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Question: Writing a novel - happiness after tragedy!?
I am writing a fantasy novel, and in the story, a character's entire family (who he is very close to) dies!. Now, I don't want this character to be sad and depressed throughout the entire story!. So, if he was very close to his family, could he be happy at all or smile at all after only a month, if he had a good friend to comfort him perhaps!? I'm not talking about being super happy all the time!.!.!.I'm just talking about being able to function normally without being extremely depressed!. Again, I'm talking only a month after the tragedy!. Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
I believe that is a good idea, because everyone kills book people, and the the rest of the book is depressing!.!.!. Your character should be able to function normally, but will still be aaffected by little things that might trigger his memories of their deaths!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Look at real life: people do recover and seem quite normal and they laugh and joke and then they remember!. Something reminds them or maybe an important birthday or anniversary goes by and they feel sad again!. That's life!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I personally like tragedy before happiness!. Not depression, in a book that's just pathetic and gets annoying extremely fast!. Take Harry Potter for example!. Everyone loves the books, and I'll make plenty of enemies by saying this, but the whole "my parents died and its so awful!" bit got extremely tiresome!. Granted, it isn't exactly the same thing, since his parents died when he was a child, but for arguement's sake maybe we can overlook that!. I typically love it when something horrible happens to a character and instead of turning them into some brooding pity-party throwing embodiement of misery, it turns them dark and cold and at times, even merciless!. Haha, but if I'm not the fan base you're trying to reach (dark, morbid, tragic people who like to watch things fall apart) then I would suggest you take the first person's advice!. Give the character something or someone to lean on and throughout the story just incorporate minor memories or thoughts about the character's family so the readers don't think he/she is entirely over it and moved on without mourning!. That's just not credible!. But don't overdo it!. If the plotline has little to do with the death of the family, don't drag them back into the scene every 50 pages!.Www@QuestionHome@Com