Steph's Story
I Know You - Coach Your Characters
This is a new series of Coach Your Characters posts. The working title of the novel I may create from the inspiration in this series is ‘I Know You’.
In this week’s fictional coaching session Steph, Lara’s work friend, is invited into the coaching room.
The Coaching Session
Steph, Lara’s work friend, is invited into the fictional coaching room.
The coaching session has already started.
COACH: So you say Lara’s been behaving oddly, is that right?
STEPH: Yeah, I don’t know how to describe it. It started about a week ago. We were supposed to go for coffee after work and when I got to reception Lara wasn’t there. Karen, the receptionist, said she rushed off all flustered. I called and I called and she didn’t answer. I sent messages. She didn’t respond to those either. It isn’t like her. I thought she must have got bad news or something, but then a week goes by. I see her at work every day. I mean we work in the same company but not in the same office, but I do see her most days. But she avoided me all week. She must be getting her coffee in a different kitchen. And she still won’t respond to my messages.
COACH: And how do you think this session today might help?
STEPH: Well, I wanted to talk it through with you because it’s really distracting me from my job, and I know in the last session we talked about me working towards getting promoted. I can’t think straight. I’ll never move up the ladder with all this going on. And obviously she’s my friend, so I want to check she’s OK.
COACH: You say you’re getting distracted. What needs to happen for you to be focussed on your job and your promotion?
STEPH: I need Lara to speak to me, I guess, so I don’t need to keep wondering what’s going on.
COACH: Lara speaking to you is in her control. What is something you can do in this situation?
STEPH: I could go into her office and demand she speaks to me. No, that won’t end well, not after that time that I went to her office and she started a fight about her ex-boyfriend, and she banned me from ever going into her office again. That Josh was a right idiot, always creating drama. And who got the blame - me.
COACH: So you don’t want to go to her office. What other options are there?
STEPH: I could go to her house. I didn’t go to her house before because I didn’t want to go round when her husband was there. But I know he’s skiing in France next week.
COACH: OK, so you could go round to Lara’s house. If you do that, what happens next?
STEPH: I’m just going to say, “Why are you ignoring me? It’s not on, really.”
COACH: And what response do you think you might get?
STEPH: Well, Lara will kick off.
COACH: OK. So are there any other options?
STEPH: No.
COACH: None?
STEPH: I guess I could just go round and say hi. Is that what I should do?
COACH: It’s not up to me. Does that feel right for you?
STEPH: I’ll just go round and ask if she’s OK and smooth things over. Then everything can go back to how it was, and I can concentrate on my promotion.
COACH: And how does that feel?
STEPH: Dunno.
COACH: I sense there’s something else. What is it that you’re not telling me?
STEPH: I think it will be OK. I’ll go round and be nice. I’m just not sure how she’ll react. If we get to talking about how she is she’ll likely kick off. She’s a very private person, so she won’t like me prying. I know literally nothing about her life before the past five years since we met. For example - her mum died when she was young and if people mention her Lara’s goes mad. But her brother told me that there was some mystery about their mum’s death.
Coaching session continues.
Coach Your Characters
Is there a character in your story you would like to ask the following questions to?
What needs to happen for you to focus on getting what you want?
What is it you’re not telling me?
Writer’s Notes:
Thoughts
Steph comes across as quite bolshy. She probably has some clashes with Lara. She also comes across as slightly self-obsessed.
Steph works with Lara, and she’s ambitious, so she and Lara could fight for the same promotion at work.
Steph knows Lara and seems to know Lara’s brother too, so this relationship can reveal some secrets about family life from childhood.
The Story
Working title: I Know You
Basic storyline: Lara’s search for answers - who killed her mother twenty years ago and why? Can she get justice for her mother?
Inciting incident: At work, Lara comes face to face with the man she believes killed her mother. She was seven when she witnessed the murder, so can she trust her memory that this is the guy who did it? She sets out to find out.
Developments: To include:
Lara follows the mystery man in her office and find out his connection to her company [TBC]. She stands up her work friend, Steph, who she was supposed to meet for coffee.
Lara looks up the mystery man’s name in the visitor’s book and does online investigation.
Lara find out where the mystery man was around the time of her mother’s murder. She comes to the conclusion that he was her mother’s murderer.
Lara spies into the mystery man’s family life, and finds out he’s married with kids.
Lara tries to keep the investigation a secret from her work friend Steph.
Lara and Steph go for the same promotion / job opportunity at work and there is conflict.
Steph starts to investigate Lara.
This is a light-hearted experiment to see if I can create a story concept by fictionally coaching newly-invented characters, and making notes using what I’ve learnt. Through the conversation with the coach we will learn what the character wants from a recent situation or their life. Hopefully, some interesting challenges and secrets will be uncovered.
This experiment may prove valuable. It may fail. I wonder if I’ll find it challenging to get under the skin of characters I’ve only just met. Whatever happens, I’m interested to find out.
If you would like to try coaching your own fictional characters from work in progress, you may use this post as inspiration. I also offer a journal to subscribers with ideas of how to coach your fictional characters. When you subscribe, you’ll find a link to the journal in the welcome email.
I offer coaching to writers who are feeling stuck in their writing life. Sessions may include conversations to help you focus, work through blocks and create a supportive writing routine. You can find out more about the coaching I offer here.