Thursday, April 5, 2012

E for Ego

Does the world really revolve around me?

Welcome to the A to Z Challenge! You can visit the homepage HERE.

Ego- The Latin word meaning "I" or "self" or "identity". A person thinking, feeling, willing and distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from objects of its thoughts.

A part of the psychic apparatus that experiences and reacts to the outside world and thus mediates between the primitive drive of the id and the demands of the social and physical environment.

Ego has many meanings. It could mean one's self-esteem, an inflated sense of self worth, or in philosophical terms, one's self. Ego development is known as the development of multiple processes, cognitive function, defenses and interpersonal skills. I could also add that my ego has appeared somewhat inflated as I meet all the great people in the A to Z challenge. So we can apply this to many facets of living.

Apply this to a character in a story you are writing and you have the ability to create the complete person. What is his ego like? Is the world revolving around his situation? Is he filled with self importance, self-esteem or conceit? When he looks in the mirror, what does he see? The kitten or the lion? Does his ego become the organized, realistic part of his self, or is he insecure and cowering?

Make you characters come alive by creating an identity for them that strikes a chord with your reader. Try creating the lion in the looking glass as an experiment of ego.

6 comments:

  1. Hi, Ego is so delicate usually, isn't it? Of course, it depends a lot on how the person grew up from childhood. That kitty cat had a mama who told him how brave he is, and how tough he can be. Ha. Best regards to you. Ruby

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  2. Ruby: Absolutely! Our ego is balanced on the tip of a pin and we developed it as we grew. Not only mama, but the kids at school, and every other creature that had input. The question is, how much of it did we believe?

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  3. I'm working on that character development thing... book 2 of a series. I'm trying to visit all the A-Z Challenge Blogs this month.

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    1. Sharkbytes: Good! Seems to me that character development is an ongoing process when you explore and continue to flesh out your characters.
      I hope you succeed in your goal of visiting everyone!

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  4. Great writing tips for the A to Z. Depth of character is so important, even if you kill him or her off. I liked your D post too. Good luck with the A to Z.
    http://a2zmommy.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-dad-baker.html

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    1. Tracy: I'm learning a lot of tips from other writers as I visit also. The A to Z is starting out to be a lot of fun!

      My D post seems to have been a favorite so far!

      Welcome!

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