fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #4612 ]

⌈ Secret Post #4612 ⌋

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I have this idea about writing about someone who was tormented by a bully throughout childhood and adolescence and confronts them as an adult when said bully is in prison.\

I initially thought of having the MC confronting this bully to prove to themselves they were no longer afraid of them. But I feel like this could come across as jerkish and pathetic somehow or petty. IDK I'm thinking of making the bully be a relative to at least somewhat explain why the MC would be visiting this person in prison and it would make the past bullying more deep and painful for the MC.

Does making the MC and their bully related make more sense? Or would it work to have them not related at all? I don't want the MC to come across unsympathetic , i guess.

Disclaimer: Not a writer.

I think a family gathering would make more sense. A lot of times you can't avoid your abusers when they're relatives, a lot of families have frequent gatherings or yearly reunions. I can't imagine taking the time and effort to go to a jail or prison to confront a bully or abuser, family or not. Just saying what I would do.

Thanks that's actually a better idea.

Finding out someone who was a shit to you when you were kids is in gaol, and specifically seeking them out (a very literally captive audience) just to go "Nyer nyer, look, you're in prison and I'm doing things with myself that don't involve the phrase 'bend over and cough', sucks to be you," would be... very hard to sell sympathetically.

Visiting your shitty cousin Mike in prison and going "Gee Mike, it sure is a shame that your parents refusal to punish you for all the heinous things you did as a kid turned you into an adult who's going to be in and out of prison forever,"... might work?

But why does the main character have to confront them anyway? "You have no power over me, that's why I took time out of my week to come see you"? Why no just let them know the other person is in prison, have the main character think about visiting them to gloat, and think better of it?

I decided to have it set at a family reunion instead. Good points there.

I don't know that it makes the MC look unsympathetic - that depends on the details of the bullying and why the former bully is in jail. It could look petty, mostly because it seems kind of...ineffective? Pointless? It's just, well, to me it sounds like one of those scenarios that people think is a good idea, but wouldn't work in real life. It's a little after school special.

Yeah that's true. I decided to have it set at a family gathering instead.

It does sound a little pathetic, yeah. I know you said in later comments that you're thinking of changing it to a family reunion instead of prison but the new setting doesn't really make it not-pathetic. It's the confrontation itself. It's every bullied victim's trite fantasy, but most people either manage their trauma on their own or grow out of the need to rehash something that happened to them in childhood.

Or more realistically, they understand that you can't really go back and relive that moment and make it better. Life just isn't that tidy, it doesn't usually offer that level of closure and justice wrapped up in a big red bow. So I guess it depends on whether or not you want this story and this character to sound real, or if you're just writing revenge fantasy wish fulfillment stuff.

I've decided I might not write it at all, tbh The more I think about it the more its like "naaaaah"

I second the comments about someone going out of their way to confront their imprisoned bully being a bit too... idk, wish fulfillment fantasy? And while a family reunion would work better, it still seems like having the bully’s victim choose to confront the bully over past trauma instead of ignoring them would be unlikely. Are there ways to pit them against each other/have a conversation or argument where the victim doesn’t plan to in advance?

Maybe have the bully show up at a reunion and it’s the first one they’ve been to since they got out of jail? Do they remember (or want to remember) the bullying differently than their victim(s)?

What if they approached their victim to greet them like they were old friends? What if they meant it? What if they didn’t and wanted to pick up the abuse where it left off?

What if they were genuinely trying to clean up their act and apologize? What if they were cordial to their former victim, but as the reunion went on it became obvious to the former victim and/or others that the bully had just picked a new (potential or current) victim?

Idk, just spitballing random ideas.

my first thought would be 'what happens when the bully gets out of prison in six months?' since most people aren't held in prison indefinitely even for very heinous crimes.

Making them related would make more sense, especially since it gives them a reason to know about them being in prison. Otherwise it would seem pretty pathetic and petty, imo. I could see myself being sympathetic to them if they had reason/inside knowledge/some sort of ongoing relationship with each other, other than them being basically strangers at that point. (if that makes sense)
I would probably make them related in some way.

This kinda reminds me of this scene (at 1:46-ish):
https://youtu.be/QexFlioNXt4

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