What Are You Thinking?
Capturing different mindsets to help create characters for my story.
I'm currently building a cast of characters for the novel I intend to write next month, and I'm at the point of identifying each character's mindset at the start of my story.
As I delve a little deeper into this process, I find myself asking, what are these people thinking?
I mean, beyond their belief system, political persuasion & daily occupation, I want to know what produces those beliefs & behaviors.
What causes them to think & act the way they do?
This writing exercise prompted me to ask you, "What are you thinking?"
This is a three-fold question.
1. Regarding the "what": What input has gone into your mind?
Have you simply taken in whatever comes across your path? Have you been selective in what you take in? Have you vetted that input (and/or its source) to determine if it's accurate and/or reliable?
2. Regarding the "thinking" aspect: What have you done by way of processing it?
Have you thought much about that input? Have you compared & contrasted it with other input you've received? Are you incorporating it & connecting dots in your overall understanding?
3. Regarding the question as a whole: What output has your processed input generated?
How has the processing of the input affected you? Has it influenced or altered your belief system? Has it changed your behavior? Has it enriched you or harmed you?
(The questions posed below each numbered item are rhetorical -- I'm not looking for those answers from you. Those are for you to ask yourselves.)
I'm looking for answers to the numbered questions:
What input has gone into your mind?
What have you done by way of processing it?
What output has your processed input generated?
Why am I asking for this?
Because I need help creating believable characters that don't all think & act like me.
Will you please help me?
Please identify a small bit of input you’ve received on any subject matter listed below and share it with me (privately or in the comments of this post) and then also share how you have processed it & the result of doing so.
Food
Medicine
Healthcare
Education
Finance
The Economy
Law & Order
Religion
Politics
Current Events
History
Science
Art
Drama
Music
Sports
Leisure
Conspiracy Theories
Anything else that comes to mind
I sincerely want to know what you're thinking. Especially if it differs from me. Thanks!
Carrie (not Kelly)