Tips for Writers by Redone
FeatureSummary:

We have all seen those stories that get no comments and those stories that regularly get a handful of comments per chapter. This series will focus on providing tips on how to be one of the latter, not the former!

reading

Newest Segment: Developing Minor and Supporting Characters


Categories: Admin Only Characters: None
General Warnings: None
Trigger Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 34 Completed: No Word count: 26875 Read: 105312 Published: Jan 19, 2015 Updated: Sep 11, 2017
Writing Hurt/Comfort by Redone
Author's Notes:

Part 2 in a subseries on genre writing.

Note: If nothing else, read the end.

 

Hurt/Comfort Fanfiction:

Fanfiction that involves one character experiencing the physical pain or emotional distress, and being cared for by another character. The author uses the injury, sickness or other kind of hurt, to explore the characters and their relationship.

Hurt/comfort is a form of fanfiction that has the potential to add a lot of depth to any MJ fanfic. It allows for a low point in which one or more characters becomes vulnerable. The author can show a character flaw or two, add drama without making the fic cliche, and bring dimension to one or both characters. Now, just as with any other genre, there are ways to make it cliche and superficial, rather than the depth that H/C is known for.

 

How H/C can Strengthen Your Story

 

Pain and Anguish make for an Interesting Plot

You know the saying, "to err is human"? Well, the same is true about pain. Illness, death, and misfortune are all parts of the human existence. I'll spare you the related philosophical discussion (albeit interesting, it's irrelevent to this segment), but all are touched by these three to some degree.  Whether it is chronic pain, acute disease, a car accident, or missing out on a job, they can infuse tension, disappointment, and hurt into our lives.  They can do the same to a story. At the more extreme end, there’s nothing quite like a story where you have to wonder if a character is going to survive, for putting readers on edge.  When the reader feels the pain of that character or those who are watching, they can often relate to some degree. When someone can relate to something you've written, they can become more invested in its outcome.  As an author, you also create an opportunity to portray an emotional trauma, that can make your characters stronger. These can cause shifts in their behavior (though, having the character do a 180 may be a bit much), so that you can ultimately take the characters and plot in a direction that wasn't immediately apparent to the reader when they started the story. That brings us to the element of surprise; often sought, but not often attained. 

 

A Moment in the Spotlight

One of the pro's of H/C is that it gives characters a chance to be the center of attention. On the one hand, one character gets to be fretted over, worried, about, (and if awake), try to cope with their experience. Meanwhile, an author can also make other characters shine by having them express concern, fret over the person, and go out of their way to be of support. For instance, if one of the Jacksons is ill, a specific figure can step into the spotlight when they step up to take care of the person who is ill.

 

Taking Characters in Different Directions Without going OOC

Before I expand upon this, by "OOC" I mean outside of the character you have already established. Not simply outside of what they are like in real life.  A huge faux pas in fanfic is authors taking a character OOC without intending to.  Using hurt/comfort can be a way to stretch the character you've established without actually going OOC.  Consider how people respond to near death experiences, severe illness, or loss of an important figure in their lives. They change. Don't get me wrong - very rarely do they become completely different, but they do change.  Stoic men become more sentimental/emotionally expressive.  Very sensitive figures may toughen up. Because of this, when writing H/C an author can have their characters say and do things they may not normally, because the situation calls for it.

 

Create a Journey Within one Person, Without Ever Having to Travel

One of the hallmarks of H/C is stripping a character down (through physical, emotional, or psychological pain), only to put them back together. In doing so, the reader gets to observe the process and live it with the character. This can be healing. For instance, if writing about Michael and the accusations, the person can take an A/U route and focus on his healing after the experience.

 

What Does this Look Like?

 

Common Forms of H/C in FF

 

"But it's been overdone"

Yeah, just about any of these could be considered played.  That's where you, the author, come onto the scene. Depending on how you approach something, it can be cliche or it can enhance your story.  How to do this?

 

>>>If you read nothing else, READ THIS<<<

(aka How to avoid writing a cliche H/C)

 


End Notes:

What are your limits for H/C?


Do you enjoy reading H/C?


 


Thanks to all of the awesome reviewers. You guys always leave me thinking!


 

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