February, 2021, Volume # 4, Issue # 2 | Page 17

HOW TO EMBED YOUR CHARACTERS IN YOUR HEAD AND IN YOUR HEART By : Alice Orr
JANUARY MAY , 2020 , 2021

HOW TO EMBED YOUR CHARACTERS IN YOUR HEAD AND IN YOUR HEART By : Alice Orr

The Aft e r - t h e - E x e r c i s e E x e r c i s e . Last month we reviewed the Writing C h a r a c t e r s from the Inside Out Exercise . Whether we use this or some other technique to put flesh on the bones of the people in our plots , the process is as taxing as it is rewarding . Afterward , we require an exercise to reward us with respite from the exercise .
We have given our imaginations a stretch . Now , we do the same for our bodies . We stand up , arms high overhead , hands toward the ceiling . We shake out our legs , shake out our bodies . Wait a moment . I see you hesitating over there . Come on and join in . Writers sit way too much for sure . It ’ s time to crank our muscles upright . Time to salute the sky ,
and ourselves .
We worked hard to make our characters come alive on our pages . We need to recognize this . Some of us had trouble carving out uninterrupted time for our work . Others had to exert their claim to a corner uncluttered enough for writing . We did it anyway . Congratulations to us .
Stretch arms overhead once more . Turn palms backward and bend arms downward from the elbows . Next , each of us pats herself on the back and says , loud and clear , “ What a good writer am I .” Once more , with gusto , “ What a good writer am I !” In order to embed our characters indelibly inside of us , we must first celebrate ourselves for creating them .
Now we make certain our characters remain alive inside us . I find that after I work on Writing my Characters from the Inside Out , I am elated , even overjoyed . What I am feeling is the exuberance of accomplishment , and I do not want to lose that .
One of the most effective ways to hang onto a thing is to share it . We affirm our experiences by speaking about them , and we are most satisfying when we do this with another writer or group of writers . They identify , as few others can , with the joy of creating characters that will make our stories come alive on the page .
If nobody is available to share with in person , we turn to your writer ’ s journals . Our journals are our confidants . We tell them everything . Our wishes , dreams , and fears . The doubts and disappointments we may suffer . Everything that relates to our writing and our writing lives . We trust our journals with our deepest thoughts , and we are gratified by doing so .
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