What I’ve Learned About People by Writing Fiction

What I’ve Learned About People by Writing Fiction

Writers are often asked if their characters are based on real people. The short answer? No… but also, kind of.

See, I’m fascinated by psychology—why people think the way they do, what makes them tick, how they justify their actions. I want to see through the tiny cracks in their carefully constructed facades. And when I write, my characters become my personal psychology experiments. They don’t know it, of course (because, well, they’re fictional), but I’m constantly analyzing them like a scientist in a lab—except my lab is a notebook, and my test subjects are walking through murder plots, romantic entanglements, and dramatic betrayals.

And let me tell you, writing fiction has taught me a lot about human nature. (Also, the many psychology books and courses I've taken have something to do with it but let's say it's because of my characters.... it's magical that way...)

1. People Lie to Themselves Constantly

If there’s one thing my characters—and, by extension, real people—are really good at, it’s self-deception. They justify bad decisions. They convince themselves they’re fine when they’re absolutely not. They pretend they don’t care when they do, and they hold onto things they claim they’ve let go of.

Writing has shown me how much we live in our own heads, crafting narratives to make sense of our choices—even the terrible ones. And when I write characters, I try to capture that raw, often flawed way of thinking. Because people rarely admit the real reason behind their actions, even to themselves.

2. Everyone Has a Breaking Point (Even the Tough Ones)

I love writing strong, independent characters—the ones who walk into a room like they own it, who don’t let anyone see them sweat. But even the toughest ones crack. And it’s in those moments, when all their carefully built walls start to crumble, that they feel the most real.

And the same goes for people in real life. No one is unshakable, no matter how put-together they seem. The strongest ones often carry the heaviest burdens, and the cracks don’t show until you look closely. Understanding that has made me more observant in life.

3. The Villain Thinks They’re the Hero

Ah, villains. My favorite psychological puzzles.

I don’t believe in writing one-dimensional bad guys. Why? Because in their minds, they’re not the bad guy. They have reasons. They believe in what they’re doing. Maybe they think they’re fixing a broken system. Maybe they feel justified in their revenge. Maybe they’re convinced that if people would just listen to them, the world would be a better place.

And if that isn’t the most human thing ever, I don’t know what is.

Everyone, even in real life, is the protagonist of their own story. No one wakes up and thinks, Today, I’m going to be the villain. They see themselves as doing what’s necessary, what’s fair, what they’ve been forced to do. And writing those perspectives has taught me to question motivations more—to wonder what’s really driving people beyond the surface-level justifications.

4. People Will Do Anything to Avoid Facing Themselves

Denial is a powerful thing. I’ve written characters who would rather self-destruct than admit they were wrong. Who push people away instead of accepting love. Who bury their pain under sarcasm, humor, or reckless decisions.

Sound familiar?

Yeah, people do this all the time. Writing has made me hyper-aware of the way we avoid our own truths, whether it’s by staying busy, making impulsive choices, or convincing ourselves that we don’t care when we obviously do.

5. The Quietest People Often Have the Loudest Thoughts

Some of my most interesting characters aren’t the ones who talk the most but the ones who say the least. The ones who sit back, observe, and take in everything without revealing too much.

And in real life? Those are the people you really have to watch.

Because while everyone else is busy talking, they’re listening. They’re picking up on things others miss. They’re the ones who know exactly what’s going on but aren’t going to spell it out for you. Writing these characters has made me notice those people more—the ones who don’t dominate the conversation but, when they finally do speak, say something that changes everything.

6. No One Thinks They’re Predictable—But They Are

One of my favorite parts of writing is dropping a character into a situation and seeing how they react. And the more I write, the more I realize—people are wildly predictable.

The guy who insists he’s not a jealous person? Definitely jealous.The girl who claims she’s totally over her ex? She’s not. The person who swears they never get angry? Probably a ticking time bomb.

We like to think we’re full of surprises, but at the end of the day, human nature has patterns. And once you start recognizing them, it’s almost too easy to predict how someone will act in a given situation. And, I love to spot patterns, defense mechanisms, and contradictions.

The Takeaway: Writing Makes You a Bit of a Mind Reader

Writing fiction has given me a front-row seat to human nature. It’s made me more observant, more curious, and honestly, a little more suspicious (and I'm already with a lot of trust issues). When someone tells me one thing but their actions say another, my brain instantly goes What’s the real story here?

Because everyone has a story. And sometimes, the version they tell themselves isn’t the whole truth.

That’s why I love writing. That's why I love psychology. It’s not just about creating stories—it’s about understanding people.

And let’s be real: sometimes, my characters are just my personal psychology case studies. (They should probably sue me.)

But until then? I’ll keep writing, keep analyzing, and keep learning.

Because people are fascinating.

And I’ll never get tired of figuring them out.

What I’ve Learned About People by Writing Fiction