Writing to Find Emotional Truths vs. Behavioral Truths

Robert McKee is a brilliant teacher.  If you ever have an opportunity to attend one of his workshops, I'm telling you--do it!  Even if it means selling your vintage collection of Barbie dolls, or flipping flea market furniture (I just wanted to say that for the alliteration!) It will be well worth the $$$. 

Or, if you are cheap like me, you could buy his book!  It's titled STORY:  Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting.  But, his teaching can be extended to novelists as well... and I would argue FIRST because Hollywood writers don't write treatments anymore, they depend almost exclusively on novelists for good stories.  IMHO.  I said ALMOST, so don't get all testy out there, screenwriters.

Anyway, Robert McKee writes about creating a scene from the inside out by finding your way to the center of the character and experiencing it from his/her point of view.  Ah, POV.  So, very, very important for us authors to master.  He argues that you can either write as an anthropologist RECORDING behavior, which would be Behavioral Truth.  Or, you can crawl inside a character's head by asking, "If I were the character in this situation, what would I do?"  That is Emotional Truth. 

Linda Urban spoke at a conference I attended once.  She taught us about Personal Third Person POV.  I think Linda and Robert are speaking of the same thing here... For my reader to experience anger, fear, joy, suspicion, disappointment, excitement my character must experience those emotions.  And if my character must then I must!  I used to do improvisational theater.  I love it.  It's child's play for grown ups.  And writing is another form of improvisation.  I think what stops me from getting into a Personal Third POV is my mean inner-editor.  She is a composite of every single person who has ever told me I'm terrible.  Am I the only lucky person in the world to have one of these?  In not so many words, she says, "Don't tell the truth.  Because once you've told the truth you have nothing left to tell... and what if it sucks?"  So, I try to stay in the safe lane, which leaves my writing feeling flat.  No more, I say!!  Inner Editor, you're fired!  Oh, and hey there's a job that has just opened up.  Outside-my-head editors wanted. :)

So, in previous posts when I said I'm writing TRUTH, I meant my character's emotional truth.  And the only way to do that is to be inside the head of my characters.  That is what I aim for!

Happy writing,
Rachel