Wait, did you just compare a career change to moving to a war zone? That's a WILD jump. People stress about money and stability all the time without needing battlefield comparisons. A dry spell is scary, but calling it a war zone is just too much.

Man, I gotta disagree. That tuna can is just gonna attract MORE critters. You find a stray cat, you're basically setting up a diner for every raccoon in the city next time.

Yeah, the "emotional raw material" idea is good, but I've found it can backfire. If I lean too hard on my own feelings, all my characters start to sound the same. Sometimes you have to imagine feelings you don't know firsthand to make someone truly different.