Using stream of consciousness

Reading Faulkner introduced me to this concept. I had done some of it, but had really used it more as a "block" buster to get past any humps or "delays" in the natural flow of the story.

And it works. Today, however, I actually used this for a long paragraph which seemed to work well

This paragraph:

I wonder why it is that the women who are less attractive can be so much more friendly? What is it with our beauty obsession and the manner in which those people who are considered more attractive can be so cruel in how they treat others. After all, we all have the same kinds of feelings the same kinds of fears and the same kinds of insecurities. I guess because the more attractive people know that they can have their choice in this world they feel they have the right to act as they feel and treat others without concern for their feelings. Reality is that Brian is a better looking person than he know. He treats people differently; almost like he is the less attractive one and feels it necessary to be nicer to everyone. This doesn’t mean that I think that all attractive people are mean. Sometimes it is really more of a hormone thing than an attractiveness thing. As the attractive age past their youth and the discretions that accompany that confusing time of life they also tend to be a little less judgmental over looks. This is something I have noted over time.

Led to some other great thoughts afterward

Unfortunately, many times their obsession with attractiveness becomes one about money.

This is why I have felt the need, I think, to surround myself with the best that money could buy. It was an illusion, just as beauty was. Make people believe something about you and they will. Make the illusion real enough and the illusion may become a reality. I never felt ugly, but I also did not feel like girls were swooning over me. Many years later I would come to understand that it really was not their responsibility to swoon over me; if I wanted to make friends; have the pretty girls like me, it was my responsibility to talk to them; be their friend. I was surprised when I found out just how much they hadr struggled with high school. It looked like these girls had it made; it looked like all of those ‘popular’ guys had it made. The truth was they were in the same boat as me with different physical qualities that made me feel inferior.

 

This second part is a way to get deeper into the character that is the protagonist of the story. While I had already delved into Brian's flaw with sex... I think this goes deeper into the psyche of the character and explains a bit why he might struggle with sexual compulsions...