1. sean robins

    sean robins Member

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    characters' motivation and feelings on defending against an alien invasion

    Discussion in 'Character Development' started by sean robins, Sep 26, 2018.

    In my novel, a few humans suddenly find themselves tasked with defending humanity against an imminent alien invasion. In all the other similar sci-fi novels and movies I can think of, it is taken for granted that as soon as an alien invasion occurs the heroes take up arms and rush to defend Earth. But how would they feel? Enthusiasm, since they are going to save humanity? Fear at being tasked with such enormous task? Anxiety? Doubt? All of the above? what is their motivation? is it simply defending humanity?

    I actually have some ideas, but I want to hear yours:)

    Thank you all in advance for your feedback:)
     
  2. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    I think there would be an adreniddn rush. Your characters have probably trained for this. Now it's go time.
     
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2018
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  3. Irina Samarskaya

    Irina Samarskaya Senior Member

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    The closest real-world equivalent to fending off an alien invasion, that I know of, is the Mongolian invasion of Europe.

    Not only did it come out of nowhere, it couldn't have happened at a worse time. The Russians were warring with one another, divided into dozens of smaller countries. The Eastern Slavs weren't exactly helpful, and once they found the Mongolians they were a little overconfident--and so they were destroyed. The Hungarians, however, had gotten word of what happened to the Russians who failed to repulse the Mongols (namely they had their cities destroyed and depopulated with survivors being enslaved en masse) and so they were very much afraid of resisting the Mongols (who were known to totally spare those who willingly surrendered, much like the homes of the Jews who put sheeps blood over the entrances before the biblical plagues descended upon Egypt) and yet they decided to do so anyway even though they had just gotten out of a civil war between their new King Bela IV, the aristocracy, and the Cuman refugees who arrived after fleeing thousands of miles to get away from the Mongols.

    What happened? Well, that's complicated.

    In general the Mongols arrived like a hurricane and wreaked havoc wherever they went; militia armies were no match, while knights and professional soldiers held their own. What really ensured Hungarian survival, however, was their stone castles--something Mongols hadn't faced in Arabia or Asia. The siege engines of the Mongols weren't good enough and so they were slowed down, massively. Once Genghis Khan died of old age, they retreated en masse to mourn him. But several years later, they would return...

    ...And King Bela IV would be ready for them, exploiting every weakness his countrymen were able to identify. The country at large dedicated itself to constructing stone walls and fortifications all over the Great Hungarian Plain and for every notable village. Horsemen were armed and armored with Europe's best at whatever cost they had to be paid for; the Knights Templar pitched in massively, and overall it was the little Hungarian nation that was expected to keep Europe safe from the Mongols who had killed many thousands seemingly effortlessly at the speed of sound.

    When the Mongols came back, under the great Subutai the Undefeated no less, with 200,000 men (far more than the Hungarians could muster of professionals plus volunteers), they were cornered at a river and beaten severely. The stone castles proved totally impregnable, and combined with defeats on the battlefield the Mongols were utterly destroyed while the Hungarians were able to walk away mostly intact, in contrast to the biblical plague of a slaughter that took place just a few years prior.

    So what would humans feel like before an impending invasion by a far superior power? Fear, anxiety, terror. The few brave men willing to stand forward and die, however, would be the ones to carry the majority who are only fighting because the alternative is far worse than mere death.

    If you want to know how people think/feel before an impending war that is unlike the majority (self-contained, minimal casualties, essentially a glorified staring contest), I suggest you read about the bloodiest wars in human history as well as the stories left behind by those who fought and/or observed them. I recall reading a poem written by a Novgorodian whose city was spared the Mongol hordes entirely because they didn't feel like going that far north. I don't recall the exact words, but I do remember the sentiment: the writer felt that God had sent an army of demons to punish the Russians for their fratricidal wars, and to awaken the Russians to the necessity of unity and brotherliness against an otherwise impending doom.

    Overall, I think, the theme that ought to permeate a story about fighting off seemingly invincible space aliens is unity. Whether it's the peoples of the heroes (or whatever) uniting and fighting alongside each other just when they needed to most, or failing to do so, I think the theme of unity and isolation is unavoidable.
     
  4. sean robins

    sean robins Member

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    Thank you so much for your input. This is exactly how my main protagonist feels. Once he wraps his mind around it, he is ready to go, since as you pointed out, he had been expecting the invasion and training for it for months. Still, he does feel the weight of responsibility, and is worried about the prospect of failure.
     
  5. sean robins

    sean robins Member

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    Thank you so much! How very insightful. As another user also pointed out, I am going to go with "adrenaline rush" for my main protagonist, but there is plenty of people who will feel the terror of facing a much superior enemy. I found your comment super helpful;)
     
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  6. Irina Samarskaya

    Irina Samarskaya Senior Member

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    I think the theme of unity will be the most useful for a story about defeating a far superior force. Even if it's just a small number of characters and not entire nations; the theme of unity (especially when in need) is timeless.
     
