http://www.archetypewriting.com/ http://www.archetypewriting.com/images/rss-banner.gif http://www.archetypewriting.com/ Articles to help writers use psychology in their fiction. Information on character development, psychological terms, and diagnosis and disorders, as well as on using psychology to increase creativity and beat writer's block. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ http://archetypewriting.com/articles/articles_ck/moodOverview.htm Looks at DSM-IV Diagnoses in the Mood Disorders category including major depression, dysthymia, and the bipolar (manic-depressive) disorders. Sat, 1 Dec 2007 19:48:19 EST http://archetypewriting.com/articles/articles_ck/moodOverview.htm http://archetypewriting.com/articles/writeforChildren.htm Sat, 1 Dec 2007 19:48:16 EST http://archetypewriting.com/articles/writeforChildren.htm http://archetypewriting.com/articles/bookofFears.htm Sat, 1 Dec 2007 19:48:08 EST http://archetypewriting.com/articles/bookofFears.htm http://archetypewriting.com/articles/revising.htm Sat, 1 Dec 2007 19:48:01 EST http://archetypewriting.com/articles/revising.htm http://archetypewriting.com/articles/fantasyGenres.htm Sat, 1 Dec 2007 19:47:47 EST http://archetypewriting.com/articles/fantasyGenres.htm http://archetypewriting.com/articles/flashFiction.htm Sat, 1 Dec 2007 19:47:24 EST http://archetypewriting.com/articles/flashFiction.htm http://archetypewriting.com/articles/promotePortfolio.htm Sat, 1 Dec 2007 19:47:14 EST http://archetypewriting.com/articles/promotePortfolio.htm http://archetypewriting.com/articles/articles_ck/anxOverview.htm Looks at DSM-IV Diagnoses in the Anxiety Disorders category including GAD, OCD, PTSD, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and phobias. Includes examples and movies that portray the disorders in question. Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:51:36 EST http://archetypewriting.com/articles/articles_ck/anxOverview.htm http://archetypewriting.com/articles/nameChar.htm/ Finding good, unique names in unusual places for your characters. By YA author Celise Downs. Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:22:00 EST http://archetypewriting.com/articles/nameChar.htm http://archetypewriting.com/articles/hxHyp.htm/ Adam Eason reviews the birth and history of what we now call hypnotism. Sat, 13 Nov 2007 00:23:46 EST http://archetypewriting.com/articles/hxHyp.htm http://www.archetypewriting.com/articles/articles_ck/anakin.htm/ A group of French researchers have proposed that Anakin Skywalker had Borderline Personality Disorder. This article looks at why, along with the evidence for and against such a diagnosis. Sat, 10 Nov 2007 01:04:54 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/articles/articles_ck/anakin.htm http://www.archetypewriting.com/muse/visual_prompts.htm/ Both DeviantArt and PostSecret visual prompts have been updated! Sat, 10 Nov 2007 01:03:23 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/muse/visual_prompts.htm http://www.archetypewriting.com/articles/roadmap.htm/ Author Randy Ingermanson teaches you how to get from "unpublished" to "published." Sat, 10 Nov 2007 01:01:01 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/articles/roadmap.htm http://www.archetypewriting.com/real/jargon/real_jargon_NT.htm/ Explanation of those mysterious "brain chemicals" Sat, 10 Nov 2007 01:00:00 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/real/jargon/real_jargon_NT.htm http://archetypewriting.com/articles/DID_coll.htm/ What it's like to have multiple personalities by someone with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Sat, 6 Oct 2007 01:43:07 EST http://archetypewriting.com/articles/DID_coll.htm http://archetypewriting.com/articles/gotham.htm/ The villians Batman faces and the disorders they struggle with. Sat, 6 Oct 2007 01:42:29 EST http://archetypewriting.com/articles/gotham.htm http://archetypewriting.com/muse/visual_prompts.htm/ New section includes paintings, postcards, and other images to help you come up with new ideas. Mon, 1 Oct 2007 12:22:02 EST http://archetypewriting.com/muse/visual_prompts.htm http://archetypewriting.com/real/jargon/real_jargon_diffuserespons.htm/ Mon, 1 Oct 2007 12:20:24 EST