seasalticecream32:

Of all overused tropes, the most prevalent (even in “professional” writing) is the “abusive parent” trope. If your MC doesn’t have abusive parents, then it is almost a guarantee that one or more of your supporting characters have abusive parents (and it’s almost always abusive mothers.) I know that I’m not one to talk as I’ve got a story in progress that’s main plot centers on an abusive mother and an emotionally manipulative villain (Bees), but I have been reading a lot of stuff lately and man, that seems to be the main motivating factor for most MC’s traits.

So here are some traumas for your MC besides abusive parents! Add some variety, learn to write different and interesting narratives!:

1.) MC sees something traumatic as a child that alters their life in irrevocable ways. (The Nick Adams Series)

2.) MC takes part in something as a child that they now realize is morally ambiguous or even outright morally wrong. (All of Summer in a Day)

3.) MC witnesses a crime as a child.

4.) MC is a bully in school and doesn’t realize it until they are confronted, leaving them unsure of their social interactions for a long time. (This happens in people’s lives more than you might think.)
5.) MC experiences great fear at an early age due to an accident (ex.: falls from a great height or gets left behind at a superstore on accident.)

6.) MC loses grandparents or siblings at a young age.

7.) MC survives a wild animal attack of some sort.

8.) A physical marker on the MC leaves them in constant anxiety over their physical features.

9.) MC meets or talks to someone who leaves a lasting negative impression on them, either of humanity or of their family specifically. (Otherwise non-abusive parents behave in unfavorable ways towards someone else.)

10.) MC gets ahold of medication or drugs on accident and ends up in the hospital, left with a distrust of medication in general that lasts throughout their life.

And that’s just for potentially traumatizing events that shape part of your MC’s traits. There are all sorts of things that could motivate or inspire your MC to behave in questionable or curious ways. The world does not begin and end with abusive parents in fiction, and before you do use that trope I would suggest making sure you fully understand the extent of what your writing.

I am reading a book right now that uses child molestation (and an abusive mother), abandonment (by a single mother), two different characters have alcoholic mothers (both single mothers), and a sexually promiscuous mother. The narrative suffers greatly for this, bc the writer has NO IDEA how to handle such sensitive and painful subjects. Remember, it’s very difficult to write about these subjects with the sensitivity and respect they deserve. So please use these tropes sparingly, and please avoid them if you feel that you may not be able to write them respectfully.