Realistic reactions/motives/choices.

[anthorn]

Okay, so I'm currently re-re-re-re-re-writing an idea I had when I realised that the storyline that introduced the main character should really be happening at a much later date in the story. I.E. Another book. But it's like a domino effect isn't it when you consider how much is changed by this one character. Surprisingly though, this character doesn't get effected by the change as much as the other character. I decided he would become a caravan guard, thus giving him a reason to know how to wield a sword or revolver.

I'm trying to get the reasoning down on other characters. Which sounds more realistic to you. Two sisters are sent to a school to train/learn/etc. When they reach 14-16 they head off to do apprenticeships in another city, but are attacked along the way. One is kidnapped, the eldest of the two escapes. What sounds better: Eldest returns home to parents, troubled by guilt and dreams, lives her life, becomes part of her father's company. OR.
Ashamed, returns to nearby city, lives by trade she learned at school, plagued by dreams, writes home pretending things are fine then joins an army travelling to war when she realises her father is coming to city.


Which is more plausible.

 

[Juliana]

I take it this is fantasy? Neither needs to be 'plausible'. The idea just needs to work. Either could play out well, so choose the one that best feeds your storyline.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

I think either one could work fine, but the second sounds like it might have more interesting story potential.

 

[Ogma]

The second one sounds better. A question though - will her skills/training complement joining the army? For example, if she was a blacksmith/doctor/mechanic etc., it would be more plausible than if she just joined the infantry.

 

[Laeraneth]

Many questions leapt to my mind upon reading your two potential scenarios...

What's their relationship to their parents and each other?

Do they have any animosity to each other? Sibling rivalry for example. They might feel less guilt then.
Perhaps one irritates the other immensely? Perhaps one of them views their being kidnapped as somehow the fault of the other? (Dressing wealthily for example, thus looking like a perfect ransom target? Making a scene or otherwise calling attention to their travel plans the night before?)

Would they fear that their parents would blame the one who escaped for failing to protect the other?... she is the elder of the two after all, perhaps the younger sister was in her care?

Do they have a close relationship to the parents? If so, I'd assume they would go home to tell them what had happened, feeling they should know, or perhaps even hoping that the parents might be able to do something about it?

Are they willingly going to be trained and apprenticed, or were they coerced or forced into it? If they WANT to do it, they'd be more likely carry on, or go home to the parents (presumably one then the other ) if they don't want to do it, or don't feel much closeness and connection to their parents then I'd imagine the idea of starting anew on their own steam would be more appealing than going home.

I appreciate that you probably have all those details sketched out already somewhere, but that's what came to my mind at least without knowing that lot, it's hard to say which is the more realistic response to the kidnapping

 

[anthorn]

OgmaRe: Realistic reactions/motives/choices.
The second one sounds better. A question though - will her skills/training complement joining the army? For example, if she was a blacksmith/doctor/mechanic etc., it would be more plausible than if she just joined the infantry

She's a healer so it would complement.

Many questions leapt to my mind upon reading your two potential scenarios...

What's their relationship to their parents and each other?

Do they have any animosity to each other? Sibling rivalry for example. They might feel less guilt then.
Perhaps one irritates the other immensely? Perhaps one of them views their being kidnapped as somehow the fault of the other? (Dressing wealthily for example, thus looking like a perfect ransom target? Making a scene or otherwise calling attention to their travel plans the night before?)

Would they fear that their parents would blame the one who escaped for failing to protect the other?... she is the elder of the two after all, perhaps the younger sister was in her care?

Do they have a close relationship to the parents? If so, I'd assume they would go home to tell them what had happened, feeling they should know, or perhaps even hoping that the parents might be able to do something about it?

Are they willingly going to be trained and apprenticed, or were they coerced or forced into it? If they WANT to do it, they'd be more likely carry on, or go home to the parents (presumably one then the other ) if they don't want to do it, or don't feel much closeness and connection to their parents then I'd imagine the idea of starting anew on their own steam would be more appealing than going home.

I appreciate that you probably have all those details sketched out already somewhere, but that's what came to my mind at least without knowing that lot, it's hard to say which is the more realistic response to the kidnapping

Hi. The relationship between parents and siblings is fine but between the sister's it's fractured. This was primarily due to the youngest being viewed as the more confident one who found it more easy to make friends. The eldest one is less confident and more restricted by how the eldest daughter of a well to do family should act. Even though she dislikes how her sister acts she still feels responsible.


The eldest sister wasn't keen on being sent away as she'd always assumed she would join her father's company and eventually inherit it. Younger sister was more yey adventure! At the school when they reach the age they can choose to leave is the time when they can choose to apprentice. Eldest chooses to go with the younger because she feels responsible.


I pictured the scene when they're attacked with the eldest being in reaching distance of a weapon but panicking when one of the attackers spots her, so she flees into the nearby woods. When she finds her way back to the camp, her sister is gone.


I pictured the relationship between the parent's as good. I had thought the father might be a bit of an abuser, but I thought considering the events of the attack it might seem a bit to reliant on rape. If I had included this in my plans it would be revealed to be the reason why the younger sister was acting the way she did with men etc, and believed she had suffered to protect her eldest sister.


The parents do hire elite hunters when they realise something is up to bring the sisters home.

 

[Laeraneth]

Then I would say that it would lean more towards option 1 to me, as the elder sister would feel it's her duty to go home, do what they can to find the younger sister that she feels more responsible for, and dedicate herself to the family business side of things, since that's both what she expects AND is now (potentially) the sole heir to it.

There's always the potential that she tries to do something herself to recover the sister beforehand, fearing that her parents might blame her... there's story potential there.