalist (crossword maker) or an Ancient Egyptian chef, you learn so much about the lives such people must lead (or have led) and the little conflicts that arise. Practical research may be required but, as you begin typing or scribbling, it’s your emotional understanding that gets to the root of who your perspective character really is.
However, for the sake of this workshop, I’m keen to take you well and truly out of your comfort zone. During the next hour or so, I hope you will create a character that is the very antithesis of who you are. A person you would never hope to meet in real life. Someone you might even deem ‘a devil’.
Activity 1 – Bad Qualities
For the next five minutes I would like you to list as many negative personality traits as you can. By this I don’t just mean traits that society generally frowns upon, but ones that you personally cannot stand. What characteristics grind your gears? What behaviour is a particular pet peeve or a bugbear?
Don’t think too hard about how these all relate to each other, just let the list drip out of you.
Activity 2 – Describe Your Devil
Now read through your list of bad qualities and try to imagine them embodied in a single human being. What distinguishing features do they have? How do they dress? Where do they spend most of their time?
For the next ten minutes, please use your list of negative personality traits to create a character that you find despicable, in their natural habitat. They don’t have to move or speak for now, just write a short description of your own personal devil. Be as thorough as possible.
Activity 3 – The Devil in Love
Here’s a curve ball. Now that you’ve written a hateful individual into being and no doubt ridiculed them at every turn, I want you to write a scene where they fall in love.
If you deliberately wrote a character who loves nothing, imagine the first time they discover a pure attraction. A desire to learn more and protect something that they cannot deny is special.
What is it that your devil would fall head over heels for? What would they do to keep it in their life?
Love is a powerful motivator, one that unites us all. Even the worst person in the world has loved something in their lives. What does your worst person love?
Write for twenty minutes about your devil falling in love for the first time. Really explore the bliss and vulnerability that follows.
You have just written out a personal devil and explored what they hold dearest. If you haven’t fully empathised with them, then you have at least walked a little in their shoes. How does it feel to connect with a personality you previously assumed was nothing but repugnant? Is this a connection you would like to revisit in future?
In any case, I hope this is a worthy demonstration of empathy being a uniquely useful tool. We writers have a rare opportunity to use it beyond our daily lives to make something beautiful.
A Response (from Vivien)
Bad Qualities
Uncontrolled anger
Constant rollercoaster emotions – high/low
Bitterness against everyone/everything
Contemptuous of everyone/everything
Intimidating/controlling others
Puffed-up Pride
Vengeful
Treating others as if they/their opinions are worthless
Mocking/humiliating others
Hurting others/animals physically or mentally
Describe Your Devil
There he is again, looking in the mirror, twitching his tie, sorry, cravat as he always points out. Nothing so common as a mere tie. A self-satisfied smirk into the mirror and he swings round to survey the room, like a wolf picking out the most vulnerable victim. He’ll choose Nige, I know he will.
He makes his way across the room, expecting, and getting, everyone to clear his path. Even those who don’t know him, recognise the arrogance, the power in his glance and his raiment that shouts ‘Money!’ If only they knew where he got it from, they might think differently. Or perhaps not.
Nige has his back to him, making it easy. The devil shoulders his way past, nudging Nige just sufficiently to spill his drink down Annabel’s dress.
‘You clumsy oaf,’ he sneers, making a show of handing a handkerchief, silk handkerchief, to the girl. ‘Man, you’re not fit to join polite society,’ he continues, his sweeping glance drawing the rest of the room into his own prejudices.
Owen Townend – February 2023
The Devil in Love
Nige turns around, looking up into his face. The devil’s mouth opens a little, as if to make a nasty retort, yet he doesn’t. He hesitates. He’s never done that before. The gradually falls silent, waiting to be shown how to treat Nige, now he’s been targetted.
‘Well … no major harm done, is there?’ He turns to Annabel. ‘It will wash, won’t it? If not … Tell you what, you send the bill to me. It … you know, it’s a bit crowded in here, it could have been m… it’s easy done. Let’s not get het up over it. Let me buy you … you both another drink.’ He turned away and beckoned the waiter.
‘Cocktails for … three, please.’ He glanced at the others, then back to the waiter. ‘Diablo Down, I think.’
Huddersfield Authors Circle 
Leave a comment