Character Block Part 2 – Strategies for When Your Writer’s Block is a Character Block

July 21, 2014 § 2 Comments

Hi All, 

In case you’re just tuning in, I recently wrote a post that described something I call Character Block. Sure we’ve all heard about (and probably suffered from) Writer’s Block, but sometimes it goes a little deeper.

In Part 1 Is Your Writer’s Block A Character Block? I described a concept I call “character block” a bit. What it is, how it might happen and how it might stop your writing cold if it happens. In short, short, short – if you’re trying to write a character that is on a journey, or has a character trait, or a wish or goal that YOU have an unconscious resistance to. You don’t even know it’s an issue for you because it’s deep down in your unconscious. But it will stop you dead in your tracks.

Norman Mailer in The Spooky Art: Thoughts on Writing suggests that if you’re really stuck on a piece of writing, perhaps your unconscious just isn’t ready to write it. I agree with that thoughtand in some cases that’s the case, I know it’s happened to me . But what if you wanting to write a piece is an invitation by your unconscious to tap into something you haven’t delved into? What if something in you that’s currently unconscious wants to reach a conscious level? What if there’s something you’re ready to know, be, feel and experience on an emotional level? 

What if you and your deepest self are in communication but it’s a push-pull situation? An internal conversation that goes something like this…

You:      I want to know.

YouToo: Oh god – NO WAY I’m going near that thought/feeling/knowledge.

You:      Come ooooooooon – this is the good stuff!

YouToo: Good for you maybe – but I’m hightailing it out of Dodge.

Perhaps this push-pull manifests itself through your character. Your resistance is playing itself out through your relationship with your character.

What do I mean? What kinds of resistances might come up and manifest themselves in your character block? The resistance could be a wish you have that you feel you aren’t able to fulfill or even express, a societal expectation that you can’t defy even through your characters because it’s so deeply ingrained in you and your unconscious you don’t even know it’s there.

In that case, thinking it through, thinking through the plot points, the character’s thoughts,actions, relationships – all of that won’t break through the resistance because it’s yours. Thinking yourself, your story and your character out of it won’t work. You’ll have to do some emotional work. Some deep digging into your unconscious biases and resistances. Some possibly/probably painful digging. But if you do, I’m guessing you’ll get gold.

Your characters will then be honest and true to themselves and their story will be organic to them and their struggle. The character will be authentic because you got down deep nside yourself to get to know her/him. If you as the writer held them at arm’s length because what hey might feeling or becoming/being is too powerful for you to experience and be with – how real can they get?

If you as the writer have a block/resistance  to something your character might or should be feeling but aren’t able to express or even know via thought, feeling or action – it just won’t happen. If you’re writing a scene and your unconscious suddenly stops the process with a “danger!!!! dangerous, uncomfortable territory” then either the work/project is stopped altogether or the character is changed in subtle and not so subtle ways.  

Love your story. Be loyal to yourself and the story you want and need to tell enough to go deep into your unconscious, internalized biases. Let your characters live their story and who knows? You might be changed by it in the best way possible. Or you might stay exactly as you are if you’d like. In any event, your character will live a story full of emotional truth and your audience will feel that too. What a rush.

If I were working with a client or group on this issue I’d ask extensive questions and work with the feedback I get from each person in order to work on their particular character block. Since I won’t be getting the feedback here after each question I’ll suggest some strategies you can try yourself and build on your own answers and insights to dig ever deeper.

Some tips for dealing with Character Block: If you find yourself with writer’s block and you realize it’s character block you can tackle it two ways. One is by having a really honest conversation with yourself, or a close friend. The other is by having a really honest conversation with your character. Okay – there’s a third. I’ll include that one too.

Tips for Option #1:

  • Choose someone you trust.
  • Choose someone you trust on an emotional level.
  • If that person is a trusted writer friend/colleague/reader you’re in luck in that they’ll be able to guide you in the context of your story.
  • If you have a coach, therapist or analyst you might reap multiple rewards by having an objective person listen, hear & make connections you may not have realized on your own but that affect other areas of your life.
  • Start talking. Hash it out. Free associate. A story from 10 years ago comes to mind? Share it. You don’t know what’s important. You don’t know when you’ll realize it’s important.

