Trouble with a Black Sheep (Specific Character)

[J. S. Elliot]

I have a feeling this will be a rather long winded post, so I'm going to explain up front that my trouble isn't due to having only experience with a few character types. I work with all kinds, and have since I started writing; it is just this one character in particular that is giving me trouble, but it isn't because I don't understand her motivations, either. It's just ... actually writing her.

My trouble with Giselle is that, up until she is a few months pregnant, she is a completely pacifistic character that will raise neither hand nor voice to defend herself. I do have another character (some of you are familiar with Selena) that is situational pacifistic, but she will defend herself and others if called for. Giselle won't. At first glance, she falls under the "willing victim" category, until you look at the deeper reasoning.

In the original 2006 idea, which I've recently started poking at again, for someone to have any variety of magic within their veins is to be a walking taboo. A societal leper, so to speak. It is not obvious, but they'd best not do anything to make that knowledge public. With her situation, it would be impossible for a then-child to fully recognize, hide, and control it, so it is fairly obvious that her family would know. But that family also being of medium-importance nobility makes her existence a mite worse than it would have been already. Over time, and while not being neglected in traditional sense (educated as nobility ought to be, for example), the emotional barricade placed between her and her kin has led to an intense desire to feel wanted, to feel loved. It is easier to say "yes" and do what another wishes, and perhaps finally gain acceptance; than to say "no" and obliterate any vague chance.

A series of events eventually lead up to Giselle finally taking charge of her own life, but I can't ignore or skip this development, either. It is central to her growth as a character. The question is ... how could this be written in a way to make it interesting, and stay interesting?

 

[Aidan of the tavern]

Well the first thing that springs to mind is something life-threatening or traumatic, but I don't know how dramatic or intense you want this event to be. She could end up captured or under threat in a situation where she realises that there is only one way to get out, by taking charge. Or someone very close to her could be threatened and she acts for their sake to try and save them. Are you looking for something more subtle though? External attitudes towards her and other people's treatment of her could be building up quietly inside her, until anger and resent come to the surface and she refuses to put up with it anymore. It all depends on what kind of character change you're looking for.

 

[J. S. Elliot]

Well, I have an idea of how this will all boil over already, it is the time period beforehand that is giving me so much grief. Every time I sit down to outline it, even though the psychological perspective is interesting, I can't help but think a reader would put the book down and forget about it because it has such a slow start.

 

[Zero Angel]

Maybe zoom in on her thoughts to show the emotional turmoil she is going through? If we get mad at her because she's doing something we disagree with because we care about her, that's much different than getting mad at her because she's doing something we disagree with because we think she's a moron.

If you'd rather go with the iceberg option, then show more of the events that have shaped her character to what it is today I suppose.

...or just skip through it as much as you can to get to where she starts to appeal to you.

 

[Feo Takahari]

How slow does it have to start? Giselle may have to start unassertive, but does she have to start inactive? Is there any thing she would be somehow active in defense of, and can you threaten that early on? (For instance, if she's submissive to her family, consider creating a threat to her family that she can actively oppose.)

 

[Malik]

I think this should be a book in and of itself. A prequel, if you will. Just my opinion. Throw in a girl-meets-boy shtick, a traumatic event or six, and it would be awesome to read. A whole, coming-of-age - sorcery thing. I mean, sure, there are plenty of those already, but that doesn't mean they don't work.

 

[teacup]

I'm with Feo on this.

Why not just add in another plot element, linked or unlinked with this one, to make it more interesting? You could have it intertwined with this progression or happening beside it.
Or you can show other peoples' problems through her POV, and have her worry/care about them. Then you've got other characters developing, which could be interesting, and you can write in this progression alongside it.

 

[J. S. Elliot]

Been meaning to respond to this for the past couple days, but, tests.

Prequel possibility ... I suppose that would open up more possibilities. More wiggle room, so to speak, for the main storyline. It would probably be more of a novella than an actual novel if I did a prequel, but outlining it in my head does make it flow better that way. More room for development without "needlessly" padding the main story.

As for the other suggestions, there are a few things she could try her hand in. It certainly would be interesting to see her trying to influence the currently mucked up politics of her region starting from ground zero. But since she's already got a subtle touch, it does create some possibilities.

 

[Twook00]

I've not read any of the other suggestions, so forgive me if I'm redundant.

I think that you have plenty of conflict here to make up for this character's pacifistic nature.

When someone pushes or hurts her, how does she react internally? Sure, externally she gives in, but what's happening inside her head? Maybe there's a sharp retort on the tip of her tongue, something really clever, but she bites it back because she believes no good will come of it. The reader is thinking, "Do it. Say it!" and she comes close but then... doesn't. And then what? How does she feel afterward?

The reader, who can see this internal struggle, knows how clever she is and how strong she could be and roots for her to take a stand.

This then builds into an arc for the character. In the end, there's that climactic moment where she steps up or snaps, and the reader finally gets what they've been waiting for.