Emotional and physical pain are the body’s way of alerting us that something is wrong. Pain tells us to stop doing something – touching that hot stove – or to start doing something, such as stretching or exercising. Emotional pain serves the same purpose, letting us know it’s time to let go of something that’s hurting us or pursue an activity that will help us feel whole.

How a character deals with pain can tell us a lot about their personality.

Does your protagonist ignore physical pain or try to walk it off? Or is he a hypochondriac? Does your hero bottle herself up emotionally to avoid painful feelings? Or does she enter into toxic relationships she knows will hurt?

Today, consider how a character or characters in your current work deal with pain. Where do they feel pain, either physical or emotional? Does emotional discomfort cause them physical pain? How do they eliminate or avoid emotional pain?

Why is their pain trying to tell them?