The Character Therapist

Friday Free Association Chain

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The word is........

SCORE.

First commenter free associates with the above word. Second commenter takes the first commenter's word and free associates, and so on.

Remember -- FIRST thing that comes to mind. GO!!

Music and Writing Quiz: The Results, Part One

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The responses from my latest quiz are in, and the results are surprising. (At least for me!) I cut off the responders at 100, which makes percentages easy for my mathematically-challenged right-brain self. :)

Here's the breakdown:

So over 50% of writers write more than 500+ words a day. That's awesome.

No, answers weren't rigged...it was a complete half and half split. This totally surprised me. I would have thought far more people wrote without music.

About the 50 that wrote with music....

This also completely surprised me. I like some ambient noise, but nothing like lyrics can be floating around in my head if I'm trying to drill out a word count. This 38% ROCKS to be able to do both.

For those who listen to music with lyrics, here's the breakdown of what genre was preferred:

I'd LOVE to know the 80% of "other." Seriously....what do you think? I thought I hit the big genres there. 78% of those who listened to music with lyrics said they did so because it gets/keeps them in the "mood" to write. 30% said they thought they wrote more words with it.

For those who said they listened to music without lyrics, here's the breakdown by genre:

Again, what's the with "other?" What other kinds of lyric-less music are out there? 67% of the responders said they listened to music with no lyrics said they did so to get/keep in the "mood" and 33% said they thought they wrote more words because of it.

FUNNY: I did have 3 folks say that they like to "sing along" with the lyric-less music. Do you suppose they meant they hum along?

Stay tuned for next week when I divulge which group actually was more productive according to average words per day.

Let's Analyze: What about the results surprised you? Didn't surprise you? Which group (those who listen to music v. those who don't) do you think will more productive?

Treatment Tuesday: Lillian Harris--When Our MCs Aren't Like Us

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I've got Carol's character Lillian on the couch today. Lillian is a 15-year-old, light-skinned black girl living in the Jim Crow South in the 1950s. Her father owns a funeral home and her mother was the first colored hat check girl in their town. She heard about her older cousin's "passing" (crossing over into the white world) and wonders if she should try it, but she's scared she won't belong in either the black or white world completely. She wants what white girls her age have, but doesn't want to pretend to be someone she's not.

Carol wants to know: How do I write Lillie's story as a white author?

Carol -

I think this is such a great, honest question...and one you should be commended for asking. It's great to acknowledge up front that you come from a completely different background than your character and you are at a loss as to how to give her voice of her own, authentic and organic to who she is.

Plenty of authors, though, venture out into this unknown, and I'll be opening up the comment section to them to give their pearls of wisdom to you as well.

So while this isn't my most therapeutic mini-assessment, I have a couple of suggestions. First of all, I'd research. The best type of research is first-hand. If at all possible, schedule an interview or two or six with black women who would be willing to open up to you and talk about their experiences. If you can find light-skinned black women who might would have faced the opportunity to "pass" into the white world, even better. There are plenty of women around who grew up in the 50s and would probably welcome a dialogue.

Second-hand retelling is better than nothing. Read autobiographies by black women (or men, even). A cursory Google search lit up my screen with possibilities. Read newspaper accounts in your library (fun times ahead with microfiche for you!) from that time period to give you a flavor of the social constructs and period issues dealt with back then.

A guided imagery exercise might be beneficial. Finding common ground to write from might be easier than you think. First of all, you and Lillie do share the same sex, and once upon a time, you were 15 years old. So I'd encourage you to mentally go back in time to think about the kinds of things you enjoyed as a young girl back then. Aside from concerning themselves with lack of equality and segregation, black girls back then were probably just as into hair styles, boys, religion, books, and media influences (movies, etc) as white girls. Lillie might have different worries and concerns from you, but she still had similar interests.

When I'm in session with a woman whose gender is basically all we have in common, I try to find similarities with which to approach her, whether that's the fact we both have a child or we both have lost our grandparents or we both shop at the Target dollar aisle...anything to connect and get her to start talking.

You've got to connect with Lillie...and she'll start talking to you.

Best of luck with this story!

