The WIP about the girl who self-harms has been on my mind a lot. It's the one I am focusing on the most. Stuff with her Dad and feeling invalidated is a big reason she self-harms. She also struggles with depression and anxiety, but Dad doesn't believe in that "crap" as he calls it. He's big on her getting a good score on the SATS so she can get into a good college, as well as being active in extra-curricular activities and sports. Stuff he thinks are brownie points on college applications.
Self-harm is the only way she feels she can release all the pent up feelings/thoughts she can't say and deal with depression/suicidal thoughts. So when the parents find out about MC's cutting, she feels like she's lost the only thing keeping her alive basically. Then she experiments with other methods, blah, blah, blah, which leads to a whole other can of worms. She feels like her privacy was violated when her cutting was found out. Dad has zero respect for privacy (going through her room, etc)which just fuels MC to harm in other ways.
Would it make sense for the Mom and Dad to stand in the way of MC getting better? Even if she's made the choice that she wants to stop? Aside from being scared to death of having to really feel, since SH, no matter the method, has functioned like a band-aid for years.
And part of her growing, changing, blah, as a character is to tackle the things that make her want to harm. As in actually try to talk to Dad and Mom. And he completely invalidates her or something. Refusing to change his thinking about self-harm, etc.
Mom and Dad mean well but make it worse through ignorance. Not realizing that self-harm is a SYMPTOM of a BIGGER problem.
Example: Mom takes away all sharp objects (bad idea). Checks her for fresh cuts, etc. Which fuels MC to experiment with more "secretive" at least to her ways to harm.
Recently I read "The Luckiest Girl in the World," by Steven Levenkron in which the main character self-harms. The mom had a horrible temper and is just basically a crappy person. Her behavior didn't strike me as realistic at all.
I am wondering how the parents can be one thing making things worse for MC. To make the book be powerful and meaningful. To speak to people. Without being just too over the top.
The main conflict is still largely internal.
Self-harm is the only way she feels she can release all the pent up feelings/thoughts she can't say and deal with depression/suicidal thoughts. So when the parents find out about MC's cutting, she feels like she's lost the only thing keeping her alive basically. Then she experiments with other methods, blah, blah, blah, which leads to a whole other can of worms. She feels like her privacy was violated when her cutting was found out. Dad has zero respect for privacy (going through her room, etc)which just fuels MC to harm in other ways.
Would it make sense for the Mom and Dad to stand in the way of MC getting better? Even if she's made the choice that she wants to stop? Aside from being scared to death of having to really feel, since SH, no matter the method, has functioned like a band-aid for years.
And part of her growing, changing, blah, as a character is to tackle the things that make her want to harm. As in actually try to talk to Dad and Mom. And he completely invalidates her or something. Refusing to change his thinking about self-harm, etc.
Mom and Dad mean well but make it worse through ignorance. Not realizing that self-harm is a SYMPTOM of a BIGGER problem.
Example: Mom takes away all sharp objects (bad idea). Checks her for fresh cuts, etc. Which fuels MC to experiment with more "secretive" at least to her ways to harm.
Recently I read "The Luckiest Girl in the World," by Steven Levenkron in which the main character self-harms. The mom had a horrible temper and is just basically a crappy person. Her behavior didn't strike me as realistic at all.
I am wondering how the parents can be one thing making things worse for MC. To make the book be powerful and meaningful. To speak to people. Without being just too over the top.
The main conflict is still largely internal.
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