WRITING IN PRACTICE VOL 10

ABSTRACT

This essay reflects on my efforts to write fiction honouring the unyielding complexity of mental illness. It draws on my experience working in healthcare, considers seminal works of literature (most notably The Catcher in the Rye and The Bell Jar), and interrogates relevant mental health theory and practice. It pays specific attention to my creative decisions when writing The Shock of the Fall. This novel tells the story of a young man dealing with his grief at the death of his brother and his experience of mental healthcare services for schizophrenia. 

KEYWORDS

fiction, mental health, narrative, psychiatry, trauma, recovery

HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE

Filer, Nathan (2024) The Imaginary Patient: Honouring the Complexity of Mental Illness in Fiction, Writing in Practice. 10. 53-66. DOI: 10.62959/WIP-10-2024-05