Partly brought to mind by Gryphon's idea for improving TLOK book 1, but also a problem I've encountered elsewhere; given a situation where there's a character who needs a thorough reeducation via fists, but it would be a bit out-of-character for whomever is around to do so, my question is: How far out of bounds is acceptable (or is at acceptable at all) for a character to do something they normally wouldn't, when that something is a beatdown?

"This is probably a stupid question, but . . ."

>Partly brought to mind by Gryphon's idea for improving TLOK book 1,
>but also a problem I've encountered elsewhere; given a situation where
>there's a character who needs a thorough reeducation via fists, but it
>would be a bit out-of-character for whomever is around to do so, my
>question is: How far out of bounds is acceptable (or is at acceptable
>at all) for a character to do something they normally wouldn't, when
>that something is a beatdown?

Depends on how you structure it. If there's a specific reason for someone to snap and do something they normally wouldn't - i.e., what happened to Juri in On the Road Again - and you don't overplay that card, you're good. It's a delicate balancing act and can't be indulged in too often. Any character can be pushed too far, but if you (as an author) make doing so a habit, it rapidly threatens to become self-parody at best.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

I *think* the events leading up to said potential beatdown are sufficient to warrant it, but it's complicated by the fact I personally want to see the character get whomped, which is why I'm trying to gather opinions on the matter before committing anything to paper (or text file, as the case may be)

"This is probably a stupid question, but . . ."

The marvellous thing about text files is that if something turns out to be a bad idea, no paper has been wasted.

>The marvellous thing about text files is that if something turns out
>to be a bad idea, no paper has been wasted.

That is so! And if you think better of something before you show it to anyone, no one ever has to know you wrote it but your own brooding, obsessive, guilt-ridden conscience.

--G.
Or is that just me?
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>That is so! And if you think better of something before you show it
>to anyone, no one ever has to know you wrote it but your own brooding,
>obsessive, guilt-ridden conscience.
>
>--G.
>Or is that just me?

No, that sounds very, very familiar.

"This is probably a stupid question, but . . ."