• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • About WHW
    • Press Kit
    • Resident Writing Coaches
    • Contact Us
    • Podcasts & Interviews
    • Master Storytelling Newsletter
    • Guest Post Guidelines
    • Privacy Policy
    • Charities & Support
  • Bookstore
    • Bookstore
    • Foreign Editions
    • Book Reviews
    • Free Thesaurus Sampler
  • Blog
  • Software
  • Workshops
  • Resources
    • List of Resources
    • Recommended Writing Books
    • WHW Descriptive Thesaurus Collection
    • Free Tools & Worksheets
    • Grab A Free Show-Dont-Tell Pro Pack
  • WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Helping writers become bestselling authors

The Connection Between Emotional Wounds and Basic Needs

May 27, 2015 by BECCA PUGLISI

As many of you may know, we have a new thesaurus, one that looks into a problematic (yet SO important) area: Emotional Wounds. It’s somewhat intuitive to see how a traumatic event might spawn specific fears or cause flaws or attributes to form. What isn’t quite so clear is the relationship between a wound and a character’s basic human needs. So I wanted to shed some light on that.

First of all, what are basic human needs? According to famed psychologist Abraham Maslow, there are 5 basic needs that every person needs in order to feel fulfilled. If a person—or, for our purposes, a character—is lacking any of these needs, they will set out to fill that void, beginning with the need that’s most vital. 

As the diagram below shows, the foundation of the pyramid represents our physiological needs because those are the most important; the need for food, water, air, and the like are obviously the most vital because without them we would cease to live. The next most important need is that of safety, followed by love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.
1024px-Maslow's_Hierarchy_of_Needs.svg

So a character whose physiological needs aren’t being met is going to do whatever it takes to meet those needs. This is the heart of Character Motivation.  Once that goal is accomplished, she’ll move on to the next most pressing goal. 

FullSizeRender-3As an example, consider Erin Brockovich, from the movie of the same name. At the beginning of the film, she has no job and is struggling to provide for her family; she’s missing the safety need. So she scours the classifieds, interviews pretty much everywhere, and tells potential employers whatever they want to hear in an effort to secure employment so she can take care of her family. With no luck. Then she gets creamed by the doctor in the Jaguar. Medical bills pile up and she becomes so desperate that she walks into her lawyer’s office and just starts working, telling everyone that he hired her. You can see her pride taking a hit when the lawyer confronts her and, in obvious embarrassment, she quietly pleads with him not to make her beg for a job.

This is the power of basic needs. When one is missing, it affects a character’s behavior and pushes her to do things she never would have done otherwise. Knowing which needs your character is missing can help you to write her believably because you’ll know what’s driving her on a primal level. 

So what do emotional wounds have to do with this? Angela has written an excellent post that explains the wounding event; if you’re looking for more information on what that is or need some guidance on choosing the right one for your character, please check that out. Once you’ve chosen an appropriate wounding event, the next step is identifying which needs have been compromised because of it.

To clarify this, let’s look at a girl who was bullied repeatedly about her looks. Because of this bullying, her esteem is removed; the abuse diminishes both her view of herself and her perception of how other people see her. Even after the bullying is done, she still feels the pain associated with the loss of her esteem and will subconsciously take steps to meet that need or make sure that it isn’t threatened again. Maybe she’ll throw herself into education, sports, or the arts as a means of gaining recognition for herself, since she feels unable to compete physically. Perhaps she’ll become overly flirtatious or promiscuous, seeking attention from others as a way of feeling desirable. She might even become a bully herself, valuing her power over others because it brings a measure of respect from her peers.

See how wounds and basic needs are related? The former inevitably impacts the latter. So when you’re looking into possible emotional wounds for your character, always take into account the needs that have been diminished or removed because of those wounds. This information will help you to create and write characters who make sense and resonate with readers.

For more information on Emotional Wounds and how powerful Unmet Needs will trigger a inner transformation within the character, take a peek inside The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Psychological Trauma.

Save

Save

BECCA PUGLISI
BECCA PUGLISI

Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Basic Human Needs, Character Arc, Character Wound, Characters, Experiments, Motivation, Uncategorized, Writing Craft, Writing Lessons

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Traci Kenworth says

    May 30, 2015 at 1:56 pm

    Looking forward to this, Becca!!

  2. Manju Howard (@ManjuBeth) says

    May 28, 2015 at 12:33 pm

    Your post connects with last month’s Ted Radio Hour on Maslow’s Human Needs. http://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/399796647/maslows-human-needs?showDate=2015-04-17

    • ANGELA ACKERMAN says

      May 28, 2015 at 2:36 pm

      Thanks Manju–I will be sure to check that out!

  3. Mona AlvaradoFrazier says

    May 27, 2015 at 4:12 pm

    Every writer needs to read your post. I can see how the Emotional Thesaurus can help a writer go deeper and more fully into a protag. or antag. personality and character arc. Thanks for another great resource.

