Inner Drives: How to Write and Create Characters Using the Eight Classic Centers of Motivation

266 Pages·2005·7.53 MB·English

by  Pamela Jaye Smith

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“Inner Drives is a wise, beautifully written, extraordinary tool for writers in all fields. I will be recom-
mending it to screenwriters with whom we are working and to the screenwriting students that I
mentor through the USC filmic writing program. ”
י Lynn Hendee, Producer, In My Country, Ender’s Game
“In this seminal work, Pamela Jaye Smith explains how to enrich your work, and possibly even
your life, through a profound understanding of how myths work and what they reveal about our
humanity”
Pamela Wallace, producer, Oscar-winning co*־screenwriter of Witness
“Pamela Jaye Smith goes deep into the universal unconscious with her immense knowledge of
myths. Her approach to scripts is unique and essential, whether you’re writing the Great American
Screenplay or an episode of a popular TV show.”
Ellen Sandler, Emmy-nominated co-executive producer,
Everybody Loves Raymond
“I have personally had the privilege of listening to Pamela Smith’s lectures on character and the
chakras, and found them to be a one-of-a-kind experience, a fresh look at ancient wisdom that is
all her own.”
Lindsay Crouse, actress
The Insider, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Providence, Hack, Dragnet
“In Inner Drives, Pamela Jaye Smith links the motivations of the characters to the source of those moti-
vations, and thereby reveals the true source of a great character’s real power. I highly recommend it.”
James Bonnet, screenwriter and author of Stealing Fire from the Gods: A Dynamic New
Story Model for Writers and Filmmakers
“In remarkably clear prose, Ms. Smith blows away the cobwebs of conventional thinking. She opens a
window to fresh breezes of mythological truth, freeing our imaginations, and enabling us to create with
greater clarity and power.”
James D. Pasternak, director, producer, teacher
“Smith delves into that oft-ignored world of what to do between all those inciting incidents and
turning points. She leads us so effortlessly through the delicious nexus of spiritualism and story.”
Sheila Gallien
Sheila worked alongside Oscar-nominee William Broyles, Jr. on numerous
films including Cast Away, Unfaithful, and Entrapment
“You might just as well drink rocket fuel as use this book for character development... that’s the
effect it will have. Congrats, Pamela, on a revolutionary work for writers which combines a very
old concept with modern writer’s craft.”
Michael Thunder, writer’s coach and script analyst
“In Inner Drives, author Pamela Jaye Smith has laid out a mind-boggling mythic menu that all
scriptwriters and novelists should keep within easy reach when they need to add that extra compel-
ling layer of depth to their projects.”
Kathie Fong Yoneda, development specialist/author of The Script-Selling
Game: A Hollywood Insider’s Look at Getting Your Script Sold and Produced
“Pamela Jaye Smith coalesces mythology, psychology, the body, and plenty of arts and culture
references in the making of this utterly unique, very valuable book, reminding us that a character’s
inner world cannot be ignored in creating a compelling outer-world story.”
Brad Schreiber, Vice President
Storytech Literary Consulting; Author, What Are You Laughing At?
“Pamela Jaye Smith’s ground-breaking book is the first to connect the exciting field of subtle
energy and esoteric anatomy with a character’s motivation, style, and archetype. By showing how
the chakra system affects behavior, she ofTers writers new"pathways to creating authentic, multi-
dimensional, and unforgettable personalities. ”
Celeste Allegrea Adams
Author, Keepers of the Dream; Creatrix Studio
“I always think visually when writing... what I can see and hear. Getting into the character’s head
before you type, before the words hit the paper, is helpful.”
Steve Finly, screenwriter
Shadow Warriors, Blackheart, Wishful Thinking
“Pamela Jaye Smith reminds us eloquently that the deepest motivations of human beings have
little to do with logic. In fact, as the old philosopher said, logic is a method of achieving high
confidence in the wrong conclusions. If you take Pamela’s book to heart, your characters may be
stubbornly wrong-headed, but they won’t be hollow.”
Gerald Everett-Jones, writer-producer, La Puerta Productions
Co-author of Real World Digital Video
“Reading Inner Drives is like attending a week-long intensive seminar on mythology, psychology,
physiology, and spirituality all rolled into one. The end result is a fascinating and enlightening
guide to the depths of human behavior and motivation that will help any reader create unforget-
table, and totally relatable, characters.”
Marie Jones, Associate Reviewer, bookideas.com/Absolutewrite.com
“Smith’s visionary Inner Drives is a welcome addition to the art. It gets to the heart of character
creation and delves deep into motivation. Should be soundly applauded by actors, writers, and
film directors.”
Derek Pell, Editor-in-Chief, www.dingbatmag.com
“It is a breakthrough resource that clearly outlines an accessible, hands-on approach that will
empower your life and/or writing. Certainly it is cliche to say this is a must read, but somewhere
on Mt. Olympus Zeus is saying, ‘Hmm, so that’s why I did that?’ ”
Devorah Cutler-Rubenstein, President
Noble House Entertainment & The Script Broker
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n n e r iy n v e s
1
How to W rite and Create
Characters Using the Eight
Classic Centers of Motivation
Pamela Jaye Smith
Published by Michael Wiese Productions
