I'm an empath. It's the reason I can't watch game shows or reality TV. My stress and anxiety is palpable because I absorb what the people are feeling. I didn't last one season of "Grey's Anatomy" because I sobbed every damn episode, and it wore me down. The episode Bailey cried? Yep. Color me done.
Would love to watch "John Wick" because I love action movies and Keanu Reeves is brilliant. But...*spoiler*...they kill the dog. I never got over that. I would have to skip over that part. Can't seem to make myself watch it.
However...it helps me as an author.
I'm in each scene. I AM the scene. Every action and reaction. Each character's happiness, fear, hope, and uncertainty. I need to feel it to make the reader feel it. Sometimes I need to step away from the laptop. Push back away from the heavier emotions. I've made myself cry more than once. Laugh more than once. Been so mad at a character I wanted to meet them outside to throw hands. 😑 😄
That's the life. The investment. I can't imagine wanting to do anything else. I don't want to.
Going to sit down with my Mercenary Girl this morning. Writing a scene that occurs later in the book. Not pretty. But we'll make it.
Always writing*
