Dear Jeannie,
How close is too close? I have twin sisters
with...issues. I'd like them to be realistic, and I think they're more
fictional than factual. Mona is a pyromaniac with an unreasonable fear
of pain. Very emotional, very attached to her sister, has trouble
forming relationships without her (including romantic ones). Anna, in
contrast, is a closet sociopath. She loves controlling people and
circumstances around her, and doesn't generally care about consequences.
Her favored puppet is her sister, for whom she will sometimes consider
the outcome of an action. As adults, both are expected to fulfill betrothal
contracts and manage their people and lands. Because one is emotional and the other is
logical, the sisters have a tacit belief that they are a split soul. Is
this too much dysfunction in one relationship?
Overanalyzed in Orlando
Overanalyzed in Orlando
Dear Overanalyzed,
Twins are notorious for having a sixth sense about each other. Studies have shown this. You've gone beyond that to a codependence on each other (at least on Mona's side). I find it unusual that Mona is a pyromaniac who's scared of pain. Pyros deal with burns all the time. I would think these two are mutually exclusive, to some degree. But I suppose it's feasible...but I'd question it as an informed reader. As for Anna, sociopathy isn't something that stays in the closet forever (ahem, Ten Bundy). Anna's management of people and land contracted to her through marriage will need to display evidence of lack of empathy, manipulation, etc. I also think you might want to research what was formerly known as Shared Psychotic Disorder also known as folie à deux which is now Delusional Disorder, Shared in the DSM-V. Sisters can commonly have shared delusions...such as them being two halves of one split soul. Just something to check out. It's a lot of dysfunction, surely, but shared psychosis could account for it. You wouldn't have all that great of a HEA in store for them, though. Good luck!
Dear Jeannie,
Gerald, the boy who would be king, is a young man who has always believed in the power of belief. A sensible outlook, given that he lives in a fantasy world where words spoken aloud alter the fabric of reality, but this perspective doesn't help when he becomes convinced that he is a dragon. He spends several years in the wilderness, hoarding shiny "treasure", trying to burn people/things with his breath, and lashing out with his imaginary tail when provoked. During this time, if friends or family stay with him 24/7, he will settle down some and even mimic human behavior, but he relapses without the constant contact. I know there's a word for this sort of disorder (related to lycanthropy, kind of like what King Nebuchadnezzar went through), but my research keeps getting swallowed by werewolf fiction. Also, how will he remember this time when he recovers? Is it realistic (?!?!) for him to be restored to his former beliefs and philosophical stances, or is his lunacy in the wilderness going to stain his thought processes?
Stir-crazy in Carolina
Dear Stir-Crazy,
You might find it helpful to add the word "clinical" in any searches you do about lycanthropy. Basically, Gerald is suffering from a bizarre delusion (which is an important distinction from non-bizarre delusion in my world) and when he's pretending to be a dragon, he's in an active psychotic episode. Some individuals do not remember what happens to them when they are actively psychotic, others remember everything eerily well. I wouldn't concern myself with that individual difference, and do whatever fits your story best. But as to have him be restored to his former beliefs...that's more tricky. Obviously in a fantasy world where words alter reality, my first question is why does his power of belief in him being a dragon fail him? Does he want to be a dragon for real? How old is he when this occurs? (Psychotic breaks are usually in mid- to late twenties.) What experiences has he had with dragons that made him want to be one? You might find it beneficial to research disorders like schizophreniform disorder. or brief psychotic disorder (depending on how long you've got him thinking he's a dragon). The link I've given you explains other possible disorders which also have active psychotic states. The difference between the two I've identified is time frame, mainly. Hopefully that helps. Thanks for writing in!
