The Pen & The Sword: A Discussion Book

Trope Breakers #24 | A Pen and Sword Article

Hello and happy (belated) Easter! 

          There are a lot of tropes/plots that I really enjoy seeing in books and television. One of my favorites with a long-running character-driven story is Mind Control. 

          With Mind Control, someone, usually the antagonist, uses mental manipulation on another character. The mind-controlled character is forced to, compelled to, or tricked into doing something they would not usually do. There are several variants of Mind Control. The version you choose will depend on the demographic for and the medium of your story. 

          The first and most common version of Mind Control is a supernatural superseding of a character's will. It's kind of like hypnosis: a spell, magical artifact, mechanical device, or something similar puts a character under another's control completely. The character has no control--or awareness, usually--of their actions. An example would be someone using an amulet to force one of the characters to fight the other protagonists. This type is common in media intended for younger audiences, as it is rarely used for heinous actions and the controlled character is not responsible for anything they did while under control. 

         In this version, most audiences anticipate that it will be easy for the other characters to break the controlled character out of it. Most instances only require someone close to the mind-controlled character to remind them of who they are. This is known as the "I know you're in there somewhere" fight. If not, they tend to come to their senses on their own. Both happen before the character does anything really bad. You could subvert expectations and provide a unique spin on this variant of mind control by either having the character actually do something really bad before the effects are reversed or by having their friends attempts to bring them back fail at least for a while. 

     Another type of mind-control is possession or a virus. Essentially, another entity takes full control of the body. Rather than simply manipulating or controlling their mind (making them basically a slave to your desires), this version replaces the other character with a different character in their body. This method is also not too difficult to reverse or undo. An exorcism might do the trick, or the other characters will provide the possessed/controlled character with the courage and strength to fight off the control. One way to add an extra twist to this use of mind-control would be to have the controlled character willingly compliant with the malevolent entity taking over them. One TV show I really enjoy went in a unique direction in which the possessed character allows the demon full control in exchange for one of their friends being kept alive. Another example would be characters allowing themselves to be possessed or choosing to succumb to the manipulation. Maybe they want the power the controller can offer or wish to protect someone. Either way, that could make it more difficult for their friends to undo. 

     The third and rarest variant of mind-control is brainwashing. Someone, most often the antagonist, tortures a character and makes them believe or do what the one controlling them wants. The Winter Soldier in the MCU is a pretty good example of this. There's another great example in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. This one isn't used too frequently on main characters within the story due to the trauma of the brainwashing experience and the difficulty reversing it. I can't recall seeing this version fully reversed without lasting PTSD or angst about whatever the mind-controlee did while not fully themselves. Unique interpretations of this version of mind-control include: a main character gets brainwashed and has to overcome the lasting effects from what happened, the mind-controlled character isn't fully returned to normal and retains some aspects of their brainwashing, or you could keep this character as a main character/POV even in their brainwashed state.

     The final version of mind-controlling isn't always considered mind control. Changing a character's perception allows someone else to make them think they're doing one thing while they're actually doing something else. So, a character might fight the other characters believing they're fighting the antagonists, or they might help the villain's scheme under the impression they're saving the world. It isn't used very often, likely because it is relatively low on drama and angst. Where regular mind-control or brainwashing often result in disagreements and tension as to how to handle the mind-controlled character, perception-control leaves the character in question relatively blameless. Possession has a similar effect; most rational people aren't going to get angry with their friend for what their body did while someone else controlled them. Therefore, the only reason to include perception control would be to A) have the main characters battle without any permanent damage to character relationships, B) they want the character to do something specific they would never do otherwise, or C) they want the other character(s) to demonstrate their love or friendship through their ability to bring the mind-controlled character to their senses.

     There aren't really ways I can think of to change this version. It isn't used very often, but it's so specific there's little changes an author could make. That's probably another reason few work it into their story. 

     So, that's mind control. If you're using this trope in your book, comment how you're putting your own spin on it! Let me know any ideas you have as to how this trope could be used in future stories; I love hearing new ways to put a new twist on an old literary technique! Lastly, don't forget to ask the writing fairy if you need writing advice or have any questions! 

ASK THE WRITING FAIRY (oh no! what happened to our lovely banners!?)

"How do you get past the dreaded beginning? How do you conquer that EVIL FIRST LINE"

Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to start your story at the most exciting possible part or the "latest possible moment", but it's a good idea to start with something interesting. There are a couple basic categories of first line.

The action line — dump your reader into the exciting stuff, or at least some type of activity.

The descriptive line — set the scene for your reader first. Less popular, but still quite valid and works especially well with classical style and literary works that rely on vibe and word usage.

The dialogue line — hook your reader with some chatter. Can be very fun.

Think about the opening scene of your book. Where do you want it to start? Now try each one of those opener types against that scene. Which one fits it best? Write several if you want. No need to feel constrained to find the perfect opener right away.

So, distilled: I think the best way to find an opening line is first to understand your opening scene, and go from there. Try a few options and move on from whichever one works.

TFF TOP FIVE

Birthright by @FusRohDead92 

The Wielder and the Source by @IntoTheTempest

 Snowblind by @Velfman 

Guardian: The Awakening by @NicGiollaBhuidhe2

The Rider's Legend by @SaoiMarie

COUNSELOR'S SANCTUARY

Favorite quarantine read of 2020?

 What's one thing you would say to your protagonist right now if you could? How about antagonist? 

 Which of your characters would you switch lives with and why? 

 What's one big difference from your first draft and your latest draft?

 If your protagonist was #stuckathome right now like we are, what would they be doing?