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themournfulduck.livejournal.com posting