THE NARRATOR WITHIN

George Carling once wrote, “Of course I talk to myself…once and a while I need excellent advice,” obviously averring, tongue-in-cheek that no one knows the inner intent of the subjective narrator within, then ourselves.

Preface: Who is the writer within? How are we to recognize this inner dictation that we are taking from his narrations? What can we learn from these ‘selves’ that rise and fall with our knowledge, emotions and thoughts? How can it improve and expand our ability to express ourselves and perhaps, in time, become famous successful writer’s?

Writer’s, like me, who are prolific and creative seem to be a rare breed, but actually I don’t think we are quite that different.

Sure, us writer’s put it out in volumes a lot more, while ordinary humans just write it in their minds. Everyone is creative by nature, and every time something takes place or erupts, they automatically start creating imaginative scenarios about it.

Story telling or writing seems to be a natural effort to foresee the future — as we need to imagine or sense or know the outcome of each probable situation.

I’m sure you’ve tuned into your inner narrator and recognize its voice, but do you realize that it is coming from different parts of your memories? Some of them are from your childhood and they are tinged with strong emotional content and hence, the outcome of these scenarios are emotionally biased with the fears and dreams of a child.

Little children are constantly imagining different scenario’s, creating characters and plotting out their histories, each replete with their ideas and dreams they have accumulated from the bits and pieces of information garnered from their parents, siblings and environment in general.

Little girls narrate scenarios within through the bodies of their dollies that are often romantic and chivalrous, and boys tend to see themselves as dynamic builders with log cabin sets and bulldozers.

Think of it as an emotional portrayal of what they experienced or overheard) and how they imagined the outcome might have been (or could happen) in their probable future.

What they are naturally doing is that same thing we are doing as adults: they are writing their imagined outcomes of the situations they are encountering as they weave the fabric of their drama’s that produce the stories of their lives.

Some people write dramatic romances out of each momentary meeting of their eyes with some interesting person, others see these moments as threatening and write action-filled battles with imaginary creatures or demons, while some might simply see these circumstances as opportunities to exploits some fool’s incredulity.

Whatever story that we write, is a reflection of deeper emotions and other stories that they’ve created along the twisting paths of life.

What do you see in everyday objects and chance encounters? Are they threatening and induce fear, or are they benign scenarios? Do you anticipate new friends or cunning vicious enemies? Which might be the case, they reveal symbolically and, in some ways, quite literally, your tendency to lean toward the darkness or the light.

A person who leans toward the dark therefore, creates stories of violence and intrigue, mystery and if they are morbidly preoccupied in a melancholy way, they might produce, as did Edgar A. Poe, August Derleth and others, brilliant stories of the strange, macabre and supernatural.

In a like vein, one gets a glimpse into the minds of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein monster, and Bram Stroker’s Dracula deep, childhood fears, dreams and imaginative outcomes How their characters behaved, struggled or overcame situations which inevitably led to certain fateful endings, are all part of the emotional miasma of the inner writer.

Knowing your inclinations and chance creative inclinations, could lend themselves well toward chances a future of creative writing that will surely astound and entrance your readers, and potentially lead to publishing and financial security and fame.

And here is the best outcome scenario of all — it could also be a rich treasure trove of insights into your subconscious emotional essence of the writer within.

Nahu Lanham author of 24 volumes and over 89 blogs.