Let's Analyze: Any suggestions you authors out there have for how to write a main character who is fundamentally different from you?

Acting Therapy: Bring Joy to Kids with Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I've got a treat for you today. Allison Brooks, a recent biomedical anthropology graduate and self-proclaimed avid health nut wrote a compelling guest post for my readers today on a new kind of therapy....or at least it was new to me.

Show Allison some comment love after reading about some of remarkable things acting does for emotional health. I'm sure that one of you, if not more, will find a way to work this kind of information into your stories.

Without further ado, here's Allison:

When a child gets the diagnosis of cancer, it's the beginning of a new, and often frightening, emotional experience. Kids undergoing cancer treatment--and their families--begin to experience an entirely new range of emotions. Anxiety, fear, worry, and anger are just some of the new feelings kids find themselves having, and it's important for them to have a positive way to release these emotions.  

Kids Acting Against Cancer (KAAC) is one such organization that provides this positive opportunity for children. KAAC helps kids undergoing cancer treatment find a creative outlet for their emotions.

KAAC was founded by two sisters, Jaclyn and Whitten Montgomery, whose mother fought non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma more than nine years ago. The girls turned toward acting to deal with the emotions brought on by their mother's diagnosis, since this cancer is very aggressive and is normally diagnosed to have a low life-expectancy.

Along with other children affected by cancer, the sisters have put on a variety of productions for charity which have not only been successful in raising money, but also help provide kids and families undergoing cancer treatment with a creative outlet for their emotions.  

KAAC isn't the first group to recognize how acting can be a therapeutic tool. The ancient Greeks recognized that "acting therapy" was helpful in healing emotional and physical sickness. KAAC continues in this tradition by providing a platform for kids to find emotional fulfillment during what is typically a very stressful time. The creative process of playmaking and performance gives these children an emotional outlet through which they can release their fears and worry. Kids might not always feel like "talking it out" with an adult, and performing in a play and taking on a creative role can be the ideal way for them to positively express and release their emotions.

Acting not only helps improve the moods and attitudes of kids undergoing cancer treatment, but it helps the families and audiences who are entertained by their plays. KAAC travels from hospital to hospital, entertaining cancer patients and inviting them to participate. The theatrical performances bring joy not only to the performers--the kids undergoing treatment--but to their families as well, who are indirectly but still profoundly affected by the cancer treatment.   

KAAC has been a successful model of how bringing the theater experience to children can provide a stimulating way for kids and their families to stay active and emotionally positive during their cancer treatment. It is like the saying goes, “A laugh a day, will keep the doctor away.”

Thanks for the guest post, Allison. If you want to connect with Allison, you can find her on Facebook. You can also "like" KAAC on Facebook as well and show your support for these amazing kids.

Let's Analyze: Had you ever heard of "acting therapy?" In what ways has participating in acting (either as an actor or an audience member) helped you express yourself?

Weekend Funnies: Pavlov's Dog

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I don't care who you are....that's FUNNY!! Animal lovers unite!

Friday Free Association Chain

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The word is........

QUARTER.

First commenter free associates with the above word. Second commenter takes the first commenter's word and free associates, and so on.

Remember -- FIRST thing that comes to mind. GO!!

Comic Relief in Life and Writing

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I ~~cringed~~ happily received an email forward from a friend the other day that made me laugh. It wasn't an astoundingly funny joke or link to a youtube video, but it was funny. The idea behind the email was simply to ponder why some things are the way they are. And it made me do just that.

Hope it does the same for you. Here goes:


My favorite comic relief on Body of Proof: Dr. Curtis Brumfield, played by Windell Middlebrooks

How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?

How is it that we put a man on the moon before we figured out that it is a good idea to put wheels on luggage? [Seriously!]

Why is is that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up like every two hours?

Why are you IN a movie, but ON television?

Why do toasters always have a setting that will burn the toast to a horrible crisp that no decent human would ever eat?

Why does Goofy stand erect and Pluto remain on all fours?

Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?

Why did you just try singing the two songs above? [GOTCHA!! I totally did too...and laughed at myself!]

Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are going dead?

Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough money?

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use, the bubbles are always white?

Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator in the hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?

