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Q&A How to make a repeating plot "slice" not annoying

I am a fan of questioning your givens. You don't want to kill anyone? Fine. But what plot point is served by having your characters physically injured? Does it remove them from the action? Have ...

posted 6y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-13T12:00:47Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/37203
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T09:13:23Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/37203
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T09:13:23Z (almost 5 years ago)
I am a fan of questioning your givens. You don't want to kill anyone? Fine. But what plot point is served by having your characters physically injured?

- **Does it remove them from the action?** Have someone miss a bus/train/plane, oversleep, trapped in a stuck elevator.
- **Does it make them vulnerable?** PTSD, reaction to someone _else's_ injury, romantic relationship breakup, religious crisis.
- **Does it show the strength of the enemy?** The enemy isn't just attacking your characters, and can be shown leveling a city or killing civilians. 
- **Does it show some facet of your character's personality?** There has to be another way to demonstrate perserverance, endurance, resilience, etc. 

Figure out _why_ you want them injured and you may be able to come up with a way to accomplish the goal in another fashion. That will perforce mix things up.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2018-06-25T09:42:35Z (over 6 years ago)
Original score: 26