I’m mad. And to explain why I’m mad, I have to tell you a story.
In writing, there’s a concept called “fridging.” Basically, you have a character (usually female) who gets hurt or dies, prompting the (usually male) main character to do something important to the plot. The term was invented after some comic book hero from the 90s came home to discover his girlfriend murdered and her body stuffed into his refrigerator. It’s been a generally frowned-upon trope for the past several years. Some people view it as lazy writing; others demand that all female characters have agency.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t too familiar with the fridging trope until recently. I’ve never really watched movies or read books that included the concept. To be fair, I don’t watch much TV or read very many modern books in general. So when I came up with the plot for my fantasy book–a boy going on a quest to save his mother from a magic-induced illness–I thought I was being reasonably original.
Of course, there are no new plots. I never expected my story to be something that no one had ever done before, but I also didn’t expect to be falling into a negatively-viewed trope like this. And so, I started thinking. And it hit me: maybe it’s not the mother who needs rescuing. Maybe it’s a brother.
This opens up a whole other can of worms. Maywin, the protagonist, had a younger brother who died in a childhood accident. This shaped a good bit of Maywin’s personality. He feels responsible, as he was there when it happened and he couldn’t save his brother. I was envisioning him as an only child after this loss, and adding another brother complicates things. What’s the age gap? How do the parents treat the new brother compared with Maywin? How does Maywin treat his brother? Does he feel responsible for the brother’s well-being, or does he resent him for the extra attention and love his parents give him? (Even if that extra attention and love is only something Maywin thinks is there.)
I was originally going for a younger brother, but what if the brother is older? Does Maywin look up to him? How does it affect Maywin’s job performance? The more I think about the concept of Maywin having an older brother, the more I like it, actually.
The older brother fixes another problem, too. The concept of a protective teenager, already having lost a sibling to a tragic event, doing everything in their power to keep a younger sibling safe, feels vaguely familiar. Ah, yes–I’ve already written three books with that sibling dynamic. I’d rather not have a repeat of Alynn and Tarin. That’s the whole reason I’ve moved on from the Clouds Aflame series. I want something new, something fresh.
Well, I appear to have worked out most of my thoughts and frustrations. Thanks for bearing with me. I’m looking forward to Maywin’s mom being alive and healthy for the entire book. She’s a good character, and I like her. What do you think about my giving Maywin another brother? Let me know in the comment section! God bless you, dear readers, and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!