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- Aug 13, 2013
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I've read blog posts on how Michael Hauge's concepts of characters having an Identity/Mask can be used in romance, but I'm not sure of some things. Basically, a character has a past wound that gave them a logical but false belief and a fear. To avoid that fear, the character builds up a mask (Identity) as protection. The character arc involves dropping that mask revealing the Essence. To make a couple seem compatible, I read that the characters should see beyond the mask to the Essence. I've also read that their Identities should clash, but the Essences work together.
I'm still wondering, what makes each character's Essence the right one for each other? Is it that both are similar, ex. one is a loner, the other sleeps around a lot, but it turns out they both have the same Essence of wanting intimacy? Or does the Essence of each fulfill what the other character Needs?
Do you think a person's Identity and Essence have to be opposites?
Do the couple's masks have to be opposites or is that too obvious?
Can one lover have a mask, while the other doesn't?
Is there any way to take those fears and masks and extrapolate an suitable external plot that doesn't take away from the relationship?
What if a character has a mask of pretending to be confident when he's actually insecure and afraid of abandonment? Is his Essence being insecure, or whatever he'd be if he wasn't insecure?
Does the mask have to look strong and be the way the character wants to be perceived (ex. I'm big and tough and don't need anyonehe so don't mess with me), or can it be a weakness, such as a character who really wants to go out and seize the day, but is so terrified of making mistakes that he hides himself and acts like a coward?
I'm still wondering, what makes each character's Essence the right one for each other? Is it that both are similar, ex. one is a loner, the other sleeps around a lot, but it turns out they both have the same Essence of wanting intimacy? Or does the Essence of each fulfill what the other character Needs?
Do you think a person's Identity and Essence have to be opposites?
Do the couple's masks have to be opposites or is that too obvious?
Can one lover have a mask, while the other doesn't?
Is there any way to take those fears and masks and extrapolate an suitable external plot that doesn't take away from the relationship?
What if a character has a mask of pretending to be confident when he's actually insecure and afraid of abandonment? Is his Essence being insecure, or whatever he'd be if he wasn't insecure?
Does the mask have to look strong and be the way the character wants to be perceived (ex. I'm big and tough and don't need anyonehe so don't mess with me), or can it be a weakness, such as a character who really wants to go out and seize the day, but is so terrified of making mistakes that he hides himself and acts like a coward?
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