Accountability is normal. Or should be. When I do not make my inner issues known to someone to which I answer, those inner issues often go ignored or abandoned, misinterpreted or wildly out of control. The exposed intrigues of individuals with high influence, the moral failings of role-models and leaders, and the all-too-public collapse of much beloved entertainers, can often be traced back to the lack of a support community with which it is safe to make a mistake. But, in this day and age of the war on privacy and the zeal of many to retain it, we often forget that we indeed, need to be completely open and exposed to a faithful few, so that our unseen struggles can be seen by us for what they are: Completely normal. Our issues only become aberrant without this level of vulnerability.
This is why writing can be so much fun. In character development, we can show the vulnerabilities of our protagonist and create the story arc of their rise, fall and rise again (and fall again if we choose), in context of community and relationship. In the Hero Story, the the Mentor exposes and equips the hero to deal with their inner issue. The protagonist's failure is often seen by those closest in the end of the Second Act. Even in the Hollywood Formula for film (Lou Anders gives a brilliant explaination of that here), there is a provision for this, as the protagonist is escorted or goaded into maturity by the 'Relationship Character'.
But, writing is not enough to deal with my issues and vulnerabilities, personally I must have people in my life that will push me to be the best me.
Hey! Check out Paul Green's Weird Western blog over at Wordpress. He gives me a generous review here.
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