Hey, I hope I'm doing this right as this is my first post on here,
In my book one of my characters experiences bullying but I don't know how to (correctly) go about this in a way that's actually realistic and believable. I haven't really experienced real bullying myself so I don't want to just "make it up". Sometimes I read about bullying and bullies in contemporary/modern books that feel extreme or stereotypical and I can't help but wonder "is this really how it goes?" (a recent example I can think of is Monica from the first Morganville vampires series but she's not the best example). I just don't want to write like "stereotypical mean girls" if that makes sense. If people could give me some pointers on how to write believable and realistic bullying I would be so grateful.
Thank you so much x
How long has the bullying been going on? Bullies tend to start off small and build on it as they go. They want to see just how much they can get away with. So, it could start out with intentionally bumping into the person in the hallway. Rude comments about the persons outfit and hair. Trying to seem superior to the other person. Those little insults that dig deep. Trying to make sure the person feels alone is a big thing. Like, telling others not to be friends with them or making being friends with the person social suicide.
What exactly is the relationship? I can probably give a better story if I knew.
@@Wanheda Thank you those tips are really, really helpful!
For more context, my characters is a fifteen year old girl (and a pastel goth if that means anything). She's just arrived at a new school and has experienced bullying in the past. Everyone is new to this place but the girls (and a few boys) that pick on her are more comfortable so I think the idea of trying to be superior is really good. She has four other roomates who she wants to be friends with but isn't quite sure how to.
Thank you very very much for your help!
I feelt like another thing is just excluding. Like the bullies are talking amongst themselves, always far enough away from the main character to be in a separate conversation but for her to know they’re talking a lot and having a good time without her, I guess? I know one girl who was a jerk to me always took my friends to a different table at lunch or whatnot, always talked to them, not me. It hurt a lot more than sounds, but shrug.
Well, bullying can take many different forms. I've had people shove me in the hallways and someone tried to push me down the stairs. I've been shoved into walls and doors. I've had people tell me that I suck and should kill myself, or that I don't belong and that I should just quit. I've had some of my best friends completely ignore me because I got first chair in band and they didn't. I've had people spread rumors about me and people gang up on me to shove me around a little. Someone once took all my music and ripped it up right in front of me before throwing it back at me and saying that he was just throwing it away in the trash where it and myself belong. Another time, the same person took my trumpet and held it above his head and then dropped it, completely denting the bell and breaking the third valve before lightly kicking it back to me while I was on the ground sobbing. The same guy also found me playing piano in the band room and he closed the cover on the piano over my fingers which broke three of them and when I came back to school the next day, he had cut the strings inside the piano and shoved all my music inside the piano so that I couldn't play it anymore and so that it put a lot of the blame on the broken piano on me. That's a few examples…so yeah, bullies are pretty stereotypical most of the time…
@Rvan and @"Jump_suit_cover_me(It's_MK)"
Jesus, I'm sorry all that happened to you guys which I know means little now. I'm sorry if I brought up bad memories.
But thank you so much for helping me- it means a lot and now I might actually crawl myself out of my temporary writers block. I'm very thankful for all your help. <3 Happy writing :)
I’m happy I could help :) And you know… the past is the past, it happened and nothing is gonna change that, so I’m just happy I could help someone with it :)
