There will be times when you are writing a play, film or radio piece that requires either a narrator or some character who is re-interpreting events from a distance. It may be that a character is narrating the events that occurred in the PAST, but with the wisdom of hindsight is bringing more depth of analysis to the long-gone/recent events than s/he actually had at the time.
In which case, you may need an ‘imagination prodder’ such as the ideas below to allow this character to express a richer view of the past than s/he felt at the time of the events in question.
Thus, some questions that the character may ask him/herself may be…
- What was I wanting?
- Why do I want this?
- What am I doing here?
- Why was I so attracted to it (or him, or her)?
- When did I know something was going on?
- What did I do about it?
- What did I think at the time?
- Something extraordinary happened in my life. Did I want it to happen?
- Something extraordinary happened in my life. Did I have any warning? Was I expecting it?
- Did I know what to make of it?
- What did I keep saying I wanted?
- When did I realise I wanted something else?
- What did I do when I realised I wanted it?
- What was I risking?
- What could I gain if I won this prize?
- What could I lose even if I DID gain this prize?
- When did I realise I never really wanted this goal?
- What obstacles did I overcome to win the prize?
- Did I fear I’d lose it at any point?
- What emotions did I experience when chasing this goal?
- What moral pressure did I feel? Guilt?
- What emotional manipulation, blackmail did I use? What other inner strategies did I use?
- What external strategies did I use, to get from the people what I wanted?
- What lies did I tell to others?
- What lies did I tell myself?
- What lies might I still be telling myself?
- What have I learned at the end of this journey?
- What did I learn during the journey, conflict etc?
- What do I still have to learn?
- What will I never learn?
- Why am I saying this now? (or thinking this now?)
- Have I given up hope?
- Have I found new hope?
- What was the thing that most shocked me? What stunned me? What surprised me?
- What disgusted me, nauseated me?
- What exhilirated me, and still might?
- What is my idea of happiness? Of heaven, of perfection?
- What is my idea of hell, of the worst-that-could-possibly happen? What is my recurring nightmare?
- Why did I do it this way? Was there a better way? Or was I stupid? Or stubborn?
- What do I believe deep-down about myself?
- Why did these things happen to me?
- Why do they still keep happening to me? What is it about me that makes them happen? Is it me, or something (someone) else? Do I actually somehow attract this stuff?
- What emotions was I living through?
- Were there stages to this emotional roller-coaster ride?
- What do I feel now?
- What do I hope for? What do I expect? What do I have a right to hope for or expect?
- What flaws do I have now, as a result of all that’s happened?
- What flaws did I start out with, that have been burned or shaken out of me?
- What trap did I find myself in? (ie, “On the one hand, trapped by… And on the other… “)
- How well do I fit that classic paradox? (ie, I set out to do/find X, only to find that Z occurreds. As a result of that, what did I do?)
- What ideals did I have then?
- What ideals have I been left with?
- What was the worst error of judgement, the worst tactical mistake I made in the whole journey?
- What is my worst flaw, my Achilles heel?
- Do I still have this flaw?
A character who asks him/herself even some of these questions will create a mind, a heart and a soul that the audience can identify strongly with.