Where Psychology Meets Storytelling
With a degree in Forensic Psychology (2017) and a degree in English (2022) from John Jay College, I’ve studied not only forensics but also broader areas of psychology like cognition, behavior, and learning. This allowed me to better understand how people think, act, and grow.
My focus isn’t shock value; it’s understanding why people make the choices they do and how we can turn even the most difficult truths into meaningful stories. In essays like The Lies of Karma, I explore why good people suffer while others thrive in cruelty. In Facing Regret, I show how our lowest moments can be transformed into honest storytelling.
Through my work, my goal is simple: to help writers create psychologically authentic characters, while also encouraging readers to use their own lived experiences as material without losing themselves in the process.
*Please note: I hold academic training in forensic psychology but am not a licensed therapist or practicing psychologist. I apply my educational background to help writers understand character development and storytelling, not to provide therapeutic advice.*
What Makes My Work Different
Most writing advice centers on structure and technique. I take a different angle: the psychology behind characters and the writers who create them.
- How trauma shows up in behavior
- Why some choose violence while others choose courage
- What really drives villains and makes heroes believable
My background in forensic psychology gives me tools to decode behavior, while my English degree keeps the story at the center. This combination helps writers:
- Develop villains who feel truly menacing
- Create heroes whose courage feels earned
- Draw from personal struggles without being consumed by them
- Connect with readers on an emotional level that lasts
My Writing Journey
I didn’t take the straight path to writing. Growing up Lebanese-American in Brooklyn, I was pushed toward “safe” careers like doctor or lawyer. I first chased film at Brooklyn College, inspired by thrillers like Seven and The Silence of the Lambs, but arrogance and immaturity cut that dream short.
I drifted into real estate, feeling trapped and far from the stories I wanted to tell. Rejections piled up. During COVID, at my lowest point, I destroyed years of my own writing convinced it wasn’t worth keeping. That act of destruction became a turning point. I later wrote about it in Facing Regret, because I realized those dark moments are often where our most honest work begins.
Returning to school with clear purpose, I earned my degrees in psychology and English. That’s when I finally found my lane: exploring how human behavior shapes storytelling.
Published Work & Teaching
Deadly Sins — An anthology examining the seven deadly sins through the lens of mental health and moral complexity, blending Dante’s classical framework with modern psychological insight.
Short Stories — A collection of original short stories, analytical fiction, paired with detailed examinations of craft, psychology, and technique. Each piece functions as both narrative and teaching tool for writers seeking to understand how stories work on a deeper level.
Current Projects
- 8-Bit (TBA) – A retro-techno thriller about a game developer forced to solve his mentor’s murder through mysterious cartridges reenacting the crime. Nostalgic gaming meets psychological investigation.
- The Devil’s Disciple (TBA) – A Faustian short story that reimagines the classic bargain with the Devil through a modern psychological lens. It explores morality, temptation, and the cost of desire, and will also serve as the foundation for a TV series concept.
- Essays – Weekly reflections on justice, regret, morality, and writing. Pieces like The Lies of Karma and Weapons of Envy examine how psychology and creativity overlap.
- Writing Guidance – Through this site, I help authors build authentic antagonists, deepen character psychology, and turn life experience into narrative fuel.
Life Outside Writing
Balance matters. I share my home with two dogs — Antar, a pit-bull boxer mix with a calm presence, and Lucy, a chihuahua who insists on being the boss. Their odd partnership reminds me that contrast often makes the best stories.
I unwind with pixel art inspired by retro games, finding something meditative in drawing pieces of nostalgia that bring back the good old days. I read widely, but Orwell’s 1984 is my favorite and the book I return to when I think about power and morality. I also often return to films like Prisoners and Angel Heart for their psychological thrilling narratives.
My Mission
I believe our deepest wounds, when faced with honesty, can become the very wisdom that guides our stories. That’s the heart of my work: helping writers take pain and human complexity and transform it into stories that matter.
Because at the end of the day, all compelling fiction is psychological fiction. The only difference is whether we’re conscious of the psychology we’re portraying.
Let’s Connect
Other Ventures
I have been very busy working on other things such as getting my license to become an ELA teacher for New York City Public Schools. I am also the founder of Gaming Delights which hosts mobile games I develop and Your Apps LLC, an app publishing company helping others create custom apps for them or their companies.
Check those out as well!