The Fallen

The thesis, Free Association as a Means for Fictional Character Development, is a study of how to use the technique of free association to build a character with a mind, mannerisms, and a physique. The method is a way for an author to draw upon real life people in the past to meld their characteristics and psyches into a well-developed fictional character. The components of this chapter discuss how certain people have influenced the author’s childhood and resultant character building in creative writing. The individual mentioned from the author’s childhood is relevant to the creation of the character in the story The Fallen, which is a work of historical fiction. Following the Artist Statement chapter is the Critical Paper, which examines how free association can help with fictional character building. The role of the Critical Paper is to provide techniques to enable unconscious memories to rise to the surface of the conscious mind when remembering characteristics of real people. After all, without a well-rounded character, there is no plot.