A Question on Interviewing Characters
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
"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
posted by Emily Hanlon at
1/15/2007 10:26:00 AM
1 Comments:
Was musing about my character this morning. I just write a series of stories in my blog and have no idea why. But I was thinking that Etta, the woman I seem to come back to, needs to reveal why she is what she is. I had not thought of the interview in relationship to fiction. Can you tell I shoot from the hip/do not have a plan?
I am book marking this site for future reference. Thank you.
b
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11:05 AM
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