"ME, MYSELF & I"

                                                 The Ultimate Storyteller

            Okay I know it’s almost July, but how many of you have seen the movie, The Man Who Invented Christmas? Well, I ask this question because it explains the process of what takes place inside the mind of a writer.  Well, the premise of the movie is how the book “The Christmas Carol” came to be.

 In this movie we see Mr. Dickens (Charles) having conversations with his characters during the developmental process.  Verbally he is constructing the foundation of his story before he starts to lay out the necessary elements that will eventually become the classic tale. 

I found it interesting, how he calls upon the main character of the story, Mr. Scrooge, and the inspiration behind this character and all the players in the story. Whether it is fictional or not, it further proves how he became one of the most prolific writers of his time. 

I would classify him as an ultimate storyteller. Not only because he wrote one of my favorite tales, but for so many others. It takes a special person to become an ultimate storyteller. Talent, gifted, dedication, patience, and a creative mindset are only a few of the prerequisites necessary to obtain such an honor.

I totally identify with Mr. Dickens creative genius and many times used this formula when creating my own stories. Long before I ever saw the movie, it is how I visualize which role my characters will perform in the story.  Now I’m not comparing myself with Mr. Dickens, I still have some ways to go before this.  Nevertheless, I, like so many other writers have some of the same qualities that any good writer needs to reach this level of success.

I watched this movie with a smile on my face, one because it’s a great movie and second, I found it to be representative of how the imagination can come to life. Our conversations with our characters, are just as important as if we are interacting with a family member or friend. 

            Civilians don’t understand the relationship between the writer and their characters. For one, they think we are deranged when trying to explain how we communicate with our creations. We have deep chat sessions, planning strategy’s and disagreements when we can’t obtain common ground, the same as we would with any other person.

Still with me? All right. 

I understand they are not living and breathing beings, but to us they are very much real and facets of our personalities. Hence the title: Me, Myself & I. I liken this way of thinking as having multiple personalities because it better describes the source of how we work as writers.

Now I’m not insensitive to individuals who suffer daily with DID, better known as, Dissociation, Identity Disorder, because I have sympathy for their plight.  Simply a way for me to explain how we confer within ourselves and process information.

Daydreaming is one good example of this condition.  It’s a mode used to escape from reality without checking out completely. During these stolen moments of wool gathering; as some call it, we are working out issues or to be honest giving our brains an outlet to dissimulate with what is going on around us.

            Our creative minds perform sometimes like a stage of performers, working out different scenarios before one word is typed.  On a different level we assimilate ideas that come from all around us, mostly from the outside world, and then implement them into the stories we create.

            Being alone with our own personal thoughts is not a display of selfishness, but simply a method to our madness. As thinkers we desire a little alone time to contemplate the best way to tell a story and convey our ideas to others.

           

           To become the ultimate storyteller, you can’t be afraid to express your most introspective thoughts aloud. Sometimes, you might need to add one more person to the Me, Myself and I scenario to complete the equation.