Tips for Option #2:

  • Trust your character. Trust your character to tell you the truth about what they’re going through.
  • Allow your character to challenge you and call you out when they think you’re full of it, hiding from your truth or from theirs.
  • Try having the conversation with your character in writing. In script form. Dialogue. Write it.
  • Look for the connections and insights later when reading it. For now just free associate. Again, you don’t know what’s important.

If both of those feel too difficult to tackle, there’s a third option that might shed some light on the struggle.  Free associate online. Interwebs free association. I’m a bit hesitant to suggest this option for a number of reasons. Here are a few of them; 

  • Dr. Google. S/he can steer you so wrong. Dr. Google can be the biggest quack around. If you’re not looking at a reputable resource you can find yourself believing some very false and possibly dangerous information. 
  • Dr. Google can also lead you to suffer from Psych101 Syndrome wherein you have every psychological disorder there is. You’ve got everything. It’s hopeless, you’re hopeless, deranged and you might as well pack it in right now. Forget writing. Forget everything. Stage 2 of Psych101 Syndrome is when you discover all these disorders in everyone you know.
  • Some of the “gurus” out there and their philosophies. I won’t go into details or talk about my personal list of Run-Don’t-Walk-Away-From. But they’re out there. In droves. Be cautious.
  • If you have a site or source you’d like to run by me if you’re choosing this option, please contact me. I’m happy to let you know what I think.
  • If you promise to be careful and would like to try option #3 anyway…

Tips for Option #3

  • Go to the search engine of your choice.
  • Type your question or your character’s question in.
  • Follow the trail. Read.
  • Whatever pulls you might be pulling you for a reason.
  • Don’t censor your thoughts from yourself. (Easier said than done.)
  • Keep an open document or email to jot down thoughts.
  • Don’t make connections yet.
  • Let it sit for a while.
  • Go about your business, fun, play.
  • Let the thoughts simmer and connect.

Tips to maximize your awareness for all the options:

  • Be compassionate with yourself. You’re human. Everyone has resistances and defenses. I have a deep respect for defenses and resistances. Chances are very good that they’ve served you at some point in your life in a way that you needed them to. They may have protected you from some emotional pain or external situation. They may have allowed you to continue to function and live in difficult circumstances. Honor your experience and the fact that you came through it.
  • Be open to hear yourself speak to you. Treat your thoughts, impressions & new understanding with the respect you’d show to an honored friend, mentor or anyone else. That’s who you should be striving to be to yourself. A friend, a mentor, a trusted source.
  • Be receptive to what you have to say to yourself. Trust your instincts, listen to the voice inside you. Respect the knowledge you’ve gathered about yourself and the world.
  • Thank your characters and story for taking you on an amazing journey.

My next post in the series will deal with situations when you hate your character or are writing a truly despicable character with very few redeeming qualities. Fun! Uh…Fun?

If you have any questions, or would like to share your experiences using any of these suggestions or any other thoughts, please feel free to contact me. I’m always happy to hear from you.

Enjoy the day your way,

Kiki

RKW

https://twitter.com/WriteCoachKiki

https://twitter.com/CoachKiki

PsychoAnalysis & Culture: Writing

c Rebecca K. Weingarten

§ 2 Responses to Character Block Part 2 – Strategies for When Your Writer’s Block is a Character Block

  • We share so many ideas!!! For me, it’s free-associating on the page, for sure. But so many wonderful tips and ideas…and their “match” with the particular problem is brilliant. Character in search of character!!!!! Love it…

    • Thank you so much – that means a lot coming from you. I like the free association aspect that you bring up, especially in the first draft of a work. So many connections and paths come up that one might not have “thought” of.

      I was talking about you and your work yesterday to a Modern Analyst and how inspiring your mission is. I look forward to reading more of your work and assisting in your mission in any way I can. Please let me know if there’s something I can do to be of service.

      My big issue which I’ve discussed with Modern Analytically trained people is the fact that stepping in to an analysis is a one way trip…in a good way of course – but there’s no coming back to the world as one once saw it. For better or worse, it’s the reality as I see it.

      I’m working on another writing post about the difference between writing fiction and nonfiction and the role of the unconscious in the writing of nonfiction. I’ll keep you posted.

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