Why do people run over a piece of thread a dozen times with a vacuum cleaner, reach down, pick it up, examine it, and then put it back down to give the vacuum cleaner one more chance?

If no one else has done that last one, then I guess I need to sign up for therapy myself, because I certainly have. WHY do I do that? Makes no sense.

Characters should have moments like these, too, and that could bring some comic relief to the reader, perhaps at a much needed time. Have a character sit back and examine something they've done or thought time and time again. Chances are, it's something the reader has done or thought too, and the character's internal dialogue might just make your reader laugh out loud.

When things resonate, as hopefully some of the above did with you in this post, it just makes it funnier to realize that other people have wondered the exact same things.

Let's Analyze: What was the last funny thing that you read in a novel that made you laugh out loud? Was that because you related to the event?

Treatment Tuesday: Catrin Passerini (and an Explanation)

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

It's been a while since I've done a Treatment Tuesday, I realize. But I'm taking the time to let all 22 people who are left in my queue for the freebie assessments know that I WILL get to all of them.

In the same vein, I've discontinued the freebie assessments due to being overwhelmed with write-ins! I'm grateful it was popular while it lasted, but the freebies still take time and energy away from my family and my writing. My hope is that authors will look into the paid full assessment option I still offer on my website.

So that's the deal with the freebies, since I've received several questions about them.
__________________________________________________________________________________

On to who's on the couch today. Catrin is the 24-year-old brainchild of author Brie and she resides in a romance. Her mom left her with her Dad when she was 7. Seven years later, her father died from complications due to an automobile accident and Catrin herself was scarred on her hands, face, and shoulders from flying glass and debris. She now lives with her Uncle, whose wife also left him with a young daughter, Catrin's cousin, who is 3 years older than Catrin. Now, ten years later, she's an event planner working with her cousin with a crush on a guy who has a girlfriend who's basically her nemesis.

Brie wants to know: Why is Catrin so worried about her scars? They make her beautiful. Also why is she so wary with unknown people? Is it because they would judge her? Who is her perfect guy?

I love to read answers to the question about a character's most significant event in childhood that still affects them today. Catrin had a great response:

I was five and Daddy told me, "I may not like what you do but I will always love you." I had pushed Jimmy Lock off the slide because he had pulled on my braids. Daddy told me later he was proud of me standing up for myself but he would have preferred if I pushed Jimmy Lock in the mud.

This answers your last question, Brie. The kind of guy who would be perfect for her is the kind of guy who will say/show her something like this. Girls tend to look for (or at the very least, find) someone similar to their fathers, especially if they had good relationships with them (and even if they didn't).

Catrin clearly loved her father and wants to make him proud even though he's deceased. She felt his support even when she did something he wasn't completely happy about. (Which begs a question...would pushing Jimmy Lock in the mud have been less serious or more serious than pushing him off a slide in his mind?--just curious. I took it as less serious, but still gets the point across.)

Based on the rest of the intake form, I didn't see a real clear goal for Catrin. I'd suggest giving her a cause...something she might stick her neck out for, regardless of her scars. It would need to be something she's passionate about....perhaps mentoring young girls also abandoned by mothers? Seems she has a lot of experience (along with her cousin) in this department. Maybe she's a Big Sister? On the board of Big Brother, Big Sister? Anyway...it could be in the course of her cause that she does something dream guy doesn't like, but accepts b/c he loves her. Just brainstorming here, of course.

About her scars...maybe give her a reason to believe beauty is skin deep. What if her mother had been a diva-sort? Flawless. And she drilled into her little girl's mind (prior to skipping town) that she needed to look her best. A 7-year-old can internalize messages like these BIG time. So this would give her extra reason--besides the obvious social discomfiture--to worry about her scars. Unknown people would surely look upon her more curiously or harshly...so it makes sense to be wary of them. Nothing out of the ordinary there, it seems. FYI, I did find an interesting article here on the psychology behind scars.

Wish you the best with her, and my sincerest apologies at the delayed nature of getting it to you!

Let's Analyze: What kind of personality would be the perfect nemesis to Catrin?

Don't forget to go to my Amazon page HERE and "like" The Character Therapist and/or leave a review to be entered to win a Writer's Guide of your choice!

