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 throat (fifth) Chakra rules Willpower. The throat relates to how your protagonist speaks their highest truth, self-expresses, and living creatively. The Solar Plexus Chakra says I SPEAK.
By considering how your characters connect to their voice and ability to speak will give you clues about how they will speak in your story by understanding not just their words, but the intention behind their words (both conscious and unconscious)
Below is a brief explanation of the Throat Chakra, its traits and characteristics, and some ways you might integrate its attributes into your character development.
Fifth Chakra – Throat Chakra
Location
Throat
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
High self-awareness and ability to speak one’s truth to others, faith in oneself to make sound decisions (and the ability to follow through), belief in the power of love and courage, and confidence in choosing/having healthy relationships with substances, money, and power
This is about how your character responds to situations that call for them to speak, as in dialogue, make decisions, and how they feel about those decisions.
Primary fears and fearful expressions
General insecurity, small/soft voice, relying on external validation, avoiding conversations to express one’s needs/desires, gossip, exclusivity, arrogance/condescension.
This is where you’re able to start seeing your character respond in both voice, and in action, based on the strength of their own self-awareness.
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Writing exercise
Take some time to sit quietly, and think about the aspects of the Throat 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 been asked to speak at an event where someone from their past will be in attendance.
Questions to begin your exercise:
• How comfortable is your character with public speaking?
• Who is the person from their past, and what was their relationship like? How did the relationship end?
• Do they know that the person will be in attendance, or will it be a surprise to them?
• What happens when they step up to the microphone?
Let me know what you discover in the comments.
As always… Sending you mad writing mojo…
Happy writing!
Johnnie
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