#writng
Bit of a weird one but can anyone help me?
I’m remembering a very specific story trope and I can’t think where I’ve seen it:
A character who is a bit of a spineless character is cornered by the villain away from the main characters. He has the opportunity to run but instead tries to stop the villain alone and is killed. When he doesn’t return, the other characters assume he has abandoned them and doesn’t know of his redemption.
It’s frustratingly tragic.
Which character am I thinking of?
The Southern Gothic Universe
The ongoing misadventures of a vampire, a monster hunter, and their unlikely paranormal romance.
Leather and Lace: Book One of the Southern Gothic Series
Love Bites: Tales From Southern Gothic
A Southern Gothic Summer Vacation (And Other Stories)
How To Train Your Pet Human (And Other Erotic Adventures)
Post link
“Do you love me?”
“Yeah, you’re my best friend!”
“No-what? no- i meant… nevermind.”
8/4/20
“Do you like them?” They asked their friend.
“What?? haha. Gross no. Definitely not. Why would i like them? they’re my best friend. I’ve known them since forever why would i ever find them attractive? they’re…they’re… jesus they’re so pretty…”
8/2/20
“No…no! i-i don’t like them like that!” They shook their head, pacing around the empty room, talking to themself, “I’m just lonely. I don’t actually like them… right…?”
7/30/20
“Did you hear that [insert character name] is getting married on sunday?”
“We are literally getting kidn- wait… thissunday?? it’s going to rain that day!”
7/14/20
“Oh god… does… does that hurt…?”
“I don’t know. Do you think getting your head cut off hurts??”
“…Well you never know.”
7/12/20
“I just need more time.”
“It’s been a thousand years, how many more do you need??”
7/10/20
“I don’t understand. i told you the TRUTH. i told you how i felt. why are you acting like this?”
“BECAUSE IT FUCKING HURTS! HOW CAN YOU ACT LIKE THIS? PRETEND LIKE WE’RE GOING TO BE FINE? IT HURTS IT HURTS SO FUCKINF BADLY. I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO!”
4/20/20
“It hurts.”
“Of course it hurts, idiot! You put her in so much pain. This is karma.”
4/8/20
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I don’t want to hurt you! I’m so sorry! Please forgive me!”
“It’s ok! I forgive you! Just.. just stop hurting yourself… please.”
3/26/20
“Why do you keep hurting me?”
“Thats not what i wanted to do.”
“Well its what you’re doing. i can’t be around you any longer.”
3/24/20
“You’re sick, aren’t you?”
“No, im just coughing up blood for fun- of course im fucking sick!”
3/20/20
“Bring me back a husband.”
“Talk like that and i’ll bring you your worst nightmare.”
“A wife??”
3/18/20
“You know what they say, Live, Love, Laugh.”
“I hope you know Im not capable of doing any of those things.”
12/22/19
“If life was a question, then would you be my answer?”
11/24/19
“Try not to go into the forest.”
“Why?”
“You don’t want to remember the answer.”
10/28/19
“I’ll take care of you.”
“It’s a waste of time.”
“Not if it’s you, darling.”
8/28/19
“Heaven is such a beautiful place!”
“I don’t think you’ve actually been there.”
8/6/19
“I just want to find someone to love,”
“With the way you are, you’ll have trouble finding a friend.”
8/4/19
“Stay hidden,” her father whispered as he stood up, wincing in pain, “Your mother is still angry.”
7/18/19
“What is life without you?”
“A beautiful one, I suppose.”
7/16/19
He leaned in close and whispered,
“I know where you hid her, get ready.”
7/14/19
“Did you know this was going to be happen?”
“Of course.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“…Of course.”
7/12/19
“All the stars are dead.” Said one.
“And all the clouds are fading.” Said another.
“And all the skies are falling.” Whispered the last one.
7/10/19
“Did you see that?”
“No I didnt see the ten foot monster that just ate my fucking shoe,”
7/6/19
“Why don’t you ever believe?” He asked, genuinely curious, his voice was calm and steady. But his calm voice didn’t effect his significant other.
“Because everything about you was a fucking lie!” His significant other yelled, they tried to contained their voice, but it did not work.
7/2/19
Slowly she swam farther and farther away from land. She tried to keep herself afloat for as long as possible. Then something pulled violently at her leg. she was pulled under, letting the air escape her lungs.
She smiled. Finally, she finally found it.
6/30/19
He didn’t understand the severity of the situation, he didn’t realize how many people were dying around him.
He just wanted some food. Maybe a milkshake too.
6/28/19
“Do you believe in fate?”
“If that was what brought me to you, then yes.”
6/24/19
posting a new chapter like…i don’t need validation
i love Tom Riker, he’s soooo very fucked up. Plus they kinda just left him in that cardassion prison…basically he is mine now. My little garbage man.
writing female villains
[@/moonlit_sunflower_books on ig]
we’re all simps for women with swords, and I love a good female villain. but there are some ways that i think female villains can be really great and certain tropes that i think can be harmful.
this is just based on my personal opinion and amateur experience - i’m not a professional writer, so always do your own research! i’m also always open to friendly debate and constructive feedback :)
also, @/bluebxlle_writer on instagram also has an awesome post on writing female villains and their account is generally wonderful, so go and check that out too!
make them flawed
i have another entire post on this, but writing Strong Female Characters often means that your women are completely flawless - they win every fight, they don’t let themselves be tricked, they see every obstacle coming. not only is this unrealistic, it makes for an incredibly flat character.
making your female villains flawed proves that women can be strong and still fail, and gives your protagonist the opportunity to succeed sometimes as well.
make them emotional
i included this specifically for female villains, because once again, while creating strong women it’s very easy to make them emotionless and stoic. but when your villains feel love and despair and hope and excitement and sorrow, it makes them more human. it also again removes expectations that strong women need to have no emotion in order to be perceived as strong.
a three-dimensional backstory
just because your villain is a woman, her backstory doesn’t have to be losing a significant other. let them be driven by emotion, but don’t let that emotion be approval from men or love for another man. a female villain can have as complex stories and motivations as male villains, such as revenge, immortality, power, or even greed - not just love.
“femme fatale” characters
“femme fatale” is a character archetype of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman ensnares her lovers and leads them into traps. she essentially hypnotises them with her beauty and takes advantage of their attraction to her.
the hyper-sexualisation of female villains is something that really bothers me, and while i make many jokes about being attracted to women with swords, this once again comes under the idea of women being solely made for love and/or sex.
make your female villains diverse. let them be ugly and gory and ruthless and maybe aro/ace and let them have more skill than just seduction, because women do not exist for male pleasure.
make sure they’re not subservient to male villains
lastly, almost all female villains are subservient to male villains, which diminishes their agency and individual power. let your female villain be a villain in her own right, without serving men!
