This is the next in a series about how to utilize my Writing Through the Body Method™ which uses the chakra system as a practical tool for uncovering a character’s desires, wounds, and motivations. By exploring these psychological foundations, writers are able to portray their characters’ behaviors, reactions, and responses on the page with greater depth and emotional truth.
For example, the Solar Plexus (third) Chakra rules Personal Power and Agency. The Sacral Chakra relates to how your protagonist takes action to accomplish intentions, goals, and dreams. The Solar Plexus Chakra says I ACT.
By considering how your characters’ take action will give you clues about how to move your story’s trajectory along, or where self-imposed obstacles might show up.
Below is a brief explanation of the Solar Plexus Chakra, its traits and characteristics, and some ways you might integrate its attributes into your character development.
Third Chakra – Solar Plexus Chakra
Location
Directly below the sternum, above the stomach
This does not directly apply to your character but is used for visualization purposes when doing certain exercises within the Writing Through the Body™ method, offered here as an FYI.
Primary strengths
Courage to take risks, ability to deal with crisis, strong self-esteem and strength of character
This is about how your character responds to situations that require action, whether self-imposed or an expectation from an outside source.
Primary fears
Indecisiveness and helplessness, blind rage and destructive anger, lack of focus or purpose in life
This is where you’re able to start seeing your character move, take action, respond to crisis—or not—as well as how their innate internal drive is expressed when they don’t take action.
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Writing exercise
Take some time to sit quietly, and think about the aspects of the Solar Plexus Chakra as they relate to all your characters.
Write a sketch of a character that may not be materializing as fully as you would like, and answer the questions below as fully and exhaustively as possible.
Tip: Every time you arrive at a new place of understanding or identify a particular behavior or response in your character, ask “why?” Continuing to ask “why?” is how we get to the deep psychology of our characters.
Example: Your protagonist has the desire to move across the country, but something is preventing them from doing this. Is it an exterior obstacle, and if so, how do they respond/react to this obstacle. Or is it a self-imposed obstacle—a fear, a connection to a person or people that’s keeping them in place, or some other kind of internal struggle?
Questions to begin your exercise:
• Establish your character’s intention, goal, or dream. Why do they want it?
• Have they already taken steps to realize this intention, goal, or dream? If so, what are they? What’s left to make it happen?
• How will they overcome the obstacle(s) in their way?
Let me know what you discover in the comments.
As always… Sending you mad writing mojo…
Happy writing!
Johnnie
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