RebelGoddess

My characters have been through a long journey together (the first leg of a 2 or 3 part series) and they are roughly six chapters from the conclusion of the first part.

I feel that I've goten them to a point where (if they were real) they'd feel content and safe because they are so close to finishing this first part.

But, as the thread title implies, I want to have one of them kidnapped by the monsters of the story.

I, personally, have never written a kidnapping scene before and am at a loss as to how to do it properly.

I know that I want these things to happen:

1. They'll be sleeping when they get attacked
2. They're in a forest
3. The monsters kidnap one of the girls
4. They hurt the girls bf and the protagonist
5. The monsters get away with the girl and the others don't go after them until the next morning

I'm planning for this to be the final big event before they get to their destination and complete the novel.

What I can't seem to figure out is how to have the monsters (which are phsyically like people) attack and take her.

Any ideas? Or even suggestions as novels to look at for examples of kidnapping scenes?

Thank you!

Racheal

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suzakugaiden

That sounds sort of cliche, actually. Why must she be kidnapped? Can you remove via a way that's not kidnapping?

Kat

I think it would be easier if no one discovered that she was missing until the next day. How else are you going to explain them waiting to go after her? Just drug her while she sleeping and drag her away without disturbing anyone else. As far as the kidnappers are thinking they would rather do that.

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RebelGoddess

I really like the idea of her being taken while she's asleep.

I know it's a bit cliche, but with the way I'm spinning it, it should turn out a bit better.

What I'm unsure about though is whether or not to give a lot of personality to the 'kidnappers' (though they take her purely for fun and the desire to kill/torture). They're only going to be in a few chapters, three max, so I don't want the reader to get too attached.

Racheal

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lisajane

I think kidnapping's a bit cliche, but it depends on how you write it...

Btw, why wouldn't the others go after the girl and monsters until the next morning?

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RebelGoddess

I was going to have them strategize first.

The monsters that attack them are basically the worst thing (besides the antagonist) that can attack them.

But I like the idea of having them wake up and find her gone.

I can write it so that they were all drugged the night before, or who knows.

Thanks for the adivce everyone!

Racheal

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Writers' block doesn't exist. It's actually called work avoidance procrastination.
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silverwriter

Maybe your question is answered, but in case you want some examples, just look at some romance novels. I'd reccommend Catherine Coultier. Someone's usually kidnapped somewhere in them.

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Aimless

Just thought I'd toss a few ideas in to the mix, too:

The others don't know that the girl was taken because she was sleeping seperate from the others for some reason, such as feuding.

If you want the boyfriend to be hurt then perhaps he goes to see how she's doing in the night and walks in on the monsters 'napping when he expected her to be napping.

The kidnappers pretend to be travellers or some such. (Although this depends on just how human they look; perhaps they are mysteriously clad in cowls and cloaks and are not written to be immediately menacing.)

Anyway, if you haven't already decided how to write this scenario, I hope those can act as a springboard to some of your own ideas.

journyman161

I don't see kidnapping as cliche at all. It's been written of before certainly, but it's like saying 'don't write about murder because everyone has done it.

The idea of her being seperate could be because she & the BF are unmarried & she sleeps alone slightly away from the others.
If someone is good in the bush, they can walk in to a camp of sleepers & do almost anything. If the BF was on duty, dozed off & got injured as he awoke too late, he would also have the shame that he was responsible for the loss.

I think it opens quite a number of possibilities for plot development, but think through the emotions they'll feel. (eg. if BF is responsible, he'll not only feel the loss but a massive dose of guilt as well. His actions & reactions are likely to be more extreme than usual)

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Aimless

I came up with something along those lines, too, but it sparked my imagination and now I've got an extra seen to fit in to my story somewhere.

That's the great thing about these forums: by helping others we help ourselves -- in my case you could amend the latter with "to all the best ideas."

Anyway, journyman's post reminded me of a question I was going to ask you, RebelGoddess: does this kipnapping help to curve the overarching story? What I mean is, are the kidnappers under the employ of someone higher (such as the antagonist), or does the scenario simply act as a good means of revealing more about the main characters themselves?

RebelGoddess

Journyman161: I really like the idea of hw the BF falls asleep. I was already going to make him feel guilty, but that makes it better, if he wakes up and it's happening.

Aimless, I'm glad you asked.

Originally the kidnapping was the just provide excitement and take up space, but since this novel is only part one I decided to make it into something very important.

The main characters are running from someone, or really trying to run and hide, and the BF is already on edde. I was thinking that the girl who is kidnapped is going to get seriously injured and his guilty concience is going to be what drives him to 'betray' the group.

Now, I don't want to say exactly how he betrays them, but it's not like he gives them up. Iy's completely unintentional, but happens because he's been mentally weakened by what happens.

Currently it's playing out in my head that she'll get kidnapped around sunrise so that the hurt person (people) can be helped a bit before they set off to rescue her.

The boyfriend is the one who was on watch but he was exhausted and fell asleep, only waking up when the girl's being dragged away and he gets his butt kicked.

Does anyone have any ideas as to how I should have the girl hurt? The things that kidnap her are basically savages. People who were driven to the brink of madness and look human, but are animals in their minds. I want her to get pretty badly beat up because I plan to leave her at their final destination (for book 1) and not have too much about her in the 2nd.

Thanks!!

Racheal

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Writers' block doesn't exist. It's actually called work avoidance procrastination.
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Aimless

How about, instead of having her physically hurt, scarring her mentally?

In my story one of the characters goes comatose when she... well, she ends up unconscious, that's all you need to know. When she wakes up, however, she's very distant, her condition being somewhat autistic. Perhaps your character could suffer a similar fate, her mind broken from the ordeal of the kidnap and the consequent actions of the kidnappers.

Part of being a writer is torturing your creations, and what could be worse for the boyfriend than to save the girl yet find that she wont even acknowledge him anymore?

RebelGoddess

Aimless, I love you!

That is PERFECT.

I'm not a big fan of gore scenes, reading them or writing them (only watching, yay horror movies!), so this is a fab idea.

Plus, it leaves me with the option of bringing her back later.

Thank you so much!!!

Racheal

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Writing is life.

Writers' block doesn't exist. It's actually called work avoidance procrastination.
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Aimless

Don't mention it.

Now if only I would get around to working on my own story...

RebelGoddess

I'm sure you'll get to it! I've been writing this one for almost 2 years now : )

LOL.

Racheal

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Writing is life.

Writers' block doesn't exist. It's actually called work avoidance procrastination.
-Jasper Fforde