Alex's RP Blog

characters who are loyal to the point of being incredibly self destructive

link 4 the test:

So this time I looked it up, I wondered how to get one and how much it cost. Turns out  it was a bit hard to find, actually, and that’s because it’s no longer called the Ogo, it’s called the Omeo.

They are pretty advanced as a product now, in terms of accessories, color options, etc (they have an off road conversion kit and stuff!). They are kind of expensive, tho not necessarily when compared to other wheel chairs, which cost anywhere from a couple hundred bucks for a shitty one, to like 4k for a high end electric one. An Omeo will cost you just under 2k.

women like cats because they’re conditioned into performing unpaid emotional labour for entities that do not love them back (written by someone who has a list of 49 relationship dealbreakers on her phone and sets reminders to periodically read and update the list)

millennials are killing mayonnaise because it’s an identity condiment and they pretend to hate mayo to signal that they’re sjws 

the wlw community is discriminating against women with long nails and this is a serious issue we should all be worried about (tinder link in bio.)

a v o c a d o  t o a s t 

it’s misogynistic to make fun of astrology because pretending the date your parents had sex influences your personality on a fundamental level is ‘queer women’s culture’ (written by the same person who wrote the cat thinkpiece) 

Alright.  Time for a heavy topic.

First off, for these disorders, your character needs to have gone through a traumatic event (or multiple ones).

Note - there are two different sets of criteria for PTSD.  One is for adults and children older than six; the other is for children 6 years and under.

These are the adult criteria:

A trauma is defined as being exposed to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence, in one or more of the following ways:

Directly experiencing it

Witnessing in person the trauma as it happened to someone else

Learning that the trauma happened to a close family member or friend. If the person dying or nearly dying is the traumatic event, it has to have been violent or accidental

The character has been repeatedly and excessively exposed to awful details of traumatic events.  This is typically seen in first responders, police officers investigating child abuse, etc.

So your character has, in some way, been through something pretty hellish. What comes next? As I discussed in one of my earliest posts, not everyone going through a traumatic event gets PTSD.  There are a lot of factors involved.

But your character is one of the unlucky ones.

There are few clusters of symptoms the character needs to have experienced some of to get a diagnosis of PTSD.

Intrusion (1 or more of the following):

Repeated, unwanted, inescapable and extremely stressful memories of the trauma

Frequent nightmares about or similar to the trauma

In children above 6, the nightmares may not seem related

Dissociative reactions / Flashbacks - the character feels or acts as if the trauma is happening again.  Flashbacks range from relatively mild to severe (to the point where the character loses all awareness of their present surroundings)

Children above 6 might reenact the trauma in play

Severe stress when the character is exposed to internal or external cues that are similar to the trauma

An example would be someone who nearly died in a car crash freaking out when riding in a car and someone slammed on the brakes.

Bodily reactions to internal or external cues that are similar to the trauma

Such as someone’s heart pounding and feeling like they’re going to pass out when they’re being followed

Avoidance (1 or both of the following):

The character avoids (or tries to avoid) memories, thoughts, or feelings related to the trauma.

The character avoids (or tries to avoid) external reminders (such as people, places, objects, situations) of the trauma.

Negative Cognition / Mood (2 or more of the following):

The character can’t remember an important part of the trauma 

The character has enduring, strong negative beliefs / expectations about people, the world, or themselves

Ex - “No one can be trusted,” “I’m tainted goods,” “I am a bad person”

The character’s thoughts about what caused or resulted from the trauma are distorted, leading the character to blame themselves or others

“It’s all my fault - I brought this on myself”, “This would never have happened to me if you hadn’t…”

Persistent negative emotional state (fear, horror, anger, guilt, shame)

The character can’t experience positive emotions, such as happiness, or love

The character isn’t as interested in activities they used to like

The character feels distant or estranged from others

Arousal and Reactivity (Not that kind of arousal. Seen through 2 or more):

The character is irritable and angry

This can be seen through verbal or physical aggression towards people or objects

The character is reckless and self-destructive

Hypervigilance - see my post here!

Exaggerated startle response - when the character is surprised, they flip out

Problems concentrating

Trouble sleeping / insomnia

All of these symptoms have to have been experienced by the character for more than 1 month.

These symptoms cause the character stress and seriously makes their life more difficult.

PTSD for children under 6

Alright, now PTSD for children 6 or younger is slightly different.

A trauma in this case is defined as being exposed to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence, in one or more of the following ways:

Directly experiencing it

Witnessing in person the trauma as it happened to someone else, especially caregivers

Learning that the trauma happened to a parent or caregiving figure.

Again, there are clusters of symptoms required.

Intrusion (1 or more of the following):

Repeated, unwanted, inescapable memories of the trauma

These memories may not always appear distressing, and may be shown through play reenactment of the trauma.

Frequent nightmares that may or may not be related to the trauma

Dissociative reactions / Flashbacks - the character feels or acts as if the trauma is happening again.  Flashbacks range from relatively mild to severe (to the point where the character loses all awareness of their present surroundings)

Children above 6 might reenact the trauma in play

Severe stress when the character is exposed to internal or external cues that are similar to the trauma

Bodily reactions to internal or external cues that are similar to the trauma

One or more of Avoidance OR Negative Cognition / Mood 

The character avoids (or tries to avoid) activities, places, or physical reminders of the trauma.

