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/lit/ - Literature

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4640109 No.4640109 [Reply] [Original]

/lit/, may someone come here and ask for some help in developing a part of a story?

I've written myself into a corner and I'm trying to find some way out.

If I may: I've established one character's age in their early 30s. I'm trying to go back and describe that they fled from an abusive home at a very young age. I'd like now to introduce a sibling in their teens that the main character found out about and either alerted social services or 'dealt' with the parents more directly.

The problems I'm facing are: I find it unlikely that an abusive set of parents would stay together long enough to grant a 15-16 year age difference between the two characters. If I write them as simply irresponsible, it seems unlikely they'd go that long without churning out another accidental pregnancy.

At eighteen, the older sibling finds employment and begins to anonymously sponsor their younger sibling. I've figured out how to explain this; but it closes the window I have to work with.

Ultimately, I picture the younger sibling as ending up as a borderline criminal of sorts. Skirting the law, breaking it when they can get away with it but never anything serious enough to catch real heat. Ultimately, the younger sibling would become the protagonist when the elder is taken out of the story.

I'm sorry for rambling; but I'm trying to sort this out even while I type. If this isn't the place, let me know and I'll delete the thread (or leave it to do, since I haven't been able to delete my threads recently).

>> No.4640120

1) could be a step-sibling
2) people don't have to be in long term relationships to reproduce. It's not like abusive parents make good decisions.

>> No.4640132

>>4640109
Remission. Either one or both of the parents made an attempt to shape up but it has recently fallen through

Works better if the abuse/neglect is caused by drugs, alcohol, depression or from the return of a partner/job loss

>> No.4640145
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4640145

YOUR CONUNDRUM IS A DIRECT CONSEQUENCE OF THE CONVOLUTED HOKINESS OF YOUR STORY.

>> No.4640147

>>4640109
Joseph Fritzl and his wife were married for at least 40 years, and he was as abusive as it gets.

>> No.4640148

>>4640145
Still not as hokey as your persona.

>> No.4640177

>>4640120

Hmm. I was trying to figure out a way to have both parents involved. I was trying to avoid the stereotypical abusive father, helpless mother situation.

I was thinking that having the same parents might help to transfer some of the emotional connection the reader had with the older sibling to the younger. If I give them the same mother with different fathers or vica versa, I'm not sure the reader would respond as well to a half-sister or half-brother.

Although, you and >>4640120 may have given me an idea.

>>4640132

I'd thought about this sort of idea, but was thinking that the reader might not respond well to condemning people who tried to reform and slipped up, even when involving children. The parents are more or less just a device, so I'm thinking it'd be best if they aren't given much more depth than 'villains'. Am I wrong?

>>4640145

It's mostly due to having to go back from where I'm at now. I'm trying to figure out some way to do it without retcons while keeping logic and timelines intact.

>> No.4640191

>>4640147

Fair enough.

>> No.4640260

>>4640109
>I find it unlikely that an abusive set of parents would stay together long enough to grant a 15-16 year age difference between the two characters.
Why did they get married in the first place? Many people get married and stay in horrible relationships simply because they're terrified of being alone, better the devil you know, throwing good money after bad. Or they just hate each other enough to inflict the relationship on each other until they finally die, because neither one wants to blink first.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGabXpdJhz0
Honestly, the idea of an abusive couple actually breaking up is what's strange to me. From my experience, they just piss in their corner, sit there forever, and slowly bleed each other dry. Abusive people are not known for making responsible choices, and the best choice they could possibly make is usually "get the fuck away from each other."