Get The Character Therapist on Your Kindle! (Plus a giveaway!)

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I've been branching out with some technology advancements, the latest of which has been figuring out how to get my blog published to Kindle so that people can subscribe for a low monthly fee.

And I did it! Check this out:

This was a relatively easy process, bloggers. I went to this site and got all the info I needed. Then I took the screen shots (click here to find out how depending on which operating system you are using) and loaded them to Amazon. Took 24 hours for Amazon to confirm everything and then I was set! Give it a shot if you dare.

Where YOU (and the giveaway) comes in:

Go to my Amazon page HERE. Since I'm brand new, I have ZERO "likes" or reviews of my blog, so if you would all be a peach and click "like" on my Amazon page and leave a review (doesn't have to be long), I'll enter your name into a contest to receive one of my Writer's Guides of your choice! I'll draw a winner at the end of the week.

Thanks so much for your support!

Weekend Funnies: Online Side Effects of Therapeutic Journaling

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Wonder how true this is? Do you think a lot of self-help books start with the writer's journaling?

Last chance! Win a copy of Elizabeth's Mueller's paranormal romance Darkspell!

Friday Free Association Chain

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The word is........

STRAWBERRY.

First commenter free associates with the above word. Second commenter takes the first commenter's word and free associates, and so on.

Remember -- FIRST thing that comes to mind. GO!!

Don't forget to comment to win a copy of Elizabeth's Mueller's paranormal romance Darkspell!

Proud Moment for The Character Therapist

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

When my husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I knew immediately. No, not jewelry or technology gadgets (though those would have been accepted readily). I asked for a trademark.

With as much time and effort as I've put into this site, I don't want anyone ripping me off! Now, I can't trademark the actual act of analyzing characters, as there are a few sites that do this (although I want to point out that I'm 99.9% positive that I started the write-in process for this). But now there is paperwork in place that will forever prevent anyone else from ever using the name of calling themselves The Character Therapist!

Check it out:

How cool is that? Did you notice that little booger at the top of the page? [Go ahead and scroll back up there....I can wait.]

For the low, low cost of $500, you, too, can be the owner of a trademark for your website or brand! I went through LegalZoom, and have been very pleased with their professionalism. If there are those of you out there interested in the process, indicate that below and I'll be happy to do a post or two on how this momentous occasion came to pass.

For now, celebrate with me!!

And don't forget to comment to win a copy of Elizabeth's Mueller's paranormal romance Darkspell!

If you missed my latest Writer's Quiz on how music affects writing, it's still live. Click here to take it.

Review and Giveaway of Darkspell by Elizabeth Mueller

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

It is with great honor that I introduce talented author Elizabeth Mueller to my readership. Elizabeth not only can write, but she is quite the artist, and agreed to do my signature Character Therapist sketch (found on my website). In fact, she illustrated her debut novel, Darkspell, herself.

Here's a little about the book from Elizabeth's website:

Winter Sky believes she is everything ordinary . . . until she is kissed by Alex Stormhold.

As seer of Stormhold Coven, Alex is sworn to be Winter's protector against the darkness that hunts her. Violently thrust into a magickal realm she always thought impossible, she stumbles upon a disturbing secret of her own.

I started reading Darkspell in bits and pieces as Elizabeth posted chapters on Wattpad. I found myself clicking on Wattpad at all hours of the day, during work, when I got home and was supposed to be feeding my child, etc. Finally, I emailed her and said I wanted to influence for her...for her to please send me the entire book!

What I liked best about it was that it's a clean read, much like Twilight. There's no gratuitous scenes, but yet a sweet, compelling romance for all ages. Now, it's nothing like Twilight in that there are no vampires, but it is a paranormal, young adult romance, just with a different spin.

And that was refreshing! Elizabeth's story world is unique, a coven that wields magick. (Don't think Wiccan or witches or anything like that.) And they can do all sorts of cool things. Winter, being unfamiliar with how to "bend time" and other neat tricks, serves as the reader's avenue of introduction, but the reader never gets bogged down in the detail, because Elizabeth writes to suspend disbelief.

