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I have a character who is both deaf and mute (a sweet teenage boy named Zeke, in the desert area of my fantasy world). He doesn’t let his handicaps hold him back from being one of the funniest kids in the story, and to be honest, I almost completely forgot that he had them at all. No questions on that. However, he has another condition – a magical condition – and it just crossed my mind that I might not want to dump all the problems on him.
He has a sickness that I’ve been calling ‘cactus fever.’ The causes for it are (redacted for plot reasons), but are currently unknown. One of the symptoms, among others, is having rare seizures. At one point, the village he lives in witnesses a seizure, and basically casts him out, because they think he has an evil spirit.
No worries, though. He has friends – educated friends – who know how to keep his sickness at bay. A young desert girl and her father, who is a healer. They live on the outskirts of the village.
Anyways – my question is, is that too much? I feel like his confidence in his friends is enough that he isn’t too cursed, but I don’t want it to look like the story loaded it all on him.
KaPeefers 'til we're old and gray...
@whalekeeper WELLLLLL considering I keep DUMPING trauma onto one particular character in MY series I may not be the best to ask…
but I think it good. It doesn’t sound like too much to me. Especially not compared to what I’m doing to MY poor character…
I LOVE YOU NOVEMBER I PROMISE 😭
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
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@whalekeeper. Aww, poor ZEKE!!! 😭😭😭💕💕💕
Okay…okay…like @godlyfantasy12, I don’t think I’m the best person to ask since I keep doing things to my charries…(sorry Riker and The Boys!!! 😅) But I shall try, and give what I’ve learned and realized when writing my own stories.
But I think the most important thing to ask is this: Are these things happening to Zeke necessary?
And what I mean by that is this: If the things happening to him are just there for story/conflict purposes and don’t make him grow in any way, it might be best to take them out.
If these bad things happening to him are just there so the story can have more “stuff” than I can almost promise that readers won’t be happy. They’ll feel like all this stuff was just dumped on Zeke so the story could have more in it and may feel like you cheated them out of a good character arc/story.
But if these bad things that happen cause Zeke to grow in one or multiple ways, it will show how bad things can become good things if we allow the bad things to make us stronger or make us better in an area that we are weak in.
And if the bad things make him grow…that’s when you keep them.
And, of course, I suppose it depends on whether Zeke is a Main Character or not, but I digress. 😅
But anywhoooooo, that’s all the advice my brain can come up with as of this moment. 😂😂😂
I hope I helped in some way…and if not, sorry about that! 💕😅
I agree with @Freedom. I’ve heard one writing expert describe story as getting your character up a tree, throwing rocks at him, and getting him down. You’re definitely in the “throwing rocks” stage, and that’s great as long as readers can (1) track what’s happening and don’t start thinking, Wait, what was that thing he had again? and (2) it serves the greater story and influences your character in some way. God doesn’t give us trials just for trials’ sake; he has a purpose, and it usually involves character development!
Jayna Baas
Christian Author/Editor
www.booksbyjayna.comOh also….
Did u come up with that disease? It just sounds super cool XD XD I really like it
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSebOh in other news but sorta on a related point, so maybe it’ll help XD, I’m realizing while doing a seriously in depth character sheet how much of a mess Arabella is in the first book. Like the poor girl.
She’s based off of me and personal struggles (but obviously I wasn’t this bad XD) but uhh yea….she’s a mess….
One good thing to keep in mind is a tip I heard the other day:
The plot doesn’t happen to the characters, the characters happen to the plot
or something along those lines. Idk if that helps in anyway but yea.
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSeb@whalekeeper Great question. Yeah I agree with Freedom. I have a character who is deaf, and I used that to show how he overcomes his disability and is able to help the MC’s perspective on life.
@booksbyjayna I don’t think I’ve met you before!! Welcome to KP!He must increase, but I must decrease.
Lol I’m the same. My oc Kendrick is just some messy mash of all the worst parts of me made 10 times worse 😂
へびは かっこいい です！
Thank you for the advice everyone! ❤ Some of it has put things into a new perspective, but I feel glad that my writing was already going in a similar direction.
@godlyfantasy Yes, I did 😋
And also to everyone, just to keep things clear, Zeke does not die. He is the last character I am considering killing off. XD
KaPeefers 'til we're old and gray...
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