    • ANGELA ACKERMAN says

      May 28, 2015 at 2:37 pm

      Thanks so much. I find the more I learn about how this all fits together the more fascinated I become. 🙂

  4. Theresa Milstein says

    May 27, 2015 at 8:53 am

    I really like thinking about my manuscripts in terms of emotional wounds and the drive it creates in my characters.

    • ANGELA ACKERMAN says

      June 2, 2015 at 3:14 pm

      So glad this helps, Theresa!

  5. Alexandra Wallner says

    May 27, 2015 at 7:36 am

    Great and helpful slant on a character. I will read it again more slowly and determine how this applies to my characters. Thanks so much for this post!

    • ANGELA ACKERMAN says

      June 2, 2015 at 3:14 pm

      You bet–this is a unique area to explore, and so I am excited to see where it leads. 🙂

Trackbacks

  1. 9 Ways To Originalize Your Story Idea – Lederto.com Blog says:
    April 21, 2020 at 11:28 pm

    […] They should be as nuanced as the rest of the cast, with motivations, wounding events, fears, and missing human needs that drive them to do what they […]

  2. 9 Ways To Originalize Your Story Idea | Writers In The Storm says:
    April 20, 2020 at 7:02 am

    […] They should be as nuanced as the rest of the cast, with motivations, wounding events, fears, and missing human needs that drive them to do what they […]

  3. A Simple Way to Giving Your Protagonist Depth - Romance University says:
    May 11, 2019 at 10:01 pm

    […] Each of us is a different fingerprint, molded by our past and what life has thrown our way. We have motivations for everything we do, and fears, insecurities, and emotions which shape our actions, especially […]

  4. How to Create a Redeemable Villain — Guest: Becca Puglisi | Jami Gold, Paranormal Author says:
    April 27, 2018 at 8:04 pm

    […] This emotional shielding comes in the form of bad habits, defense mechanisms, personality flaws, biases, and skewed beliefs that, while intended to protect the character, only create more problems. They’re so destructive that they create a void in the area of her basic human needs. […]

  5. Writing Characters That Mirror Real Life - Kristen Lamb says:
    November 20, 2017 at 8:16 am

    […] one of these layers is missing, we become compelled to fill that void. To do this, we adopt new habits, thought patterns, and beliefs that align with that purpose. These […]

  6. Writer Strengths: How Do You Persevere? | Jami Gold, Paranormal Author says:
    October 26, 2017 at 9:55 am

    […] The Connection Between Emotional Wounds and Basic Needs […]

  7. Writing Links…10/9/17 – Where Genres Collide says:
    October 9, 2017 at 7:02 am

    […] https://writershelpingwriters.net/2015/05/the-connection-between-emotional-wounds-and-basic-needs/ If your character is lacking basic needs, they are going to set off on a journey to fill the void. […]

  8. How to Add Depth to Your Protagonist by Angela Ackerman | Romance University says:
    October 6, 2017 at 1:07 am

    […] Each of us is a different fingerprint, molded by our past and what life has thrown our way. We have motivations for everything we do, and fears, insecurities, and emotions which shape our actions, especially […]

  9. Crafting a Powerful Set-Up | Writers In The Storm says:
    January 9, 2017 at 7:00 am

    […] way. One way to bond your audience of unique individuals to the protagonist is to remove one of her basic human needs, such as belonging or surviving. Because everyone understands these needs, taking one of them away […]

  10. Vulnerability In Fiction: Teaching Jaded Characters How To Trust By Angela Ackerman says:
    June 29, 2016 at 4:36 am

    […] true-to-life. They feel, think, and behave like real people. So if Love and Belonging drives us, it must motivate our characters as well (especially in […]

  11. Cynsational Information, Giveaways & Summer time Hiatus | TiaMart Blog says:
    May 30, 2015 at 9:06 pm

    […] The Connection Between Emotional Wounds and Basic Needs by Becca Puglisi from Writers Serving to Writers. Peek: “…she nonetheless feels the ache related to the lack of her esteem and can subconsciously take steps to satisfy that want or be sure that it isn’t threatened once more. Perhaps she’ll throw herself into schooling, sports activities, or the humanities as a way of gaining recognition for herself, since she feels unable to compete bodily.” […]

  12. Mass Effect/AEC: ANN News-Timeline for February 18, 2197 | Neither Here nor There.... says:
    May 29, 2015 at 9:43 pm

    […] Tweet of the Day: The Connection Between Emotional Wounds and Basic Needs […]

Primary Sidebar


Welcome!

Writing is hard. Angela & Becca make it easier. Get ready to level up your fiction with game-changing tools, resources, and advice.

Follow Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe to the Blog

Check your inbox to confirm! If gremlins tried to eat it, you might have to check your spam folder.

Read by Category

Grab Our Button

Writers Helping Writers

Software that Will Change the Writing Game

One Stop for Writers

WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® · Copyright © 2023 · WEBSITE DESIGN BY LAUGH EAT LEARN

Cookies are delicious and ours help make your experience here better. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with our cookie use. Cookie settingsGOT IT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. More on our Privacy Policy here.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
 

Loading Comments...