http://archetypewriting.com/real/jargon/real_jargon_diffuserespons.htm http://archetypewriting.blogspot.com/ Alcoholism as a fashion statement. Wed, 19 Sep 2007 21:57:18 EST http://archetypewriting.blogspot.com/2007/09/martini-therapy.html http://archetypewriting.blogspot.com/ A new study suggests that all the hubbub about drugs like Prozac "causing" suicide -- which led to the FDA's "black box" warning on them -- led physicians to be more conservativew about prescribing the meds. And that appears to have caused the suicide rate to go up in children and teens. Sun, 16 Sep 2007 03:51:52 EST http://archetypewriting.blogspot.com/2007/09/surprise-antidepressants-really-do.html http://archetypewriting.com/articles/articles_ck/MBTI_PMAI.htm If you've ever felt like you're stuck in a writing rut because your characters are blending together, the conflict has stalled, or you're just not sure how to show a character's true colors, YOUR psychological makeup may be getting in your story's way. Learn to use psychological tests to improve characterization and increase conflict. Tue, 11 Sep 2007 02:42:02 EST http://archetypewriting.com/articles/articles_ck/MBTI_PMAI.htm http://www.archetypewriting.com/real/jargon/real_jargon_Vcode.htm Fri, 30 Aug 2007 10:49:12 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/real/jargon/real_jargon_Vcode.htm http://www.archetypewriting.com/articles/VRtx.htm Fri, 30 Aug 2007 10:46:01 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/articles/VRtx.htm http://www.archetypewriting.com/resources/articles/LearnfmScreenwriters.htm Fri, 30 Aug 2007 10:45:21 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/resources/articles/LearnfmScreenwriters.htm http://www.archetypewriting.com/resources/articles/creatingCharacters.htm Fri, 30 Aug 2007 10:44:42 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/resources/articles/creatingCharacters.htm http://www.archetypewriting.com/resources/articles/charsthatJump.htm Fri, 30 Aug 2007 10:44:06 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/resources/articles/charsthatJump.htm http://www.archetypewriting.com/qa/archive/qa_ghost.htm Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:28:06 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/qa/archive/qa_ghost.htm http://www.archetypewriting.com/real/jargon/real_jargon_common.htm#malingering Tue, 21 Aug 2007 09:55:55 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/real/jargon/real_jargon_common.htm#malingering real/jargon/real_jargon_problem.htm#nervousbreakdown Few people realize that "neurotic" and "nervous breakdown" are not clinical terms -- nor do they mean the same thing from one person to another! Sun, 5 Aug 2007 01:22:41 EST real/jargon/real_jargon_problem.htm#nervousbreakdown http://www.archetypewriting.com/real/real_disorders.htm#dissociative Watch a short clip of Chris Sizemore, the woman best known as Eve from The Three Faces of Eve. Thu, 2 Aug 2007 11:15:31 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/real/real_disorders.htm#dissociative http://www.archetypewriting.com/articles/depHeartDisease.htm Most people don't realize how common depression is in people who have heart problems, especially those who have heart attacks. In fact, those who are not treated for depression as part of their heart disease treatment are much more likely to die within the next 6 months following the attack. Here's why. Thu, 2 Aug 2007 11:11:41 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/articles/depHeartDisease.htm http://www.archetypewriting.com/articles/vagusNerve.htm Vagus Nerve Stimulation stimulates the vagus nerve to affect parts of the brain that are involved in mood. It is not like Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT), a treatment that involves stimulation of the entire brain and induces convulsions in patients. In fact, patients may not even feel the stimulation from VNS since the vagus nerve does not have the type of nerves that carry pain signals. Thu, 2 Aug 2007 11:11:41 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/articles/vagusNerve.htm http://www.archetypewriting.com/articles/PanicHyp.htm Explanation of how and why hypnotherapy can be used with panic disorders. Thu, 2 Aug 2007 11:09:39 