Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Consider Adding a Bully

Bullies come in all shapes and sizes and at all stages of your life.

The bully could be the 7-year-old punching the 6-year-old on the bus, a skinny street-girl who talks smack to you and threatens to beat you up after school, a group of nice girls who ditch someone by changing the location of planned outings or the tall girls who pat you on the head in the hallway calling you “my size Barbie.”

It could be a teacher, parent or boss who is verbally, physically or emotionally abusive. It could be the angry customer who screams at you about everything. The person in the car behind you honking, banging on the steering wheel and yelling because you’re not driving fast enough. (We call it road rage as if giving it an adult term makes it more acceptable.)

What they all have in common is bullying does emotional damage to your self-esteem and in the worst cases, physically harms you. They make your life miserable.

You may be asking when would I need or want a bully? How about in your story? Does your story need more tension, more obstacles or more subplots? Consider adding a bully. The bully could be your antagonist’s sidekick or a secondary character that delight in tormenting your main character, also known as “a toy breaker.”

Think about the bullies in your life. Here’s your chance to punish or confront them on paper. Go for it. No holds barred. The possibilities are endless.





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