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Anonymous · 596 weeks ago
Thank you for the research words and pointers! Gerald is a little younger (around 20), but he has a couple helping factors. His father dies, pushing him onto the throne, and war breaks out among their allies. Gerald had wanted to help the allies, but was hampered by realistic problems like logistics and resources and possible treason in his own court. He kept being told "There is no conspiracy, it wasn't assassination, no such animal" from his father's courtiers and advisors. In their culture, the existence of dragons is denied by the collective. (Mythical superbeasts raging across the countryside? No, thank you. They've been spoken into being before, and the people learned to speak them out of existence by verbally rejecting dragons.) When Gerald is accused by an enemy of behaving like a dragon, the combination of "There's no such thing" in the real world and in the what-if world of his head collide. And snap something. The belief that he is a dragon fails him when a trusted loved one who has been treating him is attacked in front of him. Rescuing this person requires another person, not a dragon. (There's also a faith/hand-of-God aspect that I'm leaving out, otherwise this would be a summary and not a letter...) In his youth, "what if?" played a big factor in his thought process/decision making, which makes him unusual in a culture where most people reject what ifs as problematic in their coping with reality. Maybe he'll still wonder, but it seems he might take a big step away from that ledge...?
Anonymous · 596 weeks ago
The idea that one psychosis can feed another is helpful, but I'll try not to overdo it. Mona, incidentally, fears pain because Anna was injured when they were children. That her bossy, clever twin hurt enough to cry (which she almost never does) sent Mona into a prolonged panic at how awful pain must be. Anna's interference and "forethought" have been welcome ever since. As for the HEA, there are two versions. One is the fairy tale people tell their children so they can sleep peacefully in the knowledge that crazy people can be cured. The other is the grimmer version, that the death of one twin pushed the other one into burning down the castle and plunging the country into centuries of unhinged paganism. One of these versions is true, the other is a shared delusion...
Overanalyzed
Anonymous · 596 weeks ago
Upon their fathers' deaths, two cousins inherited the thrones of a joint kingdom. Their fathers were brothers who had taken two warring city-states and merged them into a new nation. The two cousins were teens, good friends at the time, who each inherited one of the city-states. Ben--athletic, charming, possessed of excellent "people sense"--fell easily into a wealthy, hedonistic social world that favors the aristocracy. Zack--studious, far-seeing, maimed in his first battle--threw himself into governmental reform in favor of the growing middle class. Their joint leadership allows both kings free access to records and counsel, as well as limited interference and veto authority. As they grow from teenagers to men, is it plausible for them to keep their kingdom intact? Growing up, they had respected each others' strengths, but with both their personal and political lives at odds, there's a lot of room for dissent and disrespect. The merger of the two cities had been their fathers' vision, which they were each raised on, but both of their councils keep pressing for a split. At what point do old friendships and pure cussed stubbornness give way to jealousy and disillusionment?
Eaten Up in Edisto
Anonymous · 595 weeks ago
Luke has two families: one with legal claim, and one who loves him. His father died before he was born, and he has been raised as a half-servant/half-political pawn ever since. (His mother was remanded to slave status on her husband's death, and dies when Luke is about 12.) The other family, into which his favorite cousin marries shortly before his mother's death, are long-standing enemies of the family who keeps him. Nevertheless, his cousin's new family give him an education, every scrap of protection they can afford, and open-ended job offers. Their love saved his life, giving him purpose and direction. They would adopt him in an instant, if it wouldn't start a war. Luke, having grown up as a knotted rope in a slippery tug-of-war, has never accepted the adoption or the employment. He continues to serve his family.
How can I write Luke's story without making this sound like Stockholm Syndrome or some sort of hive mentality? As a grown man, he persists in hoping to infuse his blood family with some of the kindness and compassion of his heart's family, but is this a delusion that's going to kill him before anyone sees his perspective?
Worrywart in Wilmington
Anonymous · 595 weeks ago
Nina's parents died when she was young, leaving her to the care of her older brother. He abused her and "farmed her out" to his friends when the authorities became suspicious. By the time the reader meets her, she is the half-starved mother of three illegitimate children, whose fathers she *never* wants to discuss. She finds work in a castle whose lady offers an education, self-defense training, and a lock on her door. The lady and Nina are both subjects of a lot of unfriendly gossip, but they never talk about things like the past. When one of the retainers starts romancing her, is there room for anything other than hostility? He's quiet and kind, but also a known sneak, so most of the castle catches on to his campaign before she does. If Nina never talks about some of the white elephants in her life, will they be destructive and permanent baggage?
Zipped Lips in Kissimmee