Winter's romance with Alex is swoon-worthy. His brother is pretty magnetic, as well, (as Winter discovers) and the result is a great love triangle of sorts. Seriously, I wasn't sure who I wanted her to end up with, because they both had their strong points in their favor.

As a therapist, I appreciated the backstory angle Elizabeth gave Winter, as her tragedy haunts her very realistically. As a lover of suspense, I felt an impending sense of "what the heck's going to happen to Winter?!?" the entire time I read the book. How was she going to fight this darkness (which was done very well, I might add)? Does she have a magick power of her own to help her? What's so special about this girl?

One lucky commenter will be wondering too! Elizabeth has graciously agreed to give away an e-book copy of Darkspell to one of my readers, so please be sure to click on "follow" to the right if you haven't already done so. Giveaway will run through Sunday. US residents only.

Don't forget to connect with Elizabeth on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Smashwords, Amazon, and her blog.

Let's Analyze: Why do you think the world has become so enamored with paranormal books? With great writers like Elizabeth, it's not a hard question, exactly, but I think it goes deeper. What is it about our own world that makes us yearn for release to another?

Weekend Funnies: Noah's Ark Couple's Therapist

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Found another great site with these, psychotherapy.net. So I'll be bringing you several more from Victor Yalom. Hope you enjoy!

Don't forget! Still time to enter to win Staci Stallings' book, Coming Undone. Click here!

Friday Free Association Chain

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The word is........

WAND.

First commenter free associates with the above word. Second commenter takes the first commenter's word and free associates, and so on.

Remember -- FIRST thing that comes to mind. GO!!

Review and Giveaway of Coming Undone by Staci Stallings

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

About five months ago or so, I stumbled across one of Staci Stallings' blogs, Spirit Light Works. She's got several of her books there available to be read for free. I read through her back cover copy for all of them, and was immediately drawn to Coming Undone. Here's a blurb:

Ben Warren has life all figured out. At 35, he’s successful in his work and free as a bird everywhere else. He has no desire to be tied down like some of his friends, and he sees no reason to change that. Then the unthinkable happens and causes him to rethink everything about everything.

Kathryn Walker can’t figure out what she’s doing wrong in the dating department. The rest of her life makes sense. She’s compassionate, strong, honest, hard-working and still alone. She wonders if she is doomed to spend forever single. Little does she know that fate is taking a major turn in her life. In fact, she doesn’t even see it happening until it has. Can she ever get past the fact that Mr. Right didn’t show up in the way she thought he would?

From that blurb, I wanted to read the book, mainly because I strongly identified with Kathryn. I was a "late bloomer" and while all my friends were getting married straight out of college, I was attending grad school and feeling like God had forgotten me.

So I started reading the first two chapters on her site....and got hooked for a variety of different reasons.

Kathryn is a grief counselor. I've read very few books, especially romance, with a counselor as the protag. I was curious how someone outside of my profession would portray a therapist. Would I relate?

Ben suffers a great tragedy right off the bat. Talk about inciting moments. When you're not expecting something awful to happen to you, and all of a sudden your life changes drastically [thus enter the counselor], there's high emotion. (Notice I didn't say high drama...Staci's book wasn't melodramatic at all.) Being a therapist, I live in a world of high emotion.

The romantic tension between counselor and client. When you click with someone, you click. It's not like therapists have some special talent to turn off attraction, even though there are tons of ethical guidelines about not hooking up with clients. I could tell immediately that Ben was going to be the love interest...I wanted to know how Staci was going to spin this. I wasn't disappointed. I appreciated the lengths Kathryn went to to have an appropriate relationship professionally while her heart still underwent the transformation necessary to keep romance readers turning the pages (or clicking through the consecutive blog posts, as I did).

Bottom line, this book had me sneaking in chapters while at work on my lunch break...which possibly went several minutes over my allotted thirty. A few times.

Staci has agreed to give away a copy of Coming Undone to one lucky blog commenter. This is your chance to find a new favorite author folks, so don't be shy. Since I like for the giveaways on my blog to be a perk for my readership, all I ask is for you to click "follow" over on the right of this blog and join the fun. Giveaway will run through Sunday.

