Slowly but surely, fiction is putting ye olde stereotypical image of mentally ill characters as totally deranged psychopaths wrapped in straight jackets to rest. Representation is as important in fiction as it is in nonfiction, and it’s good to see complex issues like depression, anxiety, and trauma increasingly being treated not only with thoughtfulness, but with authenticity, in many a book, movie, and video game.
This is a positive step forward. However, it also means writers have to step up their game when, for example, writing a depressed character. It’s no longer enough to simply not be offensive in your portrayal of this character; mental illness is so prevalent now that it’s easy for many to spot inauthenticity from a mile away. There are other challenges, too, that you should probably be aware of before you get started—or at least before you get published.
What You Need to Know Writing a Depressed Character
I’m not here to tell you how to write your depressed character. That process will depend entirely on your own experiences with depression, the context of the narrative in which your character will appear, your character’s personal history, and more.
But you might want to keep the following in mind before (and perhaps even during and after) the process of writing that depressed character, for your own sake as well as that of your new fictional friend.
1. Depression can be subtle.
Depression is no newer to fiction than it is to real life. Ophelia from Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one dramatic example many will be familiar with. But in the past especially, it was all too often characterized as overtly tragic at best, and pathetic at worst. In reality, however, high-functioning depression is extremely common, and it is all too easy for many people to fool even those closest to them into believing that they are just fine, and that their tears are reflective of a passing sadness, rather than a deep-rooted depression. Think Alaska Young from Looking for Alaska. Even now, picturing her in my head, I see her smiling and holding up a book she’d like to recommend. It’s only if you look closely enough, for long enough, that you might spot a glimmer of pain in her eyes; just because she smiles doesn’t mean she isn’t hurting.
2. Depression isn’t always expressed as sadness.
While crying and a hopeless attitude are certainly common symptoms of depression, that doesn’t mean it’s realistic for your character to constantly be in tears. As discussed above, many people hide their pain behind a rather convincing veneer of cheer. But depression can also look like other things: fatigue, for example, or even anger. During Buffy Summers’ darkest period in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she’s generally not a hysterical mess. Rather than feeling overwhelmed with sadness or grief, she feels empty—like she can’t feel anything at all. Depression also commonly co-occurs alongside other related mental illnesses, and may share some of their traits. Depression and anxiety, for example, are a common combination, and it is possible to experience psychosis as a symptom of severe depression.
3. There is no quick fix for depression—but remission and recovery are both possible.
Unless your character’s depression is literally a curse, there is no magical cure for depression, and having your character abruptly “get over it” won’t just feel unsatisfying to your readers—it will feel like a slap in the face to anyone who actually has to live with depression. For most people, depression is something you learn to live with, not something you can wholly and permanently free yourself from. However, that doesn’t mean that your depressed character has to stay at a constant level of deep depression throughout your story. Ups and downs are still possible even during a depressive episode—the difference is that their lows are lower, and their highs not nearly as high, as other people’s. And, while an overnight recovery isn’t exactly believable, it is totally possible for them to find lasting relief—and find a way to live a fulfilling life—despite the mental health challenges they face.
4. “Depressed” does not always equal “suicidal.”
Suicidal ideation and even suicidal behavior certainly thrive in the shadow of depression, but it is not a foregone conclusion that someone who is depressed is, or will eventually become, suicidal. Different people experience depression differently. For some, it may be an intense, debilitating disease that makes it hard just to get out of bed on a daily basis. Others may experience in milder forms, or with different symptoms; dysthymia, for example, is a mild but persistent form of depression. Symptoms may even come and go with the seasons in the case of something like seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
5. Suicide is typically more about escaping than dying.
If your character does happen to be suicidal, it’s important to note that many people who attempt suicide may experience regret either in the moment or later on. This is because most people who try to take their own lives aren’t actually doing so out of a desire to die, but rather a desire to escape what they perceive to be an unbearable situation. Think of Rose deWitt Bukater from Titanic. When she attempts to throw herself off the back of the ship, she is already hesitating before Jack even comes to her rescue—and when she slips while trying climb back aboard, she screams for help and fights to save her own life. She doesn’t want to die—she just doesn’t want to stay trapped in the life she’s been living up until this moment.
6. Some people respond negatively to realistically depressed characters.
Technically, this is true of every character and every story. You simply can’t please everyone. But with depressed characters in particular, it is likely you will see some backlash from people saying the character is weak, pathetic, frustrating, even—get this—depressing. Is it possible these people are right? Maybe. It’s also possible you meant the character to come off that way. But it’s also likely that these are people who lack empathy for depressed people in real life, because the truth is, stigma still abounds.
Don’t let these responses hold you back. Don’t let the fear of them keep you from writing a realistically depressed character, if that’s important to you to do. Because for every one of those readers, there are many others who would give anything to see a truly depressed character figure out not only how to slay the dragon, but how to overcome their inner demons, too.
Quentin Coldwater immediately springs to mind here. Reviews of The Magicians books on Goodreads are rife with remarks about how annoying it is that Quentin is still “whining” and “complaining” even when he’s found himself smack in the middle of the fantasy world he always dreamed of visiting. These people, however, are missing the point: that’s exactly what depression is. It’s standing in the middle of paradise and still being unable to feel the sun on your face.
Why Writing a Depressed Character Well is Important
I, for one, think Quentin is one of the most important characters in fantasy literature to date, purely because his perspective so perfectly reflects what it’s like to both be depressed and be totally, irreversibly in love with fantasy literature. You want to believe that simply being whisked away to your world of choice would save you from yourself—but the truth is, depression can follow you anywhere, even into the heart of your childhood dreams come true.
Writing a depressed character well isn’t important just because it will prevent (some) backlash or because it will make (some) of your readers happy. It’s important because stories are important, and the people about whom you choose to tell stories are real to your readers, even if they’re fictional. The bonds they form with them are real, and the love—and the grief—they may feel for those characters is real, too.
You don’t have to give your depressed character a happy ending. But you should give them the respect they deserve—and, by extension, give your readers that same respect. It’s a matter of not just literary integrity, but basic human decency.
The Dragon’s Last Flight is an upcoming visual novel that explores themes of depression, suicide, and hope in a fantasy setting. Click here to download the free demo!
