“ZACHARY EZRA RAWLINS sits on the floor of his closet with the door closed, surrounded by a forest of hanging shirts and coats, his back up against where the door to Narnia would be if his closet were a wardrobe, having something of an existential crisis.” (Erin Morgenstern, The Starless Sea)
Writing Exercise: The Interior Landscape of a Character in Crisis
Key Writing Practice Development Techniques:
1. Immersive Interiority – The passage uses deep interiority, placing the character in a setting that mirrors their emotional state. The sensory details of the confined space reinforce the existential crisis.
2. Symbolic Setting – The mention of “where the door to Narnia would be” connects the character’s experience to literary allusion, subtly revealing their mindset. The setting is not just a backdrop but an active part of the narrative.
3. Dynamic Emotional States in Static Scenes – The character isn’t physically moving, yet the passage contains an emotional shift. The crisis is internal, but the scene is alive with tension and movement within the mind.
500-Word Writing Prompt:
Write a scene in which a character is alone in a confined space, experiencing a personal crisis. The setting must reflect their emotional state in both literal and symbolic ways. Without using direct exposition about their thoughts, reveal the character’s internal turmoil through their interactions with the space, sensory details, and subtle allusions.
Avoid flashbacks or external action; keep the moment contained. The challenge is to make a seemingly static scene dynamic through emotional shifts, sensory tension, and meaningful detail.
Strong vs. Weak Responses:
• Strong Response: The character sits in a bathtub with the water drained, pressing their fingers into the damp porcelain. The cracked ceiling resembles branching veins, mirroring their fear of growing older. A half-used candle flickers on the counter, its melted wax pooling like something bleeding out. The scene builds tension through details that reflect an unspoken dread, and the confined space amplifies their isolation.
• Weak Response: The character sits on their bed, thinking about how lost they feel. They stare at the ceiling, wondering where things went wrong. The setting is generic and does not enhance the emotional stakes. The crisis is stated outright rather than revealed through interaction with the space.
Evaluation Criteria for Success:
1. Depth of Interiority – The character’s emotional state must be revealed through action, sensory detail, and interaction with their space, rather than internal monologue alone.
2. Symbolic Use of Setting – The confined space must not only contain the character but actively reflect or amplify their emotions.
3. Emotional Movement in Stillness – Even in a contained moment, there must be an emotional shift or deepening crisis that prevents the scene from being static.
Follow-Up Questions for Workshopping/Revision:
• Does the setting feel like an active participant in the scene, or is it merely a backdrop?
• Are there sensory details that enhance the character’s emotional state without being overly obvious?
• Could any moment of internal thought be replaced with action or a physical response that conveys the same idea more effectively?
• Does the scene sustain tension and movement, even without external action?
Recommended Reading:
• “The Rememberer” by Aimee Bender for its use of physical transformation as a metaphor for emotional crisis, or “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman for its confined setting and descent into interior madness.
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