The character avoids (or tries to avoid) people, conversations, or social interactions that remind them of the trauma

The character is much more frequently in a bad or sad mood

The character isn’t interested in activities they previously liked, or don’t play very much

They’re withdrawn socially

They don’t seem to experience positive emotions frequently

Arousal and Reactivity (Not that kind of arousal. Seen through 2 or more):

The character is irritable and angry, resulting in extreme temper tantrums

Hypervigilance - see my post here!

Exaggerated startle response - when the character is surprised, they flip out

Problems concentrating

Trouble sleeping / insomnia

All of these symptoms have to have been experienced by the character for more than 1 month.

These symptoms cause the character stress and seriously makes their relationships with others strained.

There are a couple specifiers for both types.  First, the character may have dissociative symptoms - specifically depersonalization and/or derealization (see my post here!)

A Hockey Player Tried To Shoot His Shot At Anna Kendrick And The Twitter Replies Are Hilarious

“Apparently people thought “Hi” wasn’t going to cut it, so Twitter decided to help Anthony out by talking him up. A lot.“

Bonus +

How to Write A Sub Plot

If you look back on every single bestselling book ever printed, the chances are that most, if not all of them, contain sub-plots.

A sub-plot is part of a book that develops separately from the main story, and it can serve as a tool that extends the word count and adds interest and depth into the narrative.

Sub-plots are key to making your novel a success, and, although they aren’t necessary for shorter works, are an essential aspect of story writing in general.

However, sub-plots can be difficult to weave into the main plot, so here are a few tips on how to incorporate sub-plots into your writing.

1. Know Your Kinds of Sub-Plots and Figure Out Which is Best For Your Story

Sub-plots are more common than you think, and not all of them extend for many chapters at a time.

A sub-plot doesn’t have to be one of the side characters completely venturing off from the main group to struggle with their own demons or a side quest that takes up a quarter of the book. Small things can make a big difference, and there are many of these small things that exist in literature that we completely skip over when it comes to searching for sub-plots.

Character Arcs

Character arcs are the most common sub-plot.

They show a change in a dynamic character’s physical, mental, emotional, social, or spiritual outlook, and this evolution is a subtle thing that should definitely be incorporated so that the readers can watch their favorite characters grow and develop as people.

For example, let’s say that this guy named Bob doesn’t like his partner Jerry, but the two of them had to team up to defeat the big bad.

While the main plot involves the two of them brainstorming and executing their plans to take the big bad down, the sub-plot could involve the two getting to know each other and becoming friends, perhaps even something more than that.

This brings me to the second most common sub-plot:

Romance

Romance can bolster the reader’s interest; not only do they want to know if the hero beats the big bad guy, they also want to know if she ends up with her love interest in the end or if the warfare and strife will keep them apart.

How to Write Falling in Love

How to Write a Healthy Relationship

How to Write a Romance

Like character arcs, romance occurs simultaneously with the main plot and sometimes even influences it.

Side-Quests

There are two types of side-quest sub-plots, the hurtles and the detours.

Hurdle Sub-Plots

Hurdle sub-plots are usually complex and can take a few chapters to resolve. Their main purpose is to put a barrier, or hurdle, between the hero and the resolution of the main plot. They boost word count, so be careful when using hurdle sub-plots in excess.

Think of it like a video game.

You have to get into the tower of a fortress to defeat the boss monster.

However, there’s no direct way to get there; the main door is locked and needs to have three power sources to open it, so you have to travel through a monster-infested maze and complete all of these puzzles to get each power source and unlock the main door.

Only, when you open the main door, you realize that the bridge is up and you have to find a way to lower it down and so forth.

Detour Sub-Plot

Detour sub-plots are a complete break away from the main plot. They involve characters steering away from their main goal to do something else, and they, too, boost word count, so be careful not too use these too much.

Taking the video game example again.

You have to get to that previously mentioned fortress and are on your way when you realize there is an old woman who has lost her cattle and doesn’t know what to do. 

Deciding the fortress can wait, you spend harrowing hours rounding up all of the cows and steering them back into their pen for the woman.

Overjoyed, the woman reveals herself to be a witch and gives you a magical potion that will help you win the fight against the big bad later.

**ONLY USE DETOUR SUB-PLOTS IF THE OUTCOME HELPS AID THE PROTAGONISTS IN THE MAIN PLOT**

If they’d just herded all of the cows for no reason and nothing in return, sure it would be nice of them but it would be a complete waste of their and the readers’ time!

2. Make Sure Not to Introduce or Resolve Your Sub-Plots Too Abruptly

This goes for all sub-plots. Just like main plots, they can’t be introduced and resolved with a snap of your fingers; they’re a tool that can easily be misused if placed into inexperienced hands.

Each sub-plot needs their own arc and should be outlined just like how you outlined your main plot.

How to Outline Your Plot

You could use my methods suggested in the linked post, or you could use the classic witch’s hat model if you feel that’s easier for something that’s less important than your main storyline.

3. Don’t Push It

If you don’t think your story needs a sub-plot, don’t add a sub-plot! Unneeded sub-plots can clutter up your narrative and make it unnecessarily winding and long.

You don’t have to take what I’m saying to heart ever!

It’s your story, you write it how you think it should be written, and no one can tell you otherwise!