Talented Writer/Artist Commissioned for My Website Sketch!

Jeannie Campbell, The Character Therapist

Can you BELIEVE the talent behind this sketch? I was so lucky to snag the beautiful Elizabeth Mueller to do a commissioned sketch that will have a prominent place on my new website when it launches later this month. Please stop by her blog and appreciate the multi-faceted talent God has given this woman!

Q4U: Do you, like I do, think this picture captures the essence of what I do on this blog in the most amazing way?

Treatment Tuesday - Psychoanalyzing the Woman at the Well

This week's assessment is from Anne. She is planning on writing a biblical fiction account of the woman at the well. She's asked me what my thoughts on this woman might be, in hopes of shedding some therapeutic light into her past, present, and future. Of course, this is new territory for me. I've analyzed books with biblical characters, but never the character. (And it's a bit different coming from the side post-published v. pre-published.)

So I'm going to give it my best shot, using my degree from seminary  and psychological training. All I really have to go on is her story found in the Gospel of John, chapter 4 for those who are interested and/or unfamiliar with the Samaritan woman. The basic gist is that Jesus, weary from traveling, sits down beside a well where she is drawing water (which gives some indication that she's not well-to-do). He requests a drink from her, which surprises her, because Jews and Samaritans aren't exactly buddies. (Which is why I chose the picture to the left. I imagine her facial expression was just like that when Jesus approached her.)

The time frame might hold some significance, but scholars can't agree. However, for literary purposes, you might want to take this into consideration. Jesus went to the well around noon, the hottest time of the day. Most of the women drew their water much earlier, when it was cooler. Perhaps the Samaritan woman did not because she wished to avoid the other women, or that she was ostracized by them and not welcome to draw water earlier.

If she wished to avoid them, then most likely, her immoral conduct is well known and she is either embarrassed by it or feels guilt about it. If she is ostracized, then she has accepted this lot in life and doesn't choose to kick against the goads. Perhaps she's resigned about how she'll be treated, or perhaps she doesn't care to be publicly humiliated and shunned.

Either way, when Jesus asked her for a drink, she reacts with a hint of annoyance. (At least, this is how I read it, which would give a glimpse into her personality.) She said, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” At the very least, she is stating the obvious, which is a bit saucy, right? I imagine she was a bit sarcastic, even. (This woman was not sweet Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island. She was much more like Ginger.)

She's curious as to what Jesus talks to her about. Jesus used a deliberate misunderstanding to converse with her, confusing her about spiritual water versus physical water. She's intrigued enough to continue talking with a Jewish man, but it's just passing the time as she draws her water, likely.

It's not until Jesus probes into her personal life that she becomes uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. He asks her to go call her husband. She replies with a deceptive answer: "I have no husband." She didn't want him to dig any deeper. This was a defense mechanism she employed, and likely had employed many times before this. She seemed to revert to using it with ease, perhaps as a result of leading her duplicitous lifestyle for so long and having to fend off personal attacks.

The Samaritan woman made a very quick decision that Jesus must be a "prophet." She understood that he is something special, different, and was willing to make a concession that he is. She also was quick to take action. I mean, enthusiastic action! She left her water jar at the well (indicating she will return) in her eagerness to go and tell the townspeople what Jesus has told her. As much as she might want to avoid others, when faced with something greater than herself--Someone who is offering her a happiness that she so desperately has sought and which had eluded her until now--all of her discomfort, shame, guilt, etc. took a back burner. This really shows a strength of character.

However you write this woman's story, it's important to note that Jesus approached her with gentleness. Not timidity, but with gentleness, lovingly. My guess would be that she'd had very little of this in her life. You're probably right to think she has been verbally and likely physically abused at some point in her past. Of course, anything you write toward this end would be conjecture, but many an author has taken literary license with the Bible. It's what's in your heart as you do so that makes the difference.

I'm excited to see if this will help you as you envision this character. All I did was analyze her speech, body language, etc., that was in the passage. That, with a little creative imagination, and viola! This assessment! Thanks for opening my eyes up to this possibility!

