Have you ever done any reverse psychology writing?It's actually quite an interesting technique to test out in your writing repertoire. Reverse psychology writing can stimulate the annals of your mind. You and your readers will become all the better for it, because you will be able to see ideas in new ways. These ways may sometimes seem delightful and worthwhile, while other times they may seem aggravating. Click for Free Writer's Block Help E-Zine and Free E-Book An example of this came up in my life quite a while ago. I was driving and I saw a sign that read “Vote to close the library August 2nd. Book burning party August 5th.” There was a Facebook page listed at the bottom of the sign as well. I was beside myself with anger, indignation, and upset as I drove past the sign, searching its words for any semblance of care for the closing of an institution that provides pleasure in literacy for so many. I drove home still thinking about this sign, and once home, I went to the Facebook page to see what this was really all about. People were excited, almost counting down the days to when they could burn the books. It seemed to me a horrible act of censorship and a deliberately hateful activity to promote to the masses. Then, as I was reading the comments on the wall of the Facebook page, I saw one that read: “Genius campaign. I hope it keeps the library open.” That’s when it hit me. Even if the people promoting this book burning party are serious and want the library to close so they can burn the books (by the way, this won’t happen anyway as the library will inventory the books for a possible re-opening in the future if the vote doesn’t pass), they are making some people angry enough to go out and vote to keep the library open. And that may be their whole agenda. They may just be using reverse psychology writing to make their point. They may be writing in reverse to potentially garner as many “yes” votes as possible to keep the library open. Reverse psychology writing can obviously be used in nonfiction writing, if this example is truly factual and not merely satire. However, it can also be used in fiction writing, or any other style for that matter, as a tool to make readers see something in a different light. If you ridicule or chastise a character in a story enough, you may cause your readers to do some reverse thinking and feel an outpouring of emotion for the plight that the character is going through throughout the storyline. If you constantly write about how wonderful a character is and how he/she can never do any wrong, you may cause your readers to desire the character to have a flaw, make a mistake, or err in some other way. Whether or not they realize it, readers are always in the mindset to do reverse thinking. Reverse psychology works because people desire seeing all sides of a story. They relish the ability to make predictions and see if they were right or wrong. Think about the books where you were able to choose your own adventure. Even though you know there may be something lurking around that next corner, you may choose to turn the corner anyway instead of retreating. Why? Because you want to do the opposite of what is safe. However, if you choose to retreat, reverse psychology writing may still be in effect, since when you retreat, you may run right into the arms of a vicious animal or into some other scary predicament. The writer may only have wanted you to think that what you were choosing to do was safe, when in fact it wasn’t. Reverse thinking and writing in reverse come in handy when you wish for readers to delve deeper into your plots and characters. Making emotional connections with your readers through the use of your words and details will strengthen readers’ attachments to the psychology of your story. Every story has psychology embedded in it. As a reader, you surely know that you sometimes read to escape the problems of your daily life or just to relax yourself by delving into new and wondrous worlds that don’t exist in your own reality. Use these reverse psychology writing tips to your advantage. Think in reverse. Write in reverse. Read to see what other authors want you to think and decide whether you really want to think it, or maybe you want to take on your own meanings and see symbolism in your own way. There are so many innovative ways to create meaning, and reverse psychology writing is just one. Explore it and see how far it can take you! To return from Reverse Psychology Writing to the |