The Dark Night of the Soul

Why we put our characters through the wringer.

Photo by p - on Unsplash

I have a Dark Night of the Soul every few weeks.

This is because I have a decades-old cycle of anxiety and functional depression, largely triggered by my hormonal cycle but no less significant because of it.

I have a couple of great weeks where everything feels good.

Then I start to worry.

I worry about everything: personal, professional, global. It builds and builds over several days, the tension squeezing my head and raising my blood pressure until I am completely frazzled and feel an unrelenting need to scream.

And then I crash. Hard.

Everything becomes bleak. I slog through the next couple of days as though neck-deep in mud, my thoughts unwilling to find any evidence of good in my surroundings, in my past, in my future. Instead it finds evidence of everything that has gone wrong.

It took a long time to recognize this cycle, to realize that my Dark Night of the Soul always lifts. And then, later, to realize that I can make decisions for myself that shorten it, make it less painful, at least slightly.

But this isn’t about me. This is about your characters. About how they land in a Dark Night of the Soul, and how they pull themselves out of it. And, more importantly, why we have to make them face it.

The Groundwork for a Story:

Message: what you want to say, and why
➡️ Character Arc: how they are going to change internally
Turning Points: key plot points that affect this change

The Dark Night of the Soul is something our characters have to face, even when our stories are filled with joy and laughter. It is the stretch of time when, after many false starts and minor victories, a new understanding begins to emerge. And this new understanding is what will drive the third act of your story and deliver them to where you, the author, want them to end up.

Why does this matter?

Oh, it’s hard to force our beloved characters into a Dark Night of the Soul. Why would we do this to someone we’ve created with such tender loving care?

Because they have to change. They have to change. Otherwise, what is the point of them running this gauntlet we’ve laid in front of them?

When does it happen?

The Dark Night of the Soul usually happens after the character has seemingly hit rock bottom in regard to the events of the story. In the minutes, hours, or days after this moment, they are “stewing in their own juices,” as my mom is fond of saying. (I find this imagery gross, but no matter.)

During this low period, the character begins to realize that how they have been operating is no longer serving them. They have to do something new. And so they make a decision that lifts them from the darkness so that they can finally achieve what we, the readers, have been rooting for all along.

A great resource for this is the book Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, by Jessica Brody. It is full of examples from popular stories and illustrates how the Dark Night of the Soul fits in with the rest of the beats of the story.

In case you’re skimming:

Your character needs a Dark Night of the Soul.

Build up to it. Give them reasons to worry, to get frazzled. Take away everything. Then let them suffer for long enough to start thinking something new.

Remember that this is where their biggest internal/emotional shift is going to happen.

And now, a PSA:

If you find yourself in your own Dark Night of the Soul, remember: you are not alone. It will lift, and it’s beyond okay to ask for support. Take care of yourself, always.

Your story matters because YOU matter.

Have a beautiful week!

Warmly,
Stephanie

P.S. I’ll be here when you’re ready. 🌻

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