Let's analyze: Have you ever read a book about a protag who had the same career as you? How did the author measure up with details?

What Writers Can Learn From The Vampire Diaries

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

As most of you probably know, I have a vampire fetish of sorts. I dig them in any format: books, movies, television shows. I ~~offered my firstborn~~ begged and pleaded to be an extra in the Twilight series, but it was a no go. What do you think? Couldn't I totally pass for one of the Cullens...after they have been well-fed?

Don't tell me you don't think that's cool. I will let you know how to do it if you ask nicely. Anyway, moving on...

In one of the latest episodes of The Vampire Diaries (TVD), there was an incredible song featured at the end of it by Ross Copperman, called "Holding On and Letting Go." It has amazing lyrics, and I've been held captive by them all weekend. Here's the chorus:

It's everything you wanted, it's everything you don't
It's one door swinging open and one door swinging closed
Some prayers find an answer
Some prayers never know
We're holding on and letting go

Can't every breathing person relate to that? It's nothing new for me to have an emotional experience while watching this show. Yes, some of it revolves around teenage angst and drama, but most of it is truly gripping stuff that pulls your heartstrings. (TVD fans unite!) And the music is nothing short of masterful in helping accomplish this.

This little beauty of a clip (from Season 3, Episode 10) resonated with me so much (I stalked the internet to find out who sang the song), that I took some time to analyze why. I believer there's a lot to glean for romance writers in particular.

1) It throws us a bone. I think those of us on Team Damon still have a ways to wait before things really heat up with him and Elena, but our hearts just sang with this kiss! It's not their first, but it's definitely the best. Just as we're beginning to despair--possibly grow uninterested--we get this firecracker romantic moment, and now I'm chomping at the bits for continuing episodes.

2) It keeps us guessing. This wasn't the perfect ending by any stretch. He's telling her he can't have her because she's "his brother's girl, and all," even though he definitely wants her Clearly, she is shaken by the kiss. He means something to her...but just what, we're not sure. The producers sure do play their cards close to the chest. They only reveal things little by little. (see #1)

3) It's one heck of a love triangle. Not every book, movie or show has to have one, of course, but many of the great ones have this built-in tension. The fact that Stephan is Damon's brother makes this triangle all the harder to swallow.

4) It takes us by surprise. Damon's, "No. No. You know what?" moment there at the very end to return and kiss Elena (so that he has something tangible to feel guilty for) isn't what we were expecting. But dang, don't we love it.

5) The mood matches the tone and vice versa. Since writers don't get to have accompanying music, we have to work harder at getting this mix right. Pacing is key here. The fact that the music swells into the silence of their kiss is amazing production--and amazing pacing, given that the song started minutes before during other scenes. If the audience isn't caught up in this, then they don't have a pulse.

Let's analyze: What other reasons do you think shows like The Vampire Diaries and dozens of others keep viewers tuning in week after week?

There's plenty of time to take my Writer's Quiz on whether listening to music while writing affects productivity. So click on over!

In Case You Missed It

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I have a new Writer's Quiz up! This time, I'm looking into whether music influences productivity of writers. The survey is below, or you can click here. Thanks so much for helping massage my curiosity!

Writer's Quiz: Music and Writing

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

After such smashing success from my last quiz (Personality and Plotting), I've decided to do another. I'm interested in how many of you listen to music while you write and if you think it makes an impact on your productivity as measured by word count.

Without further ado:

Let's Analyze: What do you think the results will look like? Will music-loving writers be more productive, less productive, or will it even matter?

(sorry for the long space...apparently that's the entire length of my survey even though it was done in pages)

Weekend Funnies: Who's Questioning Who?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Candorville 9-9-09

Friday Free Association Chain

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The word is........

THORN.

First commenter free associates with the above word. Second commenter takes the first commenter's word and free associates, and so on.

Remember -- FIRST thing that comes to mind. GO!!

Writer's 12 Step Program

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

With the advent of a new year, everyone I know is set on making changes. Posts about resolutions have been about the blogosphere, including one of my own. No shock. But how about a tool writers can use to actually reach a healthier place?

