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Plot involving instability / loss of 'control' in life? Advice needed!

@Cassiopeia forum 2 comments schedule
@Cassiopeia

Hey, everyone! Long time no see, eh?

For those of you who may or may not remember me, I'm L.C! I used to be a lot more active here, but I'm back again!

Now, for the actual request of mine– I'm currently writing a backstory for a roleplay character. The group I'm applying to is insanely selective, so I have to write a VERY solid character in order to get in.

Anyways, this character is a soldier. (Previously having served in the USMC.) One of her character themes will be coming to grips with the simple fact that some things are out of her control and that those things aren't her fault. I'm trying to call back to this theme throughout her civilian life (or childhood/adolescence) and military life, but it is hard to come up with this sort of thing. Any ideas for both? I'm open to pretty much anything, since I'm pretty stuck. ^^;

Many thanks in advance for reading, hope to hear from you all soon!

– L.C.

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I know this post is deader than a doornail, but it never hurts to put more tips and tricks into the aether… especially on an unanswered post. (Don't hate me!)

I think having a character come to grips with the loss of control and instability in life is a great theme to explore. In terms of her childhood/adolescence, you could have her experience a traumatic event, like the death of a loved one or a natural disaster, that shakes her understanding of control and stability. This could lead her to become a control freak in her personal life, but ultimately she will have to learn to let go and accept that some things are out of her control.

Regarding her military experience, you could delve into various scenarios that challenge her ability to retain control. For instance, having her face life-threatening situations in a warzone or witnessing the loss of her comrades during a mission can severely test her emotional stability. Additionally, she could struggle with the aftermath of traumatic events and develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder such as anxiety, nightmares, or emotional detachment, leading to a further loss of control over her emotions. Another idea could be to have her face unexpected challenges in leadership positions, forcing her to adapt to new and unfamiliar scenarios and struggle to maintain control over her team and herself. Either approach comes down to whether you want internal or external conflict, or some combination of both.

Did you ever end up writing this character? I'd be interested to read what you ended up with!