Interiority Part 3: Conscious (Active Thinking)

Today we’re going to dive into the fascinating world of interiority and conscious thinking. If you’ve ever wondered how to make your characters feel more real or wanted to add depth to your writing, this is for you. So grab a cup of coffee, get comfortable, and let’s talk about what makes our stories truly come alive.

First things first: What exactly is interiority? Well, it’s the inner thoughts, feelings, emotions, and experiences of a character. It’s their internal dialogue, their innermost fears, desires, and motivations that drive them to
act or react in certain ways. Interiority helps readers connect with characters on an emotional level, making them feel like real people rather than just names on a page.

Now let’s talk about conscious interiority. This is where things get really interesting because it involves active thinking. Conscious interiority refers to the moments when your character is aware of their thoughts and feelings in the present moment. They might be pondering over something, analysing a situation, or even daydreaming. These are the times when readers can truly see how your characters’ minds work, which makes them more relatable and human-like.

So why does this matter? Well, imagine reading a book where all you get is what’s happening on the outside – no insights into what the character is thinking or feeling. It would be like watching a film without sound or colour. Boring, right? By including interiority and conscious interiority in your writing, you bring life to your characters and make them feel real. This helps readers connect with them emotionally, making them care about their journey and fate.

Now that we’ve established why it matters let’s talk about how to do it effectively:

1. Show, don’t tell: This is a classic piece of advice for writers, but it bears repeating here. Instead of telling your readers what your character is thinking or feeling, show them through action and dialogue. For example, instead of saying “John was angry,” write something like, “John clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white.” This shows the reader John’s anger without explicitly stating it.
2. Use internal dialogue: Give your characters an inner voice. Let them argue with themselves, weigh pros and cons, or reminisce about past events. This helps readers understand their thought processes better and makes them feel more human. Just remember to use dialogue tags sparingly – overusing “he thought” or “she wondered” can break the flow of your narrative.
3. Be consistent: If you’re going to write in first person, stick with it throughout the story. The same goes for third-person limited and omniscient perspectives. Changing perspective midway through a story can confuse readers and disrupt their connection with your characters.
4. Use sensory details: Help your reader experience what your character is going through by using sensory details. Describe how things look, sound, smell, taste, or feel to your character. This not only adds depth but also helps create a vivid picture in the readers’ minds.
5. Don’t fear repetition: It’s okay if your characters have recurring thoughts or feelings. In fact, it can be quite natural. Just make sure these repetitions serve a purpose and don’t become tedious.
6. Practice patience: Developing interiority takes time and practice. Don’t rush the process. Keep writing, experimenting, and learning from your mistakes. Over time, you’ll find yourself naturally incorporating more depth into your characters.
7. Vary your techniques: There are many ways to show interiority in a story – through free indirect speech, stream of consciousness, or even thought-stopping moments where the character pauses to reflect on something. Experiment with different techniques and find what works best for you and your story.

Remember that interiority is about revealing your characters’ true selves, their thoughts, feelings, and motivations. It helps readers connect emotionally with your characters and makes them more relatable.

5 Common mistakes to avoid

1. Over-explanation: Avoid over-explaining your character’s thoughts or feelings. Your readers can often infer what they’re feeling from their actions and dialogue. Too much explanation can come across as heavy-handed and may disrupt the flow of the story.
2. Repetitive thought patterns: Be careful not to repeat the same thought patterns throughout your narrative. This can make your character seem one-dimensional or uninteresting. Vary their thoughts, feelings, and reactions to keep them engaging for readers.
3. Info dumping: Avoid using interiority as a way to info dump on your reader. While it’s important to reveal character thoughts and emotions, be careful not to use this as an opportunity to share backstory or world-building details that would be better placed elsewhere in the story.
4. Lack of showing: Interiority should show rather than tell. Avoid using direct statements about what your characters are thinking or feeling. Instead, try to convey their thoughts and emotions through action, dialogue, and sensory detail.
5. Forgetting context: Make sure that the interiority you’re showing is appropriate for the character and the situation they’re in. If a character is in immediate danger, they probably won’t be reflecting on their childhood memories at the same time. Keep your characters grounded in the context of the scene when revealing their thoughts and feelings.

4 Key takeaways

1. Interiority and the conscious mind: Interiority reveals a character’s active thoughts, feelings, and reactions to their surroundings in real-time. This aspect of character development showcases intentional choices and actions that are grounded in the context of the scene.
2. Balance between subconscious and conscious: To create well-rounded characters, balance interiority by incorporating both subconscious (core identity) and conscious mind aspects. This provides depth to your character’s thoughts and emotions.
3. Showing vs telling: Instead of directly stating a character’s thoughts or feelings, use action, dialogue, and sensory details to convey their state of mind in a conversational style. This helps engage readers and avoid info dumping.
4. Contextual relevance: Ensure that the interiority you reveal is appropriate for the situation and character. Characters should not be reflecting on unrelated memories or thoughts when facing immediate danger, for example.

Conclusion

So there you have it – a deep dive into interiority and conscious thinking in writing. Remember, this is just an appetiser. There’s so much more to explore in the world of character development. But if you start by focusing on these tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating characters that leap off the page and straight into readers’ hearts.