The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium. —Norbet Platt
Journaling can offer us the space we need to reflect on our lives and our writing.
I have frequently used dialogue to explore challenging feelings or situations. Instead of analyzing the difficulties of a new relationship or reviewing my feelings, I ask questions of the situation or emotion and then write the first response that comes to mind. This is also a good technique for connecting with characters in your novel. When an unplanned character shows up or starts behaving badly, write down your questions and again, answer as fast as you can without giving it too much thought. Trust your intuition and the voice of the character to provide the answer. Helpful questions for both feelings and characters include:
*What are you doing here?
*What do you have to teach me?
*In what ways are you a blessing to me?
*What is your role in the story? (or the story of my life?)
*What do I need to know about you?
Your turn. These questions are just a starting point. What questions do you use when dialoging with an emotion or a character?
