Friday, February 21, 2014

Bullying... the whys.

I've been giving workshops at the local libraries about writing and one of my 'tips' is 'Avoid Crowds and Caricatures'. The first part is easy - don't have too many characters in the story. Keep to the necessary ones. The second one is tougher - don't have characters that are in there just as a device for something to happen. No one is solely defined by his best moments or her worst actions. The reasons behind the actions need to be consistent and realistic with the character. No one outside of Disney is bad just to be bad, or good just to be good, there are always motives for actions, and the motives define the character. Taking away the motives and explaining only actions leaves the character flat and unnatural.

This is relevant because my current story has a bully in it. A big mean intimidating dimwitted bully. Everyone either knows or remembers someone like that - right? It would be easy - and believable - for him to be just that. But he'd be a caricature, an easy cop out.

So now I have to do some digging. What makes a bully a bully? Why do they do it? I know there's the easy 'bullied at home, bully at school' but maybe that's too easy too - and not always the case. Should make for some interesting research.

N

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