Hello, friends!
Health isn't the first thing that comes to mind while creating a character for your story - well, unless the story’s focused on it - but it does add extra depth to the character and makes them more realistic. After all, we all experienced being sick and how it affects us - our characters should too, as it's a part of being a human!
Let's have a look at how to incorporate HEALTH (or its lack) in stories!
WHAT WAYS CAN HEALTH BE IMPACTFUL IN THE STORY?
→ character's life is impacted by an illnesses / being cured
→ character's illnesses can lead to some unfortunate events, such as failing an exam
→ decline in health because of an accident can impact one’s psyche
→ someone's friend or a family member can be suffering from an illnesses, and the character can describe what the experience is like for them
→ when the illness is threatening the character's life - adds additional anxiety and uncertainty
→ the character can be addicted to living and eating healthily
→ it can be used to show a different perspective on health - for example via alternative medicine
→ to show the reality of living with an illnesses
→ to represent a person with a specific illness
…And many more!
SMALL WAYS TO HAVE HEALTH INCLUDED…
→ the character takes medication at the same time everyday
→ the character sneezes because of an allergy
→ the character has a disadvantage in some activity compared to others
→ you can show the consequences of someone's actions
→ explore how other characters react to the illness / injury
ADDITIONALLY, THE TOPIC OF HEALTH CAN DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY POINT AT…
→ how does the character and their family perceive illness
→ what is the healthcare system like at the location
→ how understanding are the character's friends
→ what is the character's economic situation
→ character's self-preservation or its lack
EXAMPLE:
Emma was hurriedly rushing through the house in an attempt to find all of her necessary tools before leaving. The water bottle and the box with pain medicine ganged against each other as she ran down the stairs, too scared to check the time.
→ later on, the medicine could be mentioned again, for example Emma could take them while eating lunch
→ we don't know yet what medicine it is precisely, why does she need it, how important it is - it can, for example, unravel together with the story
When I say “illness”, it doesn't only mean the toughest options out there, it can be things like:
• an allergy (for example: “I can't accept this job offer, I have an allergy for dust”)
• a broken wrist (for example: “Last week I had to pass on my basketball classes, since my wrist was still fragile after I broke it”)
• stomach poisoning (for example: “The milk turned out to be spoiled, so I couldn't go to the cinema. I have a suspicion someone did it on purpose…”)
• overheating (for example: “The day was truly magical. If only it didn't resolve in a fever because of the overheating…”)
And so on!
And now, time for two examples from my own writing. The first example is a case when the illness was crucial to the story, and for the second one it was just an addition (a consequence, if you may). Here it is:
Caution: if you want your story to be realistic, actions should have consequences, and that includes the heath consequences. For example, if someone runs in the rain without proper clothes on, it's weird if they don't catch a cold or at least a runny nose. Keep that in mind while writing.
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