Much Ado About Channeling

Written by Teresita Blanco (The Artsy Sister)

The painting is another blue isolation of mine. The original work had a lot more colors. I was just playing around with the settings of the camera. The original painting can be found in Bahia Principe in Punta Cana. Well, it is more of a framed mural. It makes it a lot harder for people to steal the painting. Mostly, because the painting is fussed with the wall. So, I guess it is like a fresco or something like it. This has nothing to do with my general frame of mind at the moment. I just came from the bank and the entire process was boring and tedious. I know I am being redundant. 

Anyhow, while there, I was thinking about channeling. I am not talking about ghost channeling and all that pseudo-science junk. I am referring to the act of channeling a character or a writer through your work. Let me give you an example: Let's say you have the personality of Huck Finn in the body of one of your main characters. You have read enough of his speech pattern and thus you are able to mimic it. Channeling was pretty common in the old world. A lot of writers used to do it and get away with it. 

For example, the character Huck Finn is channeling Don Quixote's sidekick Sancho Panza. If you read enough, and look closely you will find a lot of examples of it. This is usually more common among the satirist writers. They prefer to go for the funny bone, and skip all the character developments. The type of character development that I speak of, has nothing to do with backgrounds. Rather, the center focus is their motivations. For example, if your fellow sees a tiger, he is most likely to fight it or to be sensical and run away. 

Either scenario ends badly. If you fight a tiger, the tiger will most certainly win. Also, if you run away, he will pounce. Tigers like to keep the element of surprise. So, if you turn your back on it, it is very likely to attack. Another good example of channeling comes in the form of ghost writing. Ghost writing is an artform, and it doesn't get the credit it deserves. To make something new, and make it sound like something old is always quite challenging.

Then again, this applies to channeling someone who actually writers good. Channeling occurs in two ways. There is the direct attempt to dress up someone else's character and there is also the accidental channeling. Channeling is not something good or bad. Rather, it is a type of gimmick, a tool you can use when your imagination runs dry. Then again, it is almost impossible for people to write without some sort of outside influence or another. Channeling is bound to happen.

So, if someone tells you that your mate is acting like another fellow, do not be too sensitive about it. As long as you are making money, who cares? I know that I don't. If anything, channeling is a good writing exercise. Take a fellow outside their element and then see what happens. I am not saying that you should write a crossover. Just take their essence. Think of it like character reincarnation.  So, whenever you have the time, do try it. It, is at least a good way to pass the time.