Character Stereotypes: The Lone Wolf

How many of us have read novels about a lonely, brooding hero who is emotional unable to physically unwilling to engage with others in the story? The ranch hand who prefers his horse to people or a business tycoon who rarely comes down from his penthouse to interact with the masses?

I’ve read tons of them. The most popular motivation behind the lone wolf’s preference for solitude is some crime committed or action taken in his past and that he now regrets and just wants to live solitarily to try to forget it ever happened.

Nod your head if this rings a bell.

(You’re nodding, aren’t you?)

I will break this stereotype yet stay true to the loner mentality. After all, we read books with loner heroes just so we can cheer them on when they come out of their self-imposed boundaries, usually to hook up with the heroine. (I hope you’re still nodding.)

There are two different types of lone wolfs, the imposed loner and the preferred loner. The first type doesn’t wish to be alone, but because he is rejected by society, he is alone. The second type prefers solitude and derives contentment, even pleasure, from it.

Below are nine reasons (read: motivations) why a person might seek solitude as a preferred loner or why solitude might seek a person as an imposed loner. You’ll notice that a history of breaking the law is refreshingly absent.

Click here to read the rest of my article.

Weekend Funnies

Non Sequitur

 Copyright Wiley Miller, 2-8-11

Friday Free Association Chain

The word is........

COLD.

First commenter free associates with the above word. Second commenter takes the first commenter's word and free associates, and so on.

Remember -- FIRST thing that comes to mind. GO!!

T3 - Is Your Character Left Brained or Right Brained?

It's pop quiz day! Take a break from your writing or from work to take the quiz below as your character. Score it and then read on to learn why this might be important in characterization.

Right Brain v. Left Brain Quiz

The following “forced choice” questions give only two possible answers.You must choose one of them, even if you don’t think either is appropriate.  Pick the answer that is more likely to apply to your behavior.  Go quickly and go with your gut (first response).

1. Which of the following statements is more characteristic of you?
 a. I’m a tense person.  I worry about getting things right.  I’m more nervous that most people.
 b. I’m relaxed and easygoing; you can’t fight life, so you may as well roll with the punches.

2. Do you get depressed a lot?
 a. Yes
 b.  No

3. Think about the music you like. Which is more important?
 a. The beat
 b. The melody

4. If you were learning a new skill, which of the following ways of acquiring knowledge would appeal to you more?
 a. Reading books and attending lectures on the subject
 b. An “experience oriented” approach consisting of field trips, workshops, lab work and apprenticeship.

5. If you were in college, which of these two majors would you select?
 a. Art
 b. Math

6. Which of these games would you rather play?
 a. Scrabble
 b. Checkers 

7. Which statement more accurately describes your behavior?
 a. I’m an impulsive buyer; when I want something, I get it even if I can’t afford it.
 b. I’m a deliberate shopper; I think about something before I buy it.  Sometimes I wait so long that what I want is sold out by the time I decide to buy it.  I often talk myself out of things I first thought I wanted.

8. Are you often unsure of your grammar?
 a. Yes
 b. No

9. When you learn something new how does the process usually work?
 a. I flounder around until suddenly a light goes on and I get the knack of it; understanding seems to come all at once, as if a curtain had lifted or a door opened.
 b. I work gradually, learning one aspect at a time; eventually I begin to understand all the pieces and can put the whole picture together.

10. If you have to solve a problem, which would you choose?
 a. A crossword puzzle
 b. A jigsaw puzzle

11. Do you often have hunches?
 a. Yes
 b. No

12. If you could do only one or the other, would you rather
 a. Read a book
 b. See a movie

13. Do you often have trouble putting your feelings and opinions into words; do you have trouble expressing what you really mean?
 a. Yes
 b. No

14. If you have to park a car parallel to the curb, do you
 a. Usually get it right the first time
 b. Usually have to pull out at least once and try anther time

15. If you were taking a trip and someone were giving you directions, would you prefer that he
 a. Write down the directions, listing the route numbers, turnoffs and landmarks in order
 b. Show you the route on a map

