By Chris Robb

Why do some characters feel so real, and some do not? I’ve seen movies where I feel like I’m connecting with the characters on a personal level. And after sitting through their journey on the big screen, I feel free and cathartic. It’s because of a profoundly psychological occurrence that happens as part of the human condition, and someone figured out how to illustrate it in a story. It’s called the character’s “Ghost.”

Today, we will uncover our characters’ dark past to make them more compelling. We’ll define it, explain how it affects them, and explain why it’s needed for their character arc. Then, we’ll discuss an example using the movie Good Will Hunting. Lastly, we’ll explore an exercise and how you can incorporate this into your writing. Read on to make your stories unforgettable.

 A Character’s ghost is essentially the trauma a character experienced in the past that caused them to believe a lie about themselves. When writing, you can either start (in media res) with a character years after this trauma or have this trauma unfold now as part of the conflict. The character’s ghost can also go by “The Big Trauma” or “The Shard of Glass.” Essentially, the shard of glass is a trauma that needs to be pulled out of them by seeing the truth beyond the lie and going after their need instead of wanting, thus achieving a character arc.

One notable figure who has extensively written about this concept is K.M. Weiland, who explains that a character’s ghost is a significant past event that influences their belief in a lie. The idea is also explored in Lisa Cron’s book Story Genius, where she refers to it as the “Origin Scene”

The term “shard of glass” was popularized by Blake Snyder in his book Save the Cat!. Snyder describes it as a deep-seated flaw or blind spot that the hero must confront and overcome to achieve their transformation. It’s a metaphor for a painful truth or past incident that the character has internalized, which must be addressed for them to grow.

At the end of the day, the ghost is just emotional baggage the character carries around with them that forces them to believe a lie that keeps them making the same mistakes daily. When the character challenges this ghost and faces it, they stop believing the lie. They go after the truth and find what they need. This change in a story is called “The character arc.” Some call it the heart of the story; without it, you don’t have a story; you have a situation. You can even say that when a character follows their wants, they don’t make their arc. When they follow their needs instead, they make the arc and are rewarded their wants for making the change.

For example, take a man looking for love to validate himself. His low self-esteem might keep the ones he loves away from him. But he makes the arc when he looks deep within and finds he needs to love himself. This opens up the door for others to now love him too. He finds the need, and he gets his wants. Much like a great character in an unforgettable story.

I’ve often thought that the fictionalized journey of characters doing this is a prime example of life-imitating art-imitating life. That’s the beauty of art; we dance with it and come full circle. Art is life. Art is Hell. Art is healing and finding heaven on earth. We dance with the divine in a subconscious exchange between body, mind, and soul. What’s left is just the scribblings of a life lived. A legacy for the inexperienced to understand the ebb and flow of the tides.

Look at the movie Good Will Hunting to see this device in action.

Will Hunting’s Ghost: His abusive childhood in foster care.

Trauma: The physical and emotional abuse he endured led to deep-seated trust issues and anger.

Shard of Glass: Will’s belief that he is unworthy of love and success.

False Belief (the lie): He believes he must push people away to protect himself from being hurt again.

Need: To accept that he deserves love and confront his past to heal and move forward.

Creative Writing Exercise

Take a character you want to write about or one that already exists in your story. Write down the answers to these questions:

Ghost: What past event haunts them?

Trauma: What traumatic experience shapes their behavior?

Shard of Glass: What flaw or blind spot do they have?

False Belief: What lies do they tell themselves because of their ghost, trauma, or shard?

Need: What unconscious truth do they need to find to heal their trauma? Write a short scene where these elements come into play, revealing your character’s depth and complexity. Share your scene in the comments!

Today, we discussed how a character’s ghosts or past trauma can inform the depth of believability that your character exudes. Writing about characters can often invoke a sense of vulnerability in the writer. You can take from your life, past experiences, or people you know. This adds a sense of connection and depth. Sometimes this vulnerability might make you want to cut your work. But don’t. The more emotional you get, the more your audience will be moved. After all, if you’re not moved by a piece of literature, neither will your audience. When you cry, they cry; when you laugh, they laugh; when you are aroused, so is your audience. I’ve often heard that writing is like telling little secrets the whole time. This can feel controversial but ultimately more satisfying. That is why it’s important to make your characters vulnerable by adding a ghost to their core identity.

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Happy Writing!