I received this email this morning and thought it was a very good question:
"I have been reading the Partial Listing of Questions and I have a query...When I got to question 13 Describe something really bad you once did... How would one answer that from a psychopathic personality point of view? Since guilt is not in their make-up. What would be another way to draw this out?"
Diana
My response:
Hi Diana,
Interesting question... I think what I would do in interviewing such a person would be to first show interest in his/her activities, crimes... get him/her talking about them, really opening up, and all the time you, as the interviewer, must show sympathy and support. Look for openings that could lead to memories that reveal how the person was treated as a child...
I think the key is for you to be a really good empathizer and, at the same time, read between the lines. As soon as you sense some emotional hurt coming through... perhaps through an outburst of anger, show a lot of sympathy and say, "Yes, that must have been very difficult for you." Or "Wow, I can understand how that could have made you really really mad... Do you remember how you felt when that bad person did that to you..."
In effect, you are leading the witness... trying to find a way through a mirror of the character's emotions, even if the character doesn't consciously feel what is going on...
Also, the character most likely wasn't born a psychopath... so lead them back and back to earlier times until you get to a point where the wounding was felt.
Hope this is helpful.
Good luck!
Emily
You can get this list of interviewing questions when you purchase the audio of the TeleSeminar on Interviewing characters. It is a package that includes the audio download as well as two e-books. Explore the TeleSeminar Package.
"I thought the TeleSeminar was GREAT, one of the best ones I've ever been involved with. I was caught up in it from the first minute. Excellent job by you and by Janet, and of course by Katie and Carla! I've been interviewing my characters for well over a year now, but this has me eager to jump into it again!"
Kari Kilgore
Monday, January 15, 2007
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Special Offer on Last Week's TeleSeminar
Character Development in Fiction Writing:
The Art and Technique of Interviewing
Because of the exciting feedback I have been getting on this week's TeleSeminar, I am holding the pre-TeleSeminar prices for audio downloads and CDs for another week, through Friday, January 20. These prices include Janet King's inspiring e-book on Interviewing Characters and more...
Read What Participants Say About the TeleSeminar
"Thank you soooo much for a great TeleSeminar yesterday. It showed me that many of my thoughts and concerns are shared by others. Especially, the difficulty of merging myself, my experiences and those of my characters.
~ Susan Calvert
"I loved the seminar....I'm so busy trying to talk to Mae I haven't time for suggestions (can I talk to more than one at a time?)... I'm still trying to decide for myself whether I'm consciously pushing my character to say what I want or if it is authentically her, or the subconscious. I loved the idea of interviewing the Inner Critic....I plan to do that one tonight!
~ Louise Easton
"I didn't realize the depth that could be reached through interviewing...So, I really enjoyed this TeleSeminar and look forward to the next one. I find the TeleSeminars are allowing me to grow as a writer as well as realize that although writing is solitary, I am not alone in the struggle and the fun."
~ Carolyn Rowland
"I thought the TeleSeminar was GREAT, one of the best ones I've ever been involved with. I was caught up in it from the first minute. Excellent job by you and by Janet, and of course by Katie and Carla! I've been interviewing my characters for well over a year now, but this has me eager to jump into it again!"
~ Kari Kilgore
Read more feedback and explore the special offer at:
http://www.thefictionwritersjourney.com/Telesem_Character_Dev_spec_offer.htm
The Art and Technique of Interviewing
Because of the exciting feedback I have been getting on this week's TeleSeminar, I am holding the pre-TeleSeminar prices for audio downloads and CDs for another week, through Friday, January 20. These prices include Janet King's inspiring e-book on Interviewing Characters and more...
Read What Participants Say About the TeleSeminar
"Thank you soooo much for a great TeleSeminar yesterday. It showed me that many of my thoughts and concerns are shared by others. Especially, the difficulty of merging myself, my experiences and those of my characters.
~ Susan Calvert
"I loved the seminar....I'm so busy trying to talk to Mae I haven't time for suggestions (can I talk to more than one at a time?)... I'm still trying to decide for myself whether I'm consciously pushing my character to say what I want or if it is authentically her, or the subconscious. I loved the idea of interviewing the Inner Critic....I plan to do that one tonight!
