One of the challenges when writing a stream of consciousness stemming from a character, is simply getting into the mindset of the character. You're not trying to reflect your own thoughts, but theirs, through their own core personality, values and experiences. Approach the exercise thoughtfully as a writer, and lean into who they are and how they would perceive something. Are they thoughtful? Frantic? Worried? Let that reflect in your writing? Embrace conflicting views even within the character.

Unlike traditional narratives, stream of consciousness often doesn't follow a straightforward, linear structure. The story can jump unpredictably between thoughts, memories, and perceptions, making it hard to follow the plot or sequence of events. Stream of consciousness can seamlessly shift between different perspectives, sometimes within a single sentence. This can make it difficult for readers to track which character's thoughts they are following, blurring the lines between characters' inner worlds and external reality. Stream of consciousness narratives often rely heavily on symbolism and vivid imagery. Readers need to interpret these symbols and images to understand the underlying themes and emotions.

It is a chaotic ride to read the stream of consciousness work as it is the mirror of the human mind. However, the layered and chaotic character details of the story keeps the reader engaged as it to see what the character will end up with!

Reading a stream of consciousness narrative presents several challenges. It often lacks clear structure, making it difficult to follow the plot or understand the sequence of events. The narrative can be fragmented, jumping between thoughts, memories, and sensory impressions, which can be disorienting. The use of interior monologue and free association can make it hard to distinguish between the character's thoughts and the actual events. Additionally, the prose can be dense and complex, requiring readers to infer meaning and context. This style demands a high level of concentration and engagement, which can be taxing for some readers.

Anyone with an internal monologue can tell you that, especially when faced with a stressful trigger, that the mental dialogue can just flow and flow. Surprisingly, I recently found out that a small number of people in the world don't have an internal dialogue, and I honestly don't know how they function. That inner voice, that inner companion with its sometimes wise counsel or it's scathing opinion of your actions, is a part of you, and should be a part of your character as well. Think of it as a friend that won't let you get a word in edgewise while it has its say. Just remember to use it in moderation in the story unless it's critical to the plot.

The internal monologue of your character allows the reader to have a sneak peak at their reasoning and motivation. Maybe they don't like hospitals because a loved one died there. Maybe they like a particular flavor of ice cream because it reminds them of someone. Inserting small pieces of depth, like sowing seeds, helps the character grow and become something more than two-dimensional in the mind of the reader.

When writing a stream of consciousness from a character's point of few, remember that it may feel jumbled as the their thoughts jostle for control. It could be a long rambling sentence or a series of short conflicting questions or statements. Each thought or revelation may make something previously stated obsolete. It is the evolution of realization in the moment. It is the mind trying to make sense of something and organize it in a way that it can digest and put to rest.

Lending emotions to your character's consciousness stream is the best way to bring them to life so the reader can better connect to them. It allows the character's hopes, fears and desires to come to the surface in a way that normally wouldn't be perceived. It is also pivotal for deeply emotional scenes. Get into the mindset of the character and really try to feel what they're feeling. From joy to gut-wrenching. When it's getting to be too much, take a break, but know the more feeling you can pour into your character, the more real they become.

An example I’ve encountered was while reading Ulysses by James Joyce. It took me 4 reads to completely comprehend the whole text, and I still think I should it a couple of more times to completely comprehend it. In this text, the stream-of-consciousness technique feels like an intimate invitation into the characters’ innermost thoughts and emotions. For example, when following Leopold Bloom through Dublin, his thoughts leap from present interactions to past memories, fantasies, and sensory perceptions in a continuous, unfiltered stream. This creates a deeply immersive experience, which was initially the challenge, but now has allowed me to understand the character’s psyche in a way that traditional narrative forms can’t achieve.

One of the primary difficulties is the lack of conventional narrative structure. The continuous, unfiltered flow of thoughts can be disorienting, making it hard to follow the plot or understand the sequence of events. In Ulysses by James Joyce, the narrative often jumps abruptly between different times, places, and memories without clear transitions, which requires me to constantly reorient myself and piece together the storyline from fragmented glimpses.