In its simplest form, mentalization refers to our ability to perceive another’s way of thinking. Being able to put ourselves in another person’s shoes (as the saying goes), is often more difficult than it sounds. Our ability to understand the internal states of others through their thoughts and feelings can help us better form internal representations of our fictional characters’ minds.

According to psychiatrist Glen O Gabbard, M.D., mentalizing is often referred to as having a Theory of Mind. Having a Theory of Mind starts with understanding one’s own mind. As alluded to above, our thinking and behavior are representational. They are a product of our unique experiences, thoughts, and emotions.

The first step to becoming a better mentalizer is to accept that people think differently and that if we interpret other’s actions through our own “lens” of experience, we may misinterpret their motivations and intentions. This framework gives us the opportunity to see things from another person’s perspective.

Like people we meet, fictional characters also have internal representations of the world. As writers, the better we understand what guides our character’s actions and behaviors, the more believable they will become to our readers. One way to help you learn to mentalize with your characters is to base them on a person in your life. Think about how that person views the world, how they react to various stressors and circumstances, and then apply that to your character. As you become more adept at this process, writing from your character’s perspective will be as easy as changing your shoes. Whether or not your character has the capacity to mentalize is for you to decide :-).