94 Questions

I found a list of questions to ask when developing a character for writing fiction on another website (Writers Write) and thought it would be good to ask those questions of ourselves. A good introspective tool....

I will not list the questions here, since I hope you will visit Amanda Patterson's page. However, I hope you will print out the questions and try to answer them for yourself. Take your answers to your counselor or mentor or spiritual advisor afterwords and talk it over.

Questioning who we are, what we were like at different stages of our lives, what we believe, and honoring those we loved best at different times is a good way to see how far we've come (or not) in our development as spiritual beings on the planet.

A good memory certainly helps this process. And if you have parents, ask them the questions, too. You will learn a lot about your history that you probably didn't know. And the phrasing of the questions helps to flush out the family history and put things in perspective.  

Some of the questions are pretty simple...

Who do I love most? For myself, my cats are my closest companions, while I have a few people I call friends whom I've known over 30 years. Some I've known over 40 years, I consider more family than friends. Then, there are the new friends whom I've known less than 10 years. They are like a breath of air from another part of the world. But close loves? That's private, and yes, the answer has changed over time.

The foods I like to eat have also changed somewhat. I still love Italian cuisine, although I change up my sauce every so often, depending on what's in the cupboard. I also like to experiment in the kitchen. Have I always been like that? No. Although I used to bake a lot more than I do today. And my love of hot, spicy foods has tamed a bit. Although I'm still up for a good, hot salsa! The curries are less, and the chiles are more. Go figure....

Have my hobbies changed over the years? Somewhat. I am less physical than I used to be, and I miss it. I particularly miss camping and hiking. My body betrays me when I get too physical, and I end up unable to move for several days. As much as I love the great outdoors, I have to be careful anymore. And horseback riding is out, although boating and swimming are still good choices. I still sew and crochet. My hands aren't as eager for the precision work of Clones Lace, but I try.

Have I traveled? Have I lost something dear? Has fate played with me? These are questions that need answers for each of us. The lessons learned are also questioned in the list. HOW was I affected? WHY is this significant for me?  By answering that, we learn more.

There is a section on the spiritual aspect of life, too. Answer those as best you can. 

Really, this exercise, while designed for fiction writers, has been invaluable for me!

Struggling with Story - Grateful for Recovery and School

I've been writing a story for my classes this semester, which is "genie in a box" style, and have a good start with 25 pages for the screenplay, and nearly 38 pages for the manuscript. However, the point of view is skewed. I thought my "heroine" was a certain person, but she's so weak, so meek and so stupid, I just can't go there. The other woman in the story is also not the heroine, since she's pure evil. I've decided to write the story from the chauffeur's point of view. He's a relatively present character, and I think I can turn his character arc into something that works.

What a tangle! I'm still converting the screenplay into a manuscript. When it's done, I'll go back and do the POV to pull the story together. It's a "whodunit" as well as "genie in the box" so it can be an entertaining read - if I ever figure out the thief! Yep, even I don't know whodunit...

At least not yet. I have suspicions, but it will all come to light at the end one way or the other. Considering this is the first full story I've written in a long time, it's kind of fun to see how it all develops.

I'm a much better writer for these classes this semester. I'm thankful I took them, even though they don't really count toward anything in my degree. I've learned something from every class I ever took - even the ones I didn't need for the degree I was pursuing. I think education is valuable for it's own sake. The more you learn, the better you can relate to your world - even if the class doesn't seem to relate - you will learn something.

For instance, I've learned a lot about myself and my history during this semester. Stuff started "gelling" about my history and I found words to describe things that I experienced that had no words before. I realize what happened and why I got embroiled in them. As a result, I've found forgiveness for my foibles, strength of character, and respect for myself that I didn't have before. That just can't be a bad thing!

I also found more forgiveness for those around me.

I guess this is all a part of maturing toward 60, but somehow, with my history, I don't think I'll ever feel 60. It's amazing I made it past 13!

Meanwhile, my home group continues to struggle with Tradition 2 - and what the oldtimers mean and how things should be run. It's a grueling and scary process for us. The tolerance levels are higher since the group conscience, but I find myself more pissed off than ever. I write about it nearly every day. I got myself on the "committee" for change and evaluation. All of us want a good strong home group, all of us respect the traditions and expect change - even when it's scary. All of us have over 20 years. I think I might have the least sobriety (at 20+ years) on the committee, and I've been in the group the least amount of time. The other members, Jim, Cindy, Mike and Doug, are all folks I respect a lot. Jim, Mike and I are the most widely traveled, and Jim beats us all by thousands of miles!

So, knowing that life changes, that my character arc is building into something that makes sense, and coming to the end of another semester, it's all playing out in my life.

Summer classes are two web-based classes - one a psychology, the other history. The psych is the last of the writing for a while, and the history is the last of the core requirements for Tennessee. Starting August, the Women's Studies courses begin, and I have decisions to make - whether to pursue the Appalachian side of things, literature, or history. I'm so drawn to history, but the literature is also important. I think you have to have both to truly understand what's happened to women in history. To put together the story of women.

I want to teach this stuff, so a blending would be really nice.