Story Help! Character Moral Delimma--Believability Issue

[CastoffCaptain]

Hi, all.

I need your help with a story I'm writing.

I'm writing a time travel story in which my main character, Penny, an amateur historian, gets stuck in the 18th century on an island off the coast of NC-- pirate territory.

She's long been interested/an expert on one pirate who ends up washing up on the shore where she lives. Now. She knows the stories she's read of him are based in fact, but the man she meets doesn't seem like the monster she thinks she knows. Some of the reasons for the bad things he's done are actually morally good. He no longer wants to live a life of crime and is extremely remorseful for what he's done

He still has done bad things and admits to that.

They fall for each other, hard.

Then, Penny nearly gets raped by this man's former crew mates who also would have murdered her, had Will (aforementioned love interest) not stepped in to save her.

Here comes the moral dilemma. He not only kills the two would-be attackers, he also goes to remove the offending area of one of the pirates *coughcough his no-no square*-- which is overkill, but something Will would do, being who he is and how much he adores Penny.

Knowing that, is it logical that Penny would forgive him for taking that extra step that counts as torture?

Halp!

 

[IG42]

Was the man dead before he got 'unmanned'?

 

[CastoffCaptain]

Was the man dead before he got 'unmanned'?

I hadn't planned on him being dead at the time, no.

 

[IG42]

I hadn't planned on him being dead at the time, no.

Well I think at best it would take several long conversations through a locked door to work things out.

 

[CastoffCaptain]

Well I think at best it would take several long conversations through a locked door to work things out.

That's what I was aiming for afterwards, but kept coming back to, "but is that believable?"

I mean, I someone wanted to do the things to me that they wanted to do to Penny, I'd probably applaud them for the unmanning, but... I keep second-guessing myself for the story.

 

[Bone2pick]

Here comes the moral dilemma. He not only kills the two would-be attackers, he also goes to remove the offending area of one of the pirates *coughcough his no-no square*-- which is overkill, but something Will would do, being who he is and how much he adores Penny.

Knowing that, is it logical that Penny would forgive him for taking that extra step that counts as torture?

Halp!

Going off of what you've provided I wouldn't go there—I'd just have Will slay the pirates. I'd focus on making the fight more compelling to make up for it.

 

[CastoffCaptain]

Well I think at best it would take several long conversations through a locked door to work things out.

That's what I was aiming for afterwards, but kept coming back to, "but is that believable?"

I mean, I someone wanted to do the things to me that they wanted to do to Penny, I'd probably applaud them for the unmanning

Going off of what you've provided I wouldn't go there—I'd just have Will slay the pirates. I'd focus on making the fight more compelling to make up for it.

I agree totally with you. I went and adjusted in that manner last night, and it feels much more natural. Things flowed better after that.

Thank you!

 

[Bone2pick]

CastoffCaptain If you're up for it, post that portion of the story & tag me so I can read it. I could even provide feedback if you'd like.

 

[CastoffCaptain]

CastoffCaptain If you're up for it, post that portion of the story & tag me so I can read it. I could even provide feedback if you'd like.

I might take you up on that, and I appreciate it. I'm not as practiced with writing fight scenes as I'd like-- but I at least have a working skeleton to go with for my first round of edits when I'm done. Meaning, if I did send it to you, it' be hellaciously rough. . Do you read/write much in the way of that particular thing?

 

[Bone2pick]

I do. I'm an action/adventure writer. Rough is fine. What matters is you get it done. Not that you don't know, but writing is a skill. And like any skill, the more reps you have under your belt the more competent you become.

 

[CastoffCaptain]

I do. I'm an action/adventure writer. Rough is fine. What matters is you get it done. Not that you don't know, but writing is a skill. And like any skill, the more reps you have under your belt the more competent you become.

Yep. Been doin' it for nigh-on twenty-five years so if practice makes perfect, then I'm Rudyard effin' Kipling by now. Ha.

I'll see if I remember to grab that bit tonight to bring in tomorrow. No promises.

Also, if you have any of your stuff you'd like to share, by all means.

I have old RPs here for refs re: my style but they're buried under a ton of non-RP related posts.

Well. My story style's a bit different than my posting style, but whatever.

 

[Bone2pick]

Also, if you have any of your stuff you'd like to share, by all means.

Would you like to switch to a PM for that or would you prefer I post in this thread? Also, are you primarily interested in combat posts or would you enjoy reading my range?

 

[CastoffCaptain]

Would you like to switch to a PM for that or would you prefer I post in this thread? Also, are you primarily interested in combat posts or would you enjoy reading my range?

Whatever you'd like to throw at me. I'm at work atm, so it might be tomorrow eve before I get to it. PM is fine.