11288 Ventura Boulevard
Suite #621
Studio City, CA 91604
[phone], [phone] (FAX).
[email protected]
www.mwp.com
Cover design by MWP
Interior design by William Morosi
Copyedited by Paul Norlen
Printed by McNaughton & Gunn
Manufactured in the United States of America
Copyright 2005 Pamela Jaye Smith
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
means without permission in writing from the author, except for the inclusion of brief
quotations in a review.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Smith, Pamela Jaye, 1948-
Inner drives : how to write and create characters using the eight
classic centers of motivation / Pamela Jaye Smith,
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 1-932907-03-3
1. Motion picture authorship. 2. Characters and characteristics in
literature 3. Motivation (Psychology) in literature. I. Title.
PN1996.S58 2005
808.3’97-dc22
2004025917
Dedication
To Dr. Linda Seger, friend and mentor. With many thanks for her continual
guidance and generosity, both personal and professional. Linda helped me
grow my MYTHWORKS consulting, speaking, and writing business. She has
been instrumental in sending me around the world to write and give seminars.
Plus, her enthusiastic introductions and endorsement opened the doors to help
get this book published.
To Georgia Lambert, Wisdom teacher and inspiration. Her impressive range
of knowledge and outstanding ability to impart it to her students gave me
a great example on applying the ancient Wisdoms to our modern lives and
storytelling.
To Monty Hayes McMillan, dearest friend, fellow adventurer, and astute
puppetmaster. He was there from the beginning, saw the vision, and always
provided excellent backup.
ontents
Acknowledgments ix
Foreword by Dr. Linda Seger x
Introduction xii
I. Explaining the Inner Drives 1
1. What are the Inner Drives? 3
The Centers of Motivation in Physiology, Psychology, and Philosophy 5
The Centers Explained via Physiology 6
The Centers Explained via Psychology 9
The Centers Explained via Philosophy, Myth, and Art 11
2. How to Use the Inner Drives Centers of Motivation Profiles 16
II. The Eight Classic Centers of Motivation 27
3. Root Center [each Center contains these elements] 29
A. The Theory 29
• Motivation 29
• Location 29
• Endrocrine Glands & Hormones 29
• Mythic Meaning 31
• Archetypes 34
• Symbols 35
• Planets & Astrological Signs 36
• Colors, Shapes, Materials 37
• Clothing 37
• Styles of Speech 37
• Physical Actions 38
• Foibles, Phobias, Foods 38
• Wounds & Deaths 39
• Examples 39
Characters 39
Films 40
Musicals, Opera, Ballet & Theatre 41
Books 41
Games 41
Music 42
Historical 42
Current Events 42
vii
INNER DRIVES / SMITH
B. The Practice — Using This Center 43
C. Conclusion 44
4. Sacral Center 46
5. Lower Solar Plexus Center 71
6. Aspirational Solar Plexus Center 93
7. Heart Center 108
8. Throat Center 121
9. Ajna Center 141
10. Crown Center 156
III. Mythic Structure via the Inner Drives 167
11. Introduction 169
12. The Sliding Scale 171
13. Pairs of Centers 175
Root / Crown 175
Sacral / Throat 176
Solar Plexus / Heart 177
14. Driving the Arcs 189
Center Mastery or Stasis 190
Center Aspiration 192
Center Fall and (Sometimes) Redemption 192
15. Ensembles
197
16. Marilyns, Moms, and Muses 202
17. Peter Pans, Papas, and Pygmalions 206
18. Raising the Dragon 213
IV. Conclusion 225
Bibliography 229
Glossary 232
About the Author 238
First of all, much gratitude
to my four close classmates
through our long years of
J^cknow ledgm ents
Mystery School training:
Brian Dyer, Geffrey von
Gerlach, Tom Gibson,
and Hilary Sloan. Their
clever senses of humor
often had us doubled over in delighted laughter in the midst of grasping fasci-
nating new esoteric information, and somehow that made the lessons stick all
the better. After all, learning should be fun, right?
Thanks to Michael Wiese, Ken Lee, Bill Morosi, Paul Norlen, and the entire staff
at Michael Wiese Productions, for their enthusiastic acceptance and assistance in
making this book possible.
Many thanks to my Content Contributors: Brian Dyer — for information on musicals
and theatre; Aurora Miller — for her input on video and computer games (I certainly
could not have done those sections without her youthful perspective and timeless
perceptions); Monty Hayes McMillan — for information and insights on matters
military and adventurous; Georgia Lambert, Geffrey von Gerlach, and Dr. Claire
O’ Neill — for their insights into esoteric anatomy and its practical applications.
Feedback and suggestions from many generous people were invaluable in crafting
this book full of esoteric information into, hopefully, something accessible to all.
Special gratitude to Jill Gurr, Deborah Nikkei, Steven A. Finly, Bruce Logan, Brian
Wilson, Mario Bernheim, Monty Hayes McMillan, Judith Claire, and Brian Dyer.
For years worth of encouragement to my writer-self: Monty Hayes McMillan,
Sherry Garrett, Paula Lewis, Meg Logan (who first said, “Pammy, you should
write a book about this!”), and all the MYTHWORKS clients and seminar
attendees who continually asked, “When’s your book coming out?”
For helping start my esoteric studies: my grandmother Burt Fox Smith, Craig
Lovell, Raja Rao, Sri Krishna Menon, and Carl and La Verne McMillan.
Many thanks to my fantastic Career Coach, Judith Claire. Her insights and
wisdom are supportive, practical guides to professional progress.
For advice, referrals, and seminar support: Renee Wayne Golden, Kathie Fong
Yoneda, Donie Nelson, Garrison Hack, and Sue Terry.
And, to all those seekers and teachers who have carried on the Wisdom through
all cultures, all times, all places.
IX