Those of you familiar with the 12 step program of Alcoholics Anonymous will appreciate the Writer's Anonymous version that is circling the internet, courtesy of Dr. Stan Williams, whose work I have the highest respect for. Here they are below:

I admit that I am powerless to write like I should—that my creative life has become desolate and unmanageable through disuse.
I believe that a power greater than myself can restore me to sanity, and get my quota of words written each and every day.
I have decided to turn my will and my life over to the care of God, as I understand Him.
I daily search my life and make a fearless moral inventory of my motivations and whatever else has prevented me from applying my butt to a chair and my fingers to the keyboard.
I admit to God, and to another human being the exact nature of my wrongs from the previous step.
I am entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character so that I will complete the story that God has set before me.
I humbly ask God to remove my shortcomings and expect a completed work in the not too distant future.
I have made a list of all persons we I have harmed by not living up to and disciplining my creative potential, and I am willing to make amends to them all.
I have made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
I continue to take personal inventory and when I am wrong I promptly admit it.
Through prayer and meditation (or medication, depends on how bad off you are) I seek to improve my conscious contact with God praying only for knowledge of His will for me and the power to carry that out in my creative life of writing.
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, I will carry this message to other writers, and to practice these principles in all my affairs.

They are based on the actual 12 step program, which I think is way cool. There are other versions that I found on the internet that I found comical and amusing as well. Two of my favorites are versions by Eric Dalen and Susan Sheehey. Be sure to check those out for a laugh.

Let's Analyze: What do you think about the Writer's 12 Step Program? Couldn't we all benefit from a group that uses those steps as their "Big Blue Book" manual?

New for My Blog in 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I did a bit of soul-searching about my blog and the direction it was going. Truth be told, I love the focus of my blog. I love doing character assessments and posts on how psychology can improve fiction writing. I'm a therapist. This is what I do in real life.

But I'm also a wife, a mother, daughter, and sister. Psychology and faith works together in my everyday life, and I haven't shared a whole lot of that up until now, and that's what's going to change for 2012.

That, and I'm likely going to start posting three days a week. Not sure about that change yet.

I came to a conclusion while on my three-week vacation over the holidays. Technology gets in the way of relationships. At one point, I was sitting in the living room with my entire family, and we were all on our lap tops at the same time. One family member even texted me from another room. Seriously!

Where's the connection in that? I made a resolution to spend less time on the computer and more time visiting, TALKING. To do so, I found the best vehicle in the world to facilitate this between family members: a jigsaw puzzle.

I had bought one of these puzzle caddies for my parents a while back (which is just a piece of felt that you wrap around a cardboard tube) that enables you to use table space while you are still in the assembly process. It was gold!

My parents, my husband, my brothers--we all sat around the table and put together two different 1000-piece puzzles together in about a week. The jigsaw caddy worked great.

But the big change was that the television was set off, the computers were left charging, and relationships were nurtured with communication, laughter, and good-natured ribbing when one person found the missing edge piece ahead of another. Not to mention the feeling of accomplishment of a job well done. (Did you SEE how hard these two puzzles were?)

In truth, when the mind if occupied with a seemingly "mindless" activity like putting together a puzzle, coloring, playing with playdoh, etc., the tongue loosens. I do it all the time in therapy, so I tried it with my family. The result was tons of communication about topics that hadn't been brought up in years, if at all. It was wonderful!

True, I was waaaaay behind checking my email and watching my television programs (that I watch online after my child goes to sleep), but so much the better for it. Everyone was in agreement too. So next time you're around family members, give it a try!

Let's Analyze: How many of you are jigsaw puzzle people? Do you own one of those nifty caddies?

Bonus: And for those of you who only post 3 days a week, what do you feel you lose from not posting 5 days a week? (I don't have to ask what you gain: TIME!)

Weekend Funnies: Hangover Remedies

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Not sure how many of my readers like a drink or two or three to bring in the New Year...but regardless, in a therapist's world, that's funny stuff!

Friday Free Association Chain

noreply@blogger.com (Jeannie Campbell, LMFT) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The word is........

RESOLUTION.

First commenter free associates with the above word. Second commenter takes the first commenter's word and free associates, and so on.

Remember -- FIRST thing that comes to mind. GO!!