The first step in writing is to know our people, and when I say “people,” I’m talking about characters. The protagonists, antagonists, and supporting characters in novels, memoirs, and screenplays. This also applies to our Ideal Readers and clients if we’re going to write a book in the self-help/how-to category about our signature method, process, or program.
The first step in knowing our people is knowing their histories, or backstories. Whether we use these details in the actual story or not, we need to have a clear and compassionate understanding of the events that have made them who they are. Oftentimes, we start with an inkling of what that is.
Fictional characters rise up from our subconscious, whisper words in our ears, and make themselves visible to us in whatever way they can. They may show us what they want, but they’re not always able to tell us why. And it’s probably safe to say they don’t have the awareness to tell us why they can’t get what they want (Read: how they get in their own way). That’s why they need us!
With memoir, it’s easy to believe we already know all the characters inside and out – especially ourselves. It’s our story, after all, right?! But the reality is memoir can be even more challenging in this regard because we sometimes lack the objectivity – we’re too close – to truly make meaning of the story we want to tell. We have a tendency to write and write and write, as with journaling, giving ourselves the faulty impression that we’re “writing” our story when all we’re really doing is purging, or to use a metaphor I’m fond of, throwing the clay onto the wheel to be shaped into something usable in the future.
In the case of the self-help, how-to book, this deep understanding of character relates to your Ideal Reader – the person who will potentially want to buy your book – or your potential client – the person who already works with you or who may work with you after they’ve read your book.
The Root Chakra is about our origins, our Tribe, our backstories. Mining this information will take you to your characters’ emotional underpinnings because their pasts and the people from their pasts have all helped shape their identities.
What do you know about your protagonist’s or your Ideal Client’s family of origin, and how does this it inform her/his desires, motivations, and behaviors?
Please leave comments below. I’d love to know what you discover.
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