Some acquaintances of mine have asked me how I write. They get excited when I tell them that I believe in “loosening my identity” so I can see from different characters’ perspectives. Sounds cool, right? They ask me how to do that, and I tell them that a simple (but not easy) exercise is to make a convincing case in your mind that the most respected/loved/revered person in your life is a villain, and that the most hated/vile/evil person in your life is a hero, and to support these cases with evidence. (Everyone’s played the hero and villain at one time or another, right?) But folks don’t like to hear that, much less try it out; I suspect it attacks the comfortable boundaries they’ve set around the people they know.
Needless to say, the acquaintances I’ve told that to have moved on to other endeavors.
Dirty Sci-Fi Buddha 
I imagined trying that but my fear was that it would forever change what I really think about the person. Kind of like what acting might do to some actors who play evil monsters.
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your fear is warranted. Not only did it change the way I thought about people, it changed the way I thought about myself. I realized that everyone has a dark side, but another realization I had is that while it may be unpleasant to acknowledge, once it is integrated, it leads to a more fulfilling life as it frees up “processing power” that’s dedicated to propping up a rose-lensed image of myself. According to Jung, this is a microcosm of the hero’s journey—the hero must venture into darkness, acknowledge that dark part of him/herself, and then integrate and become a more honest and capable being, one who is able to defeat his/her antagonist.
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Lol they ran when they found out what makes up the twisted mind of a writer! Well, they asked.
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Hahaha
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High school and college makes writing seem so easy, doesn’t it? They never really go into “for real” writing, LOL!
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You know… I’m crazy… the voices I’m my head… 😂
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Craziness makes for the best stories! 😀
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Yep, welcome to the crazy world of the writer! 😂
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Everyone likes the movie, the special features not so much, LOL!
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Well now you’re free to make of them either villain or hero…just saying 😊
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They should be both with an inclination toward one, right? Because what you’ve really done when you’ve done that is made them human. 😉
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hmmm…yes. Definitely. Perhaps that’s why they walk away. They don’t really like the idea of being made human. 😉
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Maybe there is too much reality involved.
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indeed! Too much humanity.
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I just reach into the various aspects of my persona that fit.
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Next time just tell them you mind vomit the ideas you get in the shower…..
Putting yourself in the character’s shoes makes sense. What does that feel like, can you imagine how the sound of flesh parting with the thrust of a knife is by paralleling it with a chicken you are making for dinner? YES. (note: don’t let your family see you stabbing a chicken repeatedly to get the right ‘sound’)
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I’ve been caught talking to myself. Awkward, LOL!
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The muse needs chatted with.
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Even at the expense of weird looks! XD
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I chatted to myself my entire time shopping the other day. I think I need to be around real people more!
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Quite a mean feat and not quite for the faint hearted
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I love doing this! And it’s also a fantastic exercise for students in the classroom!
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Indeed! The ultimate “what if.” 🙂
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