16. When you’re choosing clothes, are you more likely to select
a. Fabrics with a lot of texture; such as leather, suede, thick wools, silk shirts and corduroy
b. Relatively understated fabrics, such as cottons and normal weight suits

17. Do you remember faces well?
 a. Yes
 b. No

18. Do you remember people’s names well?
 a. Yes
 b. No

19. With which of the following statements would you be more likely to agree?
 a. There are many things that science will never be able to explain
 b. There’s a natural law that governs everything; therefore, science should eventually be able to
explain things that at first appear to be mysteries

20. Are you a better than average athlete?
 a. Yes
 b. No

Of the two answers to each question, one is more likely to be chosen by a left-hemisphere dominant person and the other by a right-hemisphere dominant person. (Click for downloadable .pdfs that go into more detail about each hemisphere than the picture below.) Left-hemisphere choices are indicated by an “L”, right-hemisphere choices by “R”.

If you choose 13 or more “L” answers, it’s probable your brain’s left hemisphere exerts the dominant force on your personality.  If you choose 13 or more “R” answers, it is most likely that the right brain dominates.  If you ended up with a relative balance between your “L” and “R” answers (that is, if you didn’t score more than 12 or fewer than 8 in either category), you are in a middle group described as “balanced brain.” Quiz courtesy of Pflugerville (TX) Independent School District.

So why is this important? There are definite trends in interests and gifts and talents based on whether a person is left or right-brained. For example, if your character is right-brain dominant, it is her intuitive, emotional right hemisphere that guides the decisions she makes throughout the day. If he is left-brain dominant, it is his sequential, time-oriented left hemisphere which tells him how to think, what to believe, and what choices to make. Those who are middle-brain dominant tend to be more flexible than either the left- or the right-brain folks; however, they often vacillate between the two hemispheres when they make decisions.

So how does your character's brain side preference play into your story?

For a more detailed test that actually breaks down scores within the left and right brain hemispheres, go to the Right Brain vs Left Brain Creativity Test at The Art Institute of Vancouver. This is actually a very interesting site, so check it out.

Pop back over next week when I go over Motivation-Reaction Units from a therapist's standpoint. You writer's won't be disappointed....MRUs will finally make sense!

Motivation 101 via The Pawn

I finished reading Steven James' The Pawn and just have to hail the man as an incredible suspense writer. But he's also got some great psychological power behind his writing, and has clearly done a lot of research on disorders that he writes about (which makes them thrilling to read!).

FBI agent Patrick Bowers believes that there are only three primary motives, none of which are very helpful when it comes to solving a crime. (He's more into geospatial profiling rather looking at a criminal's motive and means.)

Desire: fame, sex, money, power, revenge, lust, greed, envy, jealousy, ambition
Anger: (a given, according to these FBI agents)
Guilt: regret, shame, remorse

Then the psychological profiler, Lien-hua, (who is all about determining motive), says that she thinks there are two additional--more important--motives that Patrick missed. She reveals the first one:

Fear. She says fear can turn you into a different person and make you do things you'd never do when you're pushed into a corner.

Patrick spends a lot of the novel trying to determine the fifth. I found myself highlighting all their interactions regarding this illusive fifth motive.

He guesses survival, to which Lien-hua responds is the desire to live. Then he tries betrayal. Lien-hua says that you betray someone because of desire, and you respond to betrayal with anger. Patrick's next guess is curiosity. Lien-hua says that curiosity is desire to know what the crime will feel like or how it will affect you. Patrick then guesses psychosis and depression, both of which Lien-hua say are conditions, now motivations. They might precipitate or increase the likelihood of certain behaviors, but they don't motivate the actual behavior.

Patrick then internally dismisses the idea of honor and vanity as forms of desire. He likewise dismisses duty as the desire to please and integrity as the desire to be virtuous. He next guesses remorse, to which Lien-hua responds, "That's just another name for guilt."

He never does manager to guess it correctly and Lien-hua ends up telling him. It rocks his little FBI world. but before I go further....

...can YOU guess the fifth motive?

Be sure to check back at the end of the day. If no one guesses Motive #5 correctly, I'll post the answer around 6 p.m. PST (9 p.m. EST).