Writing.Com General Discussion

I can understand the issue you're having. In my story, a young woman is the host of a dark spirit that is sealed inside her body. Her history is filled with her killing people as part of missions given to her when she served as a member of a black ops unit and when she went on a massacre that caused her to kill countless innocent people while she was being controlled by a cult that wanted to manipulated her to their own ends.

Much of her story is devoted to her atoning for the people she killed while trying to stop the groups that want to control her.

The thing I did was give her an "anchor". A character in the story that gives her a reason to master her powers without falling to her darkest desires. At first, she comes off as a cold and distant woman, even to her sisters, but as the story goes, she begins to change as she begins to master her powers to protect the people she cares about. For this character, its a young demon girl she saved, as well as her sisters who serve as the anchor that allows her to realize her powers are a gift to help her protect the ones that she loves.

More importantly, I had the murder of the innocent people while she was under control serve as her tipping point. The very thought of the people she slaughtered causes her to gain the will power to avoid such a thing from ever happening ever again. I have her think about the innocent people that she killed and it serves as a major plot point to change her once and for all.

If I may, maybe I could suggest that the killing of her mother serve as your character's tipping point, the time where she realizes how far she has fallen. From there, she begins to devote her efforts to saving her sister. This is what brings her back, the desire to atone for killing her mother by saving her sister.

This is what I meant by an "anchor". A loved one that causes a character to realize their actions and attempt to save themselves from falling even further into the darkness.

I think the most important thing is to make it a major plot point. What impact did the killing of her mother have on your character? Is she haunted by the screams of her mother? The image of her mother bleeding to death as she killed her? Is the memory vivid in her head? What about this horrible event drives her to change herself?

You don't have to make a plot point sunshine and rainbows to make it work or change the character. What matters is if she realizes how far she has fallen into the darkness and makes valid attempts to save herself.

The most important thing to remember is that no matter how far a character falls, the ones that can be redeemed are those that feel guilt and remorse over the actions.

A total monster generally feels no remorse over what they do. No matter how heinous their actions are, they don't care and lack any kind of a moral compass that makes them feel guilty.

As long as your character feels guilt over what they do, I think they can still be saved, even if they fall to the darkness or do something horrible.



I hope I really helped you out with this. If you want any further help, I'll try to help you best I can.

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