EIGHT LIES PEOPLE BELIEVE

Anne Greene here. In this lesson you’ll learn about lies. 

In your award-winning novel, don’t forget to add the lie your character believes about herself/himself.  

      

Psychiatrists preach that everyone believes a lie about himself. They affirm there are only eight basic lies.

The lie stems from some event that happened in childhood. The lie does not become imbedded if the trauma occurred during adulthood or even during the teen years. So, know your character’s back-story. What caused him/her to believe the lie? 

How does your character see herself/himself ?

Perhaps this is where your character’s flaw originated. Delve into your character’s psyche. Use action beats to reveal his/her problem. Giving action beats that show the character’s view of herself/himself, avoids having to tell the reader. The less an author tells, and the more she shows,  the more the reader identifies with the character.  

When a character has problems with the lie he/she believes, the more realistic the character becomes. As he/she deals with the lie, he/she will learn and grow. Look for ways to show the character’s problems. 

The Eight Basic Lies: 

Each basic lie has different degrees and manifestations. 

1     (1)    I'm a disappointment.

2     (2)    I’m not good enough.

3     (3)    I'm defective.

4     (4)    I'll get rejected.

       (5)    It's all my fault.

6     (6)    I’m Helpless – powerless to fix. This could lead to a fear of being controlled.

7     (7)   I’m unwanted/unloved.

8     (8)    I'm bad.         

Y     Your characters will either become victims to the lie they believe, or they will fight the lie and prove it wrong. Give them a full character arch.

D    Do you use self-lies in your manuscripts? Leave a   comment for a chance to win a chapter critique.

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