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  7. sean robins

    sean robins Member

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    Well-said. Thanks again!
     
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  8. l nimbus

    l nimbus Member

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    Motivation? Try something a simple as selfishness.

    All humans are selfish creatures.
     
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  9. sean robins

    sean robins Member

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    Very true. But would selfish people run to defend humanity, or would they hide somewhere waiting for the storm to pass?
     
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  10. Irina Samarskaya

    Irina Samarskaya Senior Member

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    The problem with the "everyone is selfish" argument is the definition of selfish is big enough to encompass anything.

    Morally, selfish is defined at doing X at the expense of Y with the act itself being immoral (therefore beating somebody at a sport isn't "selfish" while stealing is).

    However defining selfish as merely pursuing that which the self desires includes even charitable acts (because the "selfish" factor is the dopamine hit of doing good). The problem with this stretching of the word is that it unfairly taints the good and excuses/minimizes the evil by putting them in the same category.

    Also, I tend to view people that make such statements as projecting their own self and/or those around onto others/humanity (which is a very common mistake).
     
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  11. MusingWordsmith

    MusingWordsmith Shenanigan Master Contributor

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    Well I'd say it depends on your characters. You might get one who's all pumped to save the planet, and another that wants nothing more than to go hide. Another might be afraid but feel like they need to step up because it's their duty. Really it could come in all different sorts of flavors.

    Maybe even one of them considers helping as the 'selfish' route because they live on the planet, and it'd be in their best interest to save it.
     
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  12. sean robins

    sean robins Member

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    Thank you:) This is actually what I did. Two of my main characters are pumped up to save humanity, one thinks it's her duty, one wants to save his daughters, and one joins the fight simply because the first two characters join up, but finds his own motivation later on.
     
  13. MusingWordsmith

    MusingWordsmith Shenanigan Master Contributor

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    I like those motivations!
     
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  14. sean robins

    sean robins Member

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    Thanks for vote of confidence:)
     
  15. jim onion

    jim onion New Member

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    Last edited: Sep 27, 2018
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  16. DeeDee

    DeeDee Contributor Contributor

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    All of the above! Maybe not the same character though ;) Why not try writing several characters with different emotional response to the invasion? The motivation can be anything. A businessman may want his company to be the first one to get a piece of the alien technology, so they make a bargain with the government to get the spaceship after the aliens are beaten. A military person might want to use the opportunity to get a promotion. A scientist may have doubt humans can beat the aliens but maybe the aliens have kidnapped his son and he has no choice. You can give them any motivation you want, depending on plot.
     
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  17. sean robins

    sean robins Member

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    I did use all of the above, and not all for the same character:) It would have been so funny to do it though. We could have a character with multiple personalities, each with different emotions:)
     
  18. Kalisto

    Kalisto Senior Member

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    It all depends on what you want. If you want a nice, fun, let's kick some alien imperialist butt, then there needs not be too much emotion attached. And personally, I see nothing wrong with this kind of story. I actually find them rather enjoyable. And that's their advantage. You can sit back, watch some macho guys pick up big guns and shoot things. No problem.

    If you want something deeper and more nuanced like Black Hawk Down and Saving Private Ryan then those sort of move away from the big conflict and focus on the perspective of the individual characters. There's no larger narrative on the wider conflict. You know enough to know why they're there and what they're doing, but overall everything is centered right down to the characters. If you're taking this approach my personal recommendation is to step away from your story and step into non fiction. Stories like All Quiet on the Western Front to get an idea of what emotions people feel.
     
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  19. sean robins

    sean robins Member

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    Thank you:)
    Mine is the first type. Funnily enough, what you have just described has been a bone of contention between me and my editor. He keeps asking, "Where is the raw emotion? Where is the terror? Why your characters do not take things seriously?" and I answer, " It's a light sci-fi comedy/action. Not taking things seriously is sort of the point!"
     
  20. Privateer

    Privateer Senior Member

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    Trouser-soiling terror would be the predominant emotion in most people, I'd imagine. Combined with wanting to save their home, justified rage and hatred of the invaders.

    Think of how most of Europe felt as dark-grey armour blazed through their countries in '39-'40, sweeping aside everything that stood against it, including the armies of the world's two foremost military powers.
     
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  21. Alan Aspie

    Alan Aspie Banned Contributor

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    Talk with people who have been in similar situations - fighting against mighty enemy while being underdog.

    "Mighty enemy" and fighting ≈ at least 20% dead or wounded.

    Listen carefully. That kind of people test you first. They don't tell if you will not listen, understand or if it is all about your emotions and feelings.

    Leave all drama away when you listen. it is the only way to respect what you hear.

    Let them have their pace and rhythm in talking.

    If they don't talk to you, don't push. They don't talk because you are not ready to listen.

    War.
    War on drugs.
    Big natural catastrophes like 2004 tsunami.
    Really, really bad forest fire.

    When you listen, listen very carefully what they don't tell. That is the most important part of what they tell.
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2018
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