S36E5 - Dark Psychology: Including Munchausen Syndrome in a Story

If you're writing a thriller with a caretaker character, you may consider Munchausen Syndrome as a plot device. It's when someone either pretends to be ill or even makes themselves ill in order to garner attention. This psychological disorder has been seen in several works of fiction, including The Sixth Sense, Supernatural, and even in It. In this cases, as is true for most cases used in fiction, it's Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, where someone will make their victim ill for the same intent.

Because this is a psychological disorder, it's important to write it carefully. In this episode, we talk about what it means, how it presents, what it's not, and how to use it most effectively in your writing.

First aired October 17, 2022.