The
Interview: Writers’ Block Cure #2
By Geo
Holmes
Let’s face it: school is eating me
alive at the moment and I’m cheating death right here by quickly conjuring up
an article for this webzine. Also, I’m fighting off writer’s block once again—and
if you’re bothering to read this, you probably have a similar reason. Either
that or you’re amused by the fact that I fumble madly about when it comes to
article attempts. Everybody stops to watch a train wreck. (Just
kidding.)
Where was I?
Oh yes, a writers’ block cure.
This month I’m going to stay along the same lines as the dialogue blitz, but
going to go in a different and more direct direction this time. I call this
method of fighting out the blankness in your mind “The Interview”.
The first instructions are quiet
basic, a repeat of the intial steps of the first ‘cure’: get a notebook, find a
comfortable and quiet location, and take whatever else you need to get cozy
(pillow, snacks, etc.). There, have that done? You don’t? OK, just stay at the
computer if you’re going to be lazy.
Now, choose a character from a
story you have created in the past, preferably someone who you think is
underdeveloped as far as their nature goes, and imagine them seated somewhere
near by. Check that your pen has ink (or your pencil has lead),
that your ‘tape recorder’ (ears) is on, and that your full attention is on the
character by pushing everything else from your buzzing mind. Give your
character a cheerful greeting, thank them for coming and begin.
Begin what?
Did I skip that little detail? If
you read the title, you would know that you are interviewing the character. You
are digging deeper into their soul and finding out what makes them tick, and
the experiences they have had, and the reactions they have to the maddening array
of questions you’re asking. It’s basic; write down a question, then compose the
response that your character gives.
Pure
clockwork.
If you want to add more to this
you don’t actually have to be the person who does the interview; you can use
another entity from your cast of characters. This can kill two birds with one
stone, in fact. For example, when I do this method of writers’-block-breaking,
I use my first ‘real’ character—Maxwell J. Sterling, a disjointed, slightly
annoying web reporter who has a knack for doing interviews (go figure). This method allows you to develop both
characters at once and also sit on the sidelines for an amusing show.
Don’t forget your snacks!