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It's for their own good. You know it. Putting them through the absolute worst situations you can imagine not only makes for good story telling, it is often the catalyst for the change necessary for them to grow.
Okay, you agree? Good, except that making mistakes isn't enough. Having bad things happen isn't enough. It's DEALING with it that makes the character and the story rich. You might think you've put your MC in danger, tortured her, etc. When in truth you've sent in a "rescuer" to prevent her from actually suffering. Do any of these sound familiar?
- The love interest swoops in and saves the day. Enter Edward Cullen - maybe we should deem this the "Edward Interference"? My but the MC had a fright! It's a good thing our mysterious, brooding hero who may or may not be immortal was around to save the day. No! No! No! None of that please. What kind of character arc does your MC have if Mr. Macho is always preventing things form happening?
- It was all a misunderstanding. *shakes head* Life isn't fair. If the MC gets to let it roll off her back and skip through the sunshine and rose petals it won't make for a very good story. Trust me. No coincidences. No "but it really wasn't what she thought so no harm done" situations please!
- Something bad happens, but it's immediately remedied. Okay I hurt her - quick where's the bandage? Tension friends. Let the ramifications sink in. Let 'em wallow in it. Don't stick her in quicksand when there's a strong, handy branch waiting inches away. Where's the character building there? Where's the excitement for the reader? Draw it out.
It all comes down to the same thing. LET THE MC SUFFER.
You're soooo right, and it's hard to put your MC through devastating, horrible situations because all you want to do is make every honky-dory for them. But, as you said, honky-dory, sunshine and rainbows do NOT make a thrilling, page-turning, too-good-to-sleep, heartbreaking, come-out-the-other-end-stronger story. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Lisa!!!
I'm reading Janice Hardy's Blue Fire (second book in the Healing Wars Trilogy) and she's soooooo good at being mean to her protagonist. It's heartbreaking and frustrating and full of moral decisions that damage the character. Delicious and very strong writing.
ReplyDeleteReally? Now you are confusing me...that's what I've been doing in real life, and writing my fiction with butterflies and rainbows because it's fiction. Have I got it backwards? You mean my reality here is about happiness and sunshine and my fiction has tension, danger, sorrow, pain and maybe some recovery? Wow, have I got a lot to learn! *finding therapists phone number...dialing quickly* Note to self...apologize to wife and kids when I get home. I've confused fiction and reality again!!!!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely agree. But can't resist playing devil's advocate too: you could argue that because Edward was always there for her in the first book, that his desertion in the second book made her suffering even worse. :) :)
ReplyDeleteI'll be revising my MS shortly. I know my MC needs to suffer more, but... it's so HARD giving them pain!
ReplyDeleteIt's true, our characters need to suffer in order to keep the story moving along. In The White Queen, which I'm currently reading, Elizabeth is madly in love with the king and despite how we as the readers want them to admit their feelings for each other we also are able to respect Elizabeth for wanting to keep her honor.
ReplyDeleteHurting our characters can be difficult, but it is through their suffering and struggles that our readers can develop feelings for them. In real life nothing is perfect, Mr. Darcy doesn't exist, and what happens doesn't just dissolve.
Have your character take the pain, find someone who can give them hope, and most importantly keep them alive. Make them feel real.
Always,
Lindsey
I'm getting a kick out of your timing with this because my first 20 pages got workshopped yesterday here in Iowa, and two of my classmates kept begging me to save my hero from pretty much ANY distress! It was so funny--they are both moms and were basically mothering her. It made me feel like, at least, I'd created a character that people cared about.
ReplyDeleteSpoken from the mistress of torture herself! You've caught me on a couple of these points, at least. The coincidence, and wrapping up too quickly. Yep, I'm still a work in progress!
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome. It also helps us see our own suffering as an oppotunity to grow.
ReplyDeleteI think the hardest part in writing this is not the difficulty of putting our characters through suffering, but thinking of a way for them to really rise up to the challenge of overcoming it.
Yep. I've been protecting my MC. But now that I've thrown her out to fend for herself -- it's quite interesting! You'll be surprised what your MC can do when left to her own devices. :)
ReplyDeleteMy newest MC is having a hell of a time. She's suffering, and there's no one to save her. But she's tough. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat torture - you Lisa? How uncharacteristic of your happily ever after self. Kidding. I can always count on you to mess with your MC in a diabolical way.
ReplyDeleteSuch a great reminder! I think this is easier said than done. I'm constantly reminding myself to make things worse for my main character!
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, yes,
ReplyDeleteI'm all in favour of making my MCs suffer. It really is for their own good.
Even better if the suffering is a result of something they did, a choice they made. They brought it all on themselves!
Oh yeah!
Thanks for this wise advice, Lisa. It's something that's very much on my mind these days as I throw my protagonist into difficult situations. It's hard to wean her, but she must learn to stand on her own two feet (what a horrible mixed metaphor). Anyway, you know what I mean.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right, and the reader wants to squirm and sweat it out along with the MC! Keeps us reading and staying up all night!
ReplyDeleteThere will be plenty of time for bandages after the last page is written. Excellent points and advice Lisa!
ReplyDeleteI read this before and realized I didn't leave a comment - how strange! Anyway, I love this making-the-MC-suffer thing. I strive to do it, but really? There can never be too much (as long as it ends well). :)
ReplyDeleteSuch excellent points. And why can't the heroine save the day every once in a while?? It's the "suffering" part that creates the tension and suspense. SO much more fun that way.
ReplyDeleteYep. Gotta drag out the pain and suffering or the reader starts yawning. It always pleases me when my readers tell me they cried for my characters. YES! That's exactly what I wanted.
ReplyDeleteSuper post as usual.
True of writing . . . and also of parenting. Granted, the levels of suffering a writer permits her MC and her toddler to experience should probably not be similar! ;)
ReplyDelete