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drpaladin

Posted

It's the nature of the young to plung recklessly into situations

 

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Bill W

Posted

"Plunge" originates from late 14th century Middle English plungen, derived from Old French [;pmgoer ("dive, since, immerse").  It stems from Vulgar Latin plumbicare "to heave the lead, from Latin plumbum "lead".  This was referring to weighting a fishing net or sounding line, so the original sense related to sinking or throwing something into water.  By the late 14th century, the verb plungen meant to thrust violently into or immerse,  and was commonly used in literature for dramatic action, including descriptions of plunging into battles or water.  By the late 14th century, it was used for casting into a state or condition (e.g., despair).  It is related to "plumb" and "plumber" through its Latin roots.  

According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the verb plunge was first used in English during the Middle English period (1150-1500), with the earliest known evidence dating to around 1380 in the text Sir Ferumbras.  The noun plunge is recorded slightly later, with the earliest evidence in the OED dating to around 1450 in Wars of Alexander.   The adjective plunged appears in the late 1500s (1581).  The phrase "take the plunge" (to commit to a major decision) is recorded by 1823

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Bill W

Posted (edited)

"Plunging" a character—starting a story in the middle of things or throwing them into conflict later—is crucial for character development because it reveals their true nature, motivations, and coping mechanisms under pressure.  Rather than slowly introducing a character, plunging forces them to react, showcasing their flaws, strengths, and fears in action, which is often more compelling to readers than mere description.  

Importance of Plunging for Character Development:  
Reveals True Character Under Pressure: The "plunge" forces characters to show their personality, rather than just talk about it, often highlighting their "lie" or limiting beliefs. 
Accelerates Reader Investment: By throwing a character into a difficult situation immediately (the "inciting incident"), the reader is compelled to connect emotionally and care about the outcome from the first few pages. 
Establishes High Stakes: A successful plunge ensures the audience sees what the character has to lose, which is crucial for character-driven stories. 
Forces Immediate Growth: Characters in these situations cannot stay stagnant; the intense circumstances, or "surgery without anesthesia," force them to learn, adapt, or fail. 
Eliminates Unnecessary Backstory: Instead of explaining a character’s background in a dump of information, the "plunge" shows their past in action, allowing the writer to unravel details like "peeling an onion".  

Key Considerations for a Successful Plunge: 
Establish a "Before" Baseline: Even while starting in media res, the writer should briefly establish the character's mundane life, known as their normal state, to make their upcoming challenges truly significant. 
Make it Personal: The conflict of the plunge should strike at the character's inner vulnerability or longing. 
Create Empathy: The character must possess some redeeming quality, even if they are heavily flawed, to make the reader want to accompany them on this difficult journey.  
 
Where to Start the Plunge:
A character should be thrown into their "trouble" right away, ideally when their normal, yet flawed, existence is broken by the inciting incident. This action forces them out of their comfort zone and initiates the crucial transformation in their character arc.
Edited by Bill W
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