Into the Fire

[Please don’t accuse me of mocking this real mental affliction of individuals who usually have suffered great trauma(s) in their lives. This isn’t a post about clinical diagnosis and commentary. It’s a post about fiction writers.]

Back on Monday I posted about getting inside the heads of characters. But living that out? Yikes. How many of you carry on conversations and discussions between your characters about real life situations in your head while actually speaking in real time with your own responses to others in your very real presence? How ‘bout while you’re grocery shopping, at your desk, taking out the garbage, washing dishes, having dinner, out with friends, or driving anyplace? These scenarios take place in increasing intensity during formulations of a novel or in critical scenes once you’ve started writing. Have you ever dreamed you were the opposite sex? Conducted yourself in that gender within the dream? Is that weird or what? Writers can be anyone.

And the challenge is always to make it real. Authentic. If your character is quirky, he/she still has to make us believe the conduct is real. How deep are you willing to investigate your desires, your motives, your darkest thoughts? Will you go there?

Who do you want your character to be in his/her situation? Why? Do they defy you in the process of creating them? Do they surprise you with their independence or their co-dependency? Are they rigid, immovable, crotchety, harried, timid, flaky? Are they just like you? Or polar opposites? Do you love them, hate them, want to kill them off?

Do you see their faces, the color of their eyes, hair, skin? Do you know their builds, figures? Can you hear their voice inflections? Can you picture them walking away?

Do they want to be you? Do you want to be them?

If they’re truly alive in your head, they must translate to screen or paper. Otherwise, they’ll be life-less in the story.

Father, I cannot imagine how you create from nothing. We have your exquisite examples to use as a base for our creations. Lord, give me the depth to draw from you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.