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/articles/PanicHyp.htm http://www.archetypewriting.com/articles/PTSD.htm Who is affected by PTSD and why, what the symptoms look like, how it's treated, prevalence, and what the research says. Thu, 2 Aug 2007 11:08:16 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/articles/PTSD.htm http://www.archetypewriting.com/articles/OCDoverview.htm Description and discussion of OCD symptoms, causes, and treatments. Thu, 2 Aug 2007 11:04:12 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/articles/OCDoverview.htm http://archetypewriting.blogspot.com/2007/07/shape-magazine-august-2007.html Dr. K is quoted in the August 2007 Shape magazine! Sun, 29 July 2007 01:00:46 EST http://archetypewriting.blogspot.com/2007/07/shape-magazine-august-2007.html http://www.archetypewriting.com/qa/archive/qa_suicide.htm What would it take to push a character into suicide? Would there necessarily be a final "straw that broke the camel's back," or would a person be likely to ruminate on his life and eventually decide that killing himself is simply the next right thing to do? Sun, 29 July 2007 00:12:23 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/qa/archive/qa_suicide.htm http://www.archetypewriting.com/qa/archive/qa_fatherFigure.htm After a life-time of abuse by father, a young woman seeks a replacement 'daddy' figure. Would she resort to murder of her target's wife to further her conditioned need of an older man? Sun, 29 July 2007 00:12:23 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/qa/archive/qa_fatherFigure.htm http://archetypewriting.blogspot.com/2007/07/psychology-of-terrorism.html Do we really need a big sign telling us how much danger we're in on the way to the plane? Mon, 23 Jul 2007 22:01:00 EDT http://archetypewriting.blogspot.com/2007/07/psychology-of-terrorism.html http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070701094054.htm In a study of more than 100,000 patients treated for depression, suicide attempts declined during the first month of treatment -- whether that treatment consisted of medication, psychotherapy, or both. The findingsshow a similar pattern for populations of adolescents and young adults as for older adults. It is the first published research to compare the risk of suicide attempts before and after the start of treatment with not only antidepressants but also psychotherapy. Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070701094054.htm http://archetypewriting.blogspot.com/2007/06/why-people-believe-shrinks-analyze.html A recent US magazine article "played shrink" with dubious results. Sat, 30 June 2007 11:49:54 EST http://archetypewriting.blogspot.com/2007/06/why-people-believe-shrinks-analyze.html http://archetypewriting.com/articles/articles_ck/misconceptions1.htm Some ideas about therapy show up so often in fiction I find myself wondering how many writers are using them deliberately and how many just don't realize they're inaccurate. Here are six of the most common, along with some information on more standard current practice. Sat, 30 June 2007 11:44:06 EST http://archetypewriting.com/articles/articles_ck/misconceptions1.htm http://archetypewriting.com/articles/forensic.htm Fictional portrayals of forensic psychologists, including James Patterson's character Alex Cross, and what they really do. Sat, 30 June 2007 11:42:01 EST http://archetypewriting.com/articles/forensic.htm http://archetypewriting.blogspot.com/2007/06/paris-goes-to-jail-has-breakdown.html Why the "medical condition/s" that briefly got Paris out of jail were normal. Sat, 16 June 2007 04:02:11 EST http://archetypewriting.blogspot.com/2007/06/paris-goes-to-jail-has-breakdown.html http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/18/soldier.nightmares/index.html A year after coming home from Iraq, AJ Jefferson is still fighting the war in eerie nightmares about the bomb that left him and two comrades seriously wounded. The 21-year-old soldier was diagnosed severe post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Now he is re-running the attack in his nightmares. "I have the dreams every night," he said. "My brain will not let go of it." Sat, 26 May 2007 02:33:21 EST http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/18/soldier.nightmares/index.html