~ Louise Easton
"I didn't realize the depth that could be reached through interviewing...So, I really enjoyed this TeleSeminar and look forward to the next one. I find the TeleSeminars are allowing me to grow as a writer as well as realize that although writing is solitary, I am not alone in the struggle and the fun."
~ Carolyn Rowland
"I thought the TeleSeminar was GREAT, one of the best ones I've ever been involved with. I was caught up in it from the first minute. Excellent job by you and by Janet, and of course by Katie and Carla! I've been interviewing my characters for well over a year now, but this has me eager to jump into it again!"
~ Kari Kilgore
Read more feedback and explore the special offer at:
http://www.thefictionwritersjourney.com/Telesem_Character_Dev_spec_offer.htm
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
On Finishing a First Novel
Kari Kilgore recently sent this message to her writing friends and it is so inspiring, I asked her if I could post it on the blog... and she said, yes!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm writing to share something I wouldn't have believed possible before I attended Emily's workshop in Marblehead last December (2005)-- but ever since then I've been determined and confident this would happen.
Last night, a bit after midnight but before I went to sleep, I finished my first novel! After nearly 140,000 words and never ending stops and starts, it's hard to believe the two simple words "The End" could be so meaningful and profound to me. Rewriting and editing are still to come, but for right now, this part of the journey is complete. All day long today I've thought I was feeling a bit hung over from one too many martinis, but I think it's every bit as much of an emotional hangover. Jason tells me it's just post-partum depression, and that feels right to me!
Being a good Virgo, I of course want to do a read-through to make sure I didn't leave any huge errors, and to adjust things that I figured out at the end, but as soon as that's done, Emily and I are going to dig in. I've even gotten over my nerves about that and realized every time I or someone else goes through it, the story will get sharper and tighter, and the characters will get stronger. I cannot wait to get started! I'm also eager to get started on the second book and see what's next.
I'm sharing this partly because many of you have been encouraging and inspiring along the way, and I couldn't possibly be here without you. I'm also sharing because this story has been with me for over a decade. I've thought it was dead more times than I care to count! But these characters, one in particular, have refused to let me forget about them, the story they wanted to share with me, and the journey they wanted to take with me. So if you've got a character like that, or even if you don't have the character or story (or a different dream) yet but know you will, believe within yourself that it WILL happen. We feel these things for a reason, and when the time is right, it's worth all of the hours and years and struggle and joy and tears and passion. It's all worth it.
So, thank you, and may all that you wish for in this new year come to you easily and abundantly.
Much love,
Kari
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm writing to share something I wouldn't have believed possible before I attended Emily's workshop in Marblehead last December (2005)-- but ever since then I've been determined and confident this would happen.
Last night, a bit after midnight but before I went to sleep, I finished my first novel! After nearly 140,000 words and never ending stops and starts, it's hard to believe the two simple words "The End" could be so meaningful and profound to me. Rewriting and editing are still to come, but for right now, this part of the journey is complete. All day long today I've thought I was feeling a bit hung over from one too many martinis, but I think it's every bit as much of an emotional hangover. Jason tells me it's just post-partum depression, and that feels right to me!
Being a good Virgo, I of course want to do a read-through to make sure I didn't leave any huge errors, and to adjust things that I figured out at the end, but as soon as that's done, Emily and I are going to dig in. I've even gotten over my nerves about that and realized every time I or someone else goes through it, the story will get sharper and tighter, and the characters will get stronger. I cannot wait to get started! I'm also eager to get started on the second book and see what's next.
I'm sharing this partly because many of you have been encouraging and inspiring along the way, and I couldn't possibly be here without you. I'm also sharing because this story has been with me for over a decade. I've thought it was dead more times than I care to count! But these characters, one in particular, have refused to let me forget about them, the story they wanted to share with me, and the journey they wanted to take with me. So if you've got a character like that, or even if you don't have the character or story (or a different dream) yet but know you will, believe within yourself that it WILL happen. We feel these things for a reason, and when the time is right, it's worth all of the hours and years and struggle and joy and tears and passion. It's all worth it.
So, thank you, and may all that you wish for in this new year come to you easily and abundantly.
Much love,
Kari
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)