Empathy and Insight Follow

Empathy and Insight follow. As writer/imaginer of stories, you have to step into the shoes of your characters. Character building programs in elementary schools ask this of children. Imagine how you would feel (a prerequisite for following the Golden Rule), and then—by extension—how the other person would feel in a particular situation. Kids know that not everyone does this. Much of the current emphasis on “character building skills” in schools is an attempt to train kids to think this way. Story writing can be yet another tool in teachers’ kits.