I’m a Critter, a fan of the web series Critical Role. Every Thursday, a bunch of nerdy voice actors get together and play Dungeons & Dragons. One of my favorite moments from their first campaign, Vox Machina, was when Marisha Ray’s character, Keyleth, received a letter from a friend: a blacksmith named Kerrek (Patrick Rothfuss).
Here’s an excerpt (no spoilers):
Did you know that there are some seeds that cannot sprout unless they are first burned? …I think it is interesting that there are some living things that need to pass through fire before they flourish….You have the heart of a gardener, and because of this, you think of consequence and your current path pains you. I am not wise, and I do not give advice, but I have come to know a few things.
Sometimes, breaking is making. Even iron can start again, and there are many things that move through fire and find themselves much better for it afterward.
That made me think of how cruel writers can be to their characters. We love to break our “toys”, no matter how precious they are to us. Their dreams? They may never come true. Their plans? They’re always at risk of failure. And if they’re attached to something — or someone — we tear it away from them.
Are we heartless? No. As strange as it sounds, we want the best for them. We want them to survive their worst nightmares and become stronger because of it.
Writers are blacksmiths like Kerrek. They plunge their characters into the fire, pound them, grind them, temper them, until they become the brightest, sharpest, most beautiful swords. That’s that type of writer I wanna be. I wanna burn my characters in order to shape them into something better.
In the stories you’ll read on this site, Aisha and Nex will suffer physically and emotionally. But they’ll get through the hardship together and become unbreakable, as a couple and as individuals.
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
Helen Keller
Me and my friend are really into the Stormlight Archive books. In that series, someone has to be emotionally broken in order to use magic – it’s a literal application of what you said here. This means that you get to see your favorite characters flourish, but before that, they have to shatter.
My friend’s favorite character is Adolin, who isn’t a magic user yet. Before the fourth book came out, she and I were speculating about what might happen in it. She said she wanted Adolin to gain powers, but didn’t want him to have to go through pain either. I told her, “do you want the books to be good?” She nodded. I said, “Then either Adolin is going to be broken or he’s going to die.” It was a harsh thing to say, but true: either Adolin gets character development, or his narrative purpose is done and he will have to be killed off. Luckily for her, the author had more in mind for him, and he survived the fourth book. But honestly, I’m not entirely sure he’ll make it past the fifth. He is the emotional thread that connects a lot of characters, and writing him off would open a lot of chances for development for those others.
Anyway that’s off topic. Read Stormlight, it’s good.
That’s not off topic! That’s a good example! There are a lot of stories where the character taps into their full powers — magical or otherwise — when they hit their lowest point. Anime creators love this trope.
I also thought about Aang when you mentioned this and how at first, he could only go the Avatar state when he was upset, and he couldn’t control it. So yeah, sometimes writers use this idea literally.
Also, I love this:
I agree. A character who can’t grow has no purpose in the story anymore. (I could mention a specific character from Winx Club, but I won’t.)
Anyway, I’ll take a look at Stormlight. Thanks for the suggestion!
I remember reading this once before and I almost forgot that your number one writing rule concerning no high water (pun intended) conflicts in plot is “where’s the fun in that?” That’s actually a good rule to have really. Can’t wait to read your fanfics?
Now about that other character however…is it the Specialist with pink hair or the one voiced by Buster or both? As in my opinion both can go…and they can start by having Bloom call that engagement off….I mean at least they actually attempt to give her something to do by having her act as the new Daphne whenever Roxy or Miele are around much like how Daphne became the new Faragonda in season 6…and for the pink one….Musa should do what she did in season 1 and don’t mean just the slap….i mean the wart too.
[…] a couple of these causes are negative. Unpleasant situations can have positive effects on a person — and vice versa. Life’s funny like […]
[…] I think that’s why her misfortunes feel forced to the Winx fandom: they’re sad, but they don’t tie into her internal conflict. They might as well have happened to another Winx! Wouldn’t they have been just as upset? So did Aisha have to suffer? […]