Friday, April 15, 2011

A to Z: Monster

Monster in the closet. Monster in my closet. Red glowing eyes peering out of a swatch of darkness beyond a partially open door. Haven't we all been scared of something (or someone) at some point in time. Monster in the closet is a nice analogy for whatever we are scared of, from the imagined monster in the closet (or under the bed) of youth, to the very real fears we face as adults.

So what scares your characters? What makes them think twice about doing what they need to do? What fears did they have that they now have overcome? Do they confide in others about their fears? Do they take advantage of the fears of others? Do they reside in a world with actual monsters?

I had been planning on writing about memory tonight, but then I decided I wanted to do something fun. I still may write about memory at some point as it is interesting to think about in terms of characters. "Monster in the closet" was a theme at one of the meetings of the writing group I'm a member of. I guess it stuck a bit.

5 comments:

Why Not? Because I Said So! said...

Great post and a lot to make me think. This is one aspect I hadn't even covered in my WIP. Thanks for the post.


Sheila Staley : Reviewer & Writer
Book reviews and Author Interviews at my blog at http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/

Kathryn said...

Interesting to see your mind at work!

Anonymous said...

Ah have you read the excellent children's story The Monster Bed? It's brilliant. My MC is married to a monster, but he doesn't know it yet. :O)

Unknown said...

This is a great post. I didn't have too much trouble with monsters, when I was a child - there were too many of children about. The brief period when I was cautious of open cupboard doors and the shadows under the bed I think I associated the monsters with unreasonable, authority figures - they loomed large and made me feel less than I was.

Anonymous said...

My characters are mostly afraid of themselves. And I am mostly afraid of one day not being able to write. Thought-provoking post.