Tragic Goodbye Tropes

People can never literally be together forever. It's presumably the same in media. Even in stories where two may be physically bound (such as by chains) or metaphysically bound (such as with "voices in your head" or imaginary friends), there will usually be one moment where there is a dramatic goodbye. It could be for a death scene or otherwise, but saying goodbye to someone you care about holds an innate element of tragedy to the point where, even when you know you'll see them again, it still feels bittersweet.

There are a few ways you can create an appropriately tragic setting for any goodbye scene, the first and foremost being giving it a sense of permanence. With no hope for ever seeing another person again or for any form of resurrection or afterlife if it's death, it greatly heightens the sense of significance of a goodbye scene. Another common method is to alter traditional patterns of speech for one or both characters via extra stuttering, labored breathing, or differences in diction or syntax (i.e. a verbose character reduced to few or no words). Time of day or season often works to add an extra element to goodbye scenes, as twilight and autumn are ideal to signify good things ending and fading into the cold and dark. Rain is also an appropriate weather condition to use, particularly when the media of the story is visual. In fact, any of these setting suggestions would work amazingly with creative and appropriate mood lighting and perspective.

Part of what kicks us in the gut most about goodbyes is the prior knowledge of the relationship the characters held. Typically, the amount of time you spend learning and caring for the characters' bond with one another is directly proportional to the emotional punch of a goodbye. After all, it's a lot harder on a person (or character) to permanently leave a best friend or loved one than it is to permanently leave a waiter who served them for all of twenty minutes at Denny's. Because everyone has to say goodbye to people they love eventually, the amount of empathy generally rises astronomically when the audience is fully aware of the relationship these characters held.

There are multiple ways to add layers to death or goodbye scenes -- even ways to turn them into comedy -- but I won't cover them at this time. The tragic cover of rainy twilight skies in autumn still veil me.

~ Dream

Cursing in Media

People swear. It's just a fact. But some people swear more in certain instances than others, and it can be used to convey different effects in real life and in media depending on the word and its usage. While some people with uptight childhoods claim that cursing is indecent and should never be tolerated, it's my personal belief as a writer that all words are fair game in constructing sentences and scenarios. With appropriate timing, character, and audience, swearing can be used to good effect, add seriousness (or silliness) to a work, and more.

Here are a few of my tips:

1. In works generally curse-free, you can swear for emphasis. When a character finally understands how royally dead they are or jams their toe REALLY hard in a doorway, a simple "darn" may not suffice.
   
2. Give foul mouths to appropriate characters. Sometimes it's just more realistic that way. Truck drivers, marines, or perhaps just really angry people are ideal targets. Alternatively, giving foul mouths to surprising character types can make for amusing comedic sequences. After all, who would expect a babysitter or an "innocent" elderly lady to rattle off curse words every sentence?
   
3. Cluster curse words sparingly. Using them for every other word throughout a piece's entirety makes them lose their impact and, for some people, may become hard on the eyes. I recommend only stringing together several in one of two situations: when a non-cursing character gets angry and means business, or to some comedic effect. Even then, be careful to keep it brief -- you don't want them to lose their power by stretching them out too long.

Of course, there are a number of situations where I wouldn't recommend any form of curse word that people may find unacceptable. For instance, works that are made with young audiences in mind. I know that this sounds like it should be intuitive, but Kung Fu Panda received a lot of flack from some parents I know for using the phrase "I sucked." I didn't think it was that bad, as it aptly and effectively described what the character thought of his earlier kung fu performance, but words like suck, crap, hell, and even boob are borderline swear words. Some people consider their usage vulgar and you always risk losing your audience if you include them in words made for kids; that being said, I say that unless cursing or borderline-cursing is absolutely necessary, it should be left out of any work to maintain a wider possible audience.

Ultimately, swearing can be a powerful tool. It relies on precise timing -- and very precise characterization -- but when used effectively, it can bring a whole new level of oomph to (almost) any work.