http://www.archetypewriting.com/resources/articles_ck/resources_ck_innerCriticII.htm Cognitive-behavioral exercises to defeat the inner critic. This is the approach psychotherapists take to treat clinical depression and anxiety, adapted for writers. Thu, 23 May 2007 11:28:56 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/resources/articles_ck/resources_ck_innerCriticII.htm http://archetypewriting.com/qa/qa_recent.htm Q - What would the process be like for a villain whose conscience has gotten to him, making him decide he wants to atone for his sins? Wed, 23 May 2007 10:37:26 EST http://archetypewriting.com/qa/archive/qa_redemption.htm http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/politics/lifesciences/~3/118916304/nerve SAN DIEGO -- A novel medical technique that smuggles an electrical charge into the brain through the vagus nerve is proving at least as effective as medication in controlling severe depression, psychiatrists say. Wed, 23 May 2007 04:00:00 EST http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/05/nerve http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/politics/lifesciences/~3/118611130/magnet_therapy Psychiatrists are optimistic about the potential of a new therapy for treating tough cases of depression. Transcranial magnetic stimulation delivers a pulse to the gray matter and it could come to market as soon as the end of the year. Tue, 22 May 2007 04:00:00 EST http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/05/magnet_therapy http://archetypewriting.com/qa/qa_recent.htm Q - I am writing a novel about a man suffering from catatonic schizophrenia. I believe this is not as common as it used to be. What time frame should I use as a setting? (I would prefer the sanitarium to be dark and dismal such as you find in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"). The patient (while he is catatonic) dreams,and he believes these dreams are his real existence. Is this plausible? Sun, 22 Apr 2007 18:37:14 EST http://archetypewriting.com/qa/archive/qa_catatonicSchiz.htm http://archetypewriting.com/real/articles/causes_anxDO.htm New to the Real Psychology section: Biological and psychological causes of anxiety disorders Sun, 22 Apr 2007 01:59:44 EST http://archetypewriting.com/real/articles/causes_anxDO.htm http://archetypewriting.com/resources/articles_ck/writing_ckCritic1.htm All of us have an inner Critic; unfortunately, its voice tends to be particularly strident when we sit down to write. But psychotherapists know just how to deal with the inner Critic; in fact, even the most vicious Critic will fall before cognitive-behavioral techniques when they're wielded by someone truly determined to be the victor. With this article you'll learn where the Critic comes from and do an exercise to prepare for Part 2: Confronting the Critic (coming soon!) Thu, 19 Apr 2007 02:26:28 EST http://archetypewriting.com/resources/articles_ck/writing_ckCritic1.htm http://archetypewriting.blogspot.com/2007/04/virginia-tech.html Some thoughts on the psychological aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings. Thu, 19 Apr 2007 01:57:59 EST http://archetypewriting.blogspot.com/2007/04/virginia-tech.html http://archetypewriting.blogspot.com/2007/03/torture-porn-horror-movies.html Modern horror movies and classic psychology. Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:34:47 EST http://archetypewriting.blogspot.com/2007/03/torture-porn-horror-movies.html http://www.archetypewriting.com/resources/articles_ck/archetypes3_anima-animus.htm Exploration of the Anima/Animus archetype, which is most often seen in romantic relationships. What the anima/animus is, why people fall in love, how to make sure there really is a happily ever after... Sun, 18 Mar 2007 08:38:27 EST http://www.archetypewriting.com/resources/articles_ck/archetypes3_anima-animus.htm http://archetypewriting.com/real/articles_ck/real_involuntary_world.html Overview of involuntary commitment (US) and sectioning (UK) as well as misuses of hospitalization in totalitarian states. Sun, 18 Mar 2007 02:33:06 EST http://archetypewriting.com/real/articles_ck/real_involuntary_world.html Copyright 2007 ArchetypeWriting.com - All Rights Reserved.