Discover the Artistic Worlds of TL Savage

People-Pleasing on the Page: Writing as Healing

Do you ever catch yourself writing characters who can’t say no? The friend who agrees to everything, the lover who sacrifices too much, the “fixer” who bends until they break? That might not just be your character’s struggle—it might be yours, too.

I’ve been there. Saying yes to everyone and everything until my calendar, my mind, and my heart were stretched thin. Writing gave me a mirror, and sometimes what I saw on the page was uncomfortable—but also freeing.

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Where Do You Show Up on the Page?

• Ask yourself: Do my characters mirror my habit of people-pleasing? Do they avoid conflict, over-explain, or apologize too much?
• Project: Take a scene you’ve already written and highlight every “yes,” every apology, every moment of self-erasure. What patterns do you notice?

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Rewrite the Possibility

• Ask yourself: What would happen if this character said no?
• Project: Rewrite the same scene with your character holding a boundary. Does the story get messier? More honest? More powerful?

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Writing as Rehearsal for Life

When you let your characters practice saying no, choosing themselves, or walking away, you rehearse it, too. Writing becomes more than storytelling—it becomes a quiet act of self-healing.

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When Is It Okay to Say No? — A Story Idea

I’ve always been that girl. The “sure, no problem” girl. The one who agrees to watch your dog, proofread your essay, and buy concert tickets she can’t afford—because heaven forbid anyone thinks I’m difficult. My friends call me “easygoing,” but the truth is, I’m exhausted.

The story I want to tell is about a silly, lovable girl named Jada who does everything to fit in. She joins every club, laughs at every joke, and bends herself into a hundred different shapes just to be liked. Her big moment comes when she finally has to decide: keep saying yes and lose herself, or risk saying no and discover who actually values her.

It’s a story about boundaries disguised as a comedy of errors—because sometimes the funniest thing about people-pleasing is how ridiculous it looks when written down. And sometimes the bravest word you’ll ever write into your own life is just one syllable: No.

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Final Prompt

Tonight, ask yourself: Where am I saying yes when I want to say no? Then let your pen carry that truth into a character’s voice. You might be surprised how much lighter your story—and your spirit—feels.

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