Comments on: The Johari Window: Understanding & Harnessing the Character Blind Spot

By: Gaslighting: Narcissists & Tampering With Reality

Gaslighting: Narcissists & Tampering With Reality — Fri, 13 May 2022 17:38:20 +0000

[…] blind spots alone in this movie make for plenty of laughs. But, Bob is SO dependent, so fixated on his own […]

By: Change Matters: How to Write Stories that Grip Readers & Don't Let Go

Change Matters: How to Write Stories that Grip Readers & Don't Let Go — Sat, 17 Apr 2021 00:02:04 +0000

[…] When you find the blindspot, it’s easier to see which uninvited change needs to come crashing into Kristen’s life. For more on this, I recommend a previous post The Johari Window: Understanding & Harnessing the Character Blind Spot. […]

By: Kristen Lamb

Kristen Lamb — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 20:58:56 +0000

In reply to Jeremy Bursey. I am happy you enjoyed it. I'd heard the concept countless times (used to work in corporate sales) but when I looked at it with fresh eyes (author eyes) I thought, "WOW! This is SO useful for plotting!" And YES this is KEY to understanding the antagonist, which is the most critical part of the story. No antagonist, no story.

By: Jeremy Bursey

Jeremy Bursey — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 17:37:01 +0000

Playing catch-up on the articles I’ve missed this summer. I still have a few more to read, but this one’s a gem. Simple method, not at all like a company meeting on a Sunday night talking about personality types and how we use them to win the customer over…okay, well maybe a little like that. But yes, this is a fantastic model to work with. I find that the toughest thing about writing is trying to figure out what the heroes and villain want (and to be fair, I think this model would work well with heroes and villains alike), and recognizing blind spots and the unknowns would really help in figuring that key part of the story out. I’ll have to give it a try, as I’ve always got concepts-in-waiting at the ready. This article also convinces me that the writing community could use a “psychology methods for writers” type of book that discusses many psychological methods (like this, Venn Diagram, Myers-Briggs, etc.) and how they might be used for creating characters, problems, wants, and solutions, so hopefully some psychology expert out there might be willing to give that a try (or maybe you might be willing to give that a try if you’re still writing nonfiction books). In any case, this is a great article. Thanks for writing it.

By: Kristen Lamb

Kristen Lamb — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 20:11:45 +0000

In reply to submeg. There are many tools available and some work better than others. Some tools work great for one KIND of story then fizzle for another. So yeah, ROCK ON! I am always looking for new ways of doing things better.

By: submeg

submeg — Sat, 01 Aug 2020 14:04:11 +0000

Great share Kristen, thank you. I hadn’t heard of it, but it does make a lot of sense. I have kind of covered this in a different way; looking at how the characters change over the course of the story in terms of their personality, social understanding and relationships, physical and mental health and spirituality. It looks more at the edges of the blind spot, rather than what’s inside it.

For example, my character is known to have a “know it all” attitude, resulting in him being a bit of a jerk; talking down to others, being condescending and flat out ignoring others. As they go through the story, they come to realise why their relationship failed, that no one can do everything themselves and he needs to practice humility. The jerk aspect was born out of the actions / behaviours of the character instead of the other way around.

I will keep it in mind as I review my characters and keep writing.

By: Tina

Tina — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 22:21:12 +0000

First time I hear about this exercise. Sounds like a great way to better understand characters or help find intriguing motivations. Will definitely be trying this out.

By: Brass Castle Arts

Brass Castle Arts — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 20:07:45 +0000

Love your Viking helmet!

I shared this post with fellow writers. One who is working on a novel was most pleased to get it. He hadn’t known of it. (Neither had I, either. It is definitely going into my files as a keeper.)

By: About This Writing Stuff… | Phil Giunta – Space Cadet in the Middle of Eternity

Sun, 28 Jun 2020 23:04:26 +0000

[…] The Johari Window: Understanding and Harnessing the Character Blind Spot by Kristen Lamb […]

By: Top Picks Thursday! For Writers & Readers 06-25-2020 | The Author Chronicles

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 17:01:28 +0000

[…] complexity adds to a story. Kristen Lamb takes a look at understanding and harnessing the character’s blind spot, and Nathan Bransford explains that the climax should resolve your character’s […]