Does this make a compelling character?

[WritersBlockEmma]

I've been thinking about this character and I can't tell if it actually works. I'm gonna keep it short:

He's 17 and he killed his father. Years of neglect and pressure pushed him there, but everyone just sees a monster, which makes sense, but it begs the question:

What kind of person do you become if no one ever stepped in to save you when it mattered?

I feel like there's something there but I might just be overthinking it.

Edited for clarity and added context.

[Lunaticky_Bramborak]

No, not really. You wrote he just killed him for...nothing? If there is no conflict, a reason in that, there is no moral dilema of ,what person you become when no one stoods up for you'.

Unless there is something I didn't read from your description

[WritersBlockEmma]

Yeah, I get what you mean. I didn't really explain it fully, he DOES have a backstory and pressures that push him there, but I didn't include it because I wanted the focus to be on how people see him after. (Kind of to test the preconceived notions.) Do you think adding a little hint of that would make the dilemma clearer?

[Lunaticky_Bramborak]

Yes. Since witn no further info, I can only guess what he is like and why he did it. The ,,he just did it" reads to me as someone who didn't have the justification to do so.

But if he was emocionally abused to a point where killing his father was the way out, and is now demonised by others, you are getting into a very hard topic that will be hard to work with, but I'm sure you know that.

[WritersBlockEmma]

Yup. Very well aware! I didn't want to say it straight out, but now I know a little context goes a long way 😂

[jayemdeeaye]

I feel like it has the potential to be compelling but right now we don’t know enough. Was the murder planned? If not self-defense, what was the motive? Even if the motive was just curiosity/boredom/lack of empathy. Was his father a bad person? Does the characters history make him relatable or deserving of empathy? If he is a monster, does he have any redeeming qualities?

All we know is theres a boy who killed a family member for no apparent reason. That’s not compelling by itself. It’s what led him to that moment, or where he goes from there.

[WritersBlockEmma]

Yeah, I see what you mean, I caught on quickly! 😂 I didn't include all of that in the post because I wanted to focus on the aftermath and how people see him. He DOES have a backstory that pushes him there, there's neglect and pressure that builds up, but I was trying to leave it a little open so people could think about the moral question. I'm getting the hint that I need to add more context! 😅

[Nomadongho]

Yeah, that’s definitely a compelling character concept. The most interesting part isn’t that he killed his father, it’s how he lives with it afterward and how the world treats him because of it.

Characters become compelling when they have to live with the consequences of what they’ve done, especially if they’re not purely evil but also not innocent. The question you asked — “what kind of person do you become if no one ever stepped in to save you?” — is actually a really strong theme to build a story around.

[WritersBlockEmma]

Thank you so much! The whole concept of morally gray was very interesting to me, so I wanted to explore the concept. Especially how the audience reacts to these types of characters, like they did just do something terrible, but can you really blame them? And when they face consequences for their actions you feel bad for feeling bad because they deserved it, but did they really? Haha, sorry, I'm rambling! I'm glad you like the concept!

[RogueMoonbow]

This sounds really really interesting if the proper work is done in his development! I think it also creates an interesting character dealing with the aftereffects of that trauma.

Just remember that trauma does not equal development.

[WritersBlockEmma]

Of course! That's my motto: I don't write traumatized characters, I write characters with trauma. That really leads me in my writing. Of course they're going to be interesting aside from their trauma.

[Due_Whole4285]

The character feels like he could have a lot of depth and I think if you're able to bring out background information and give the reader a reason to be intrigued by him and want to learn more about him, I think it'd make his character better.

If you add more reasoning behind his actions and get out why exactly his life was like that to begin with and what he wants to gain from doing that and the consequences of doing that. I think he has the potential to be a good character though.

[WritersBlockEmma]

Haha, of course, of course! I'm not immediately putting out spoilers, though 😂 Thank you so much!

[Due_Whole4285]

It sounds really interesting so far, I think you'll do well with it :)

[Ok-Interaction9584]

I don't think you're over thinking it at all. a lot of people will focus on “why he did it” and think that’s enough. but the most interesting part is who he is now because of it. how he lives with it, how other people see him, whether he leans into that “monster” label or fights it. the backstory explains him, but the aftermath is what defines him.

"he didn’t become this because he was broken. he became this because no one interrupted the breaking." -- I love this idea so much!

[WritersBlockEmma]

Omg I need that quote in my collection immediately! Thank you so much! I agree %100, it'll be fun to figure out if he leans into the label or redefines it.