I've mentioned this a number of times, but my character Raelynn was definitely at one point an outlet for the darker side of myself. She's very unlike me in that she's selfish, cruel, and closed minded; but her positive traits we definitely do share. She has a love of knowledge, is ambitious, and can be incredibly compassionate but what surprised me most was being able to write her when I was having depressive episodes and it felt like a healthy release as opposed to doing something toxic. Her inner thoughts and fears very much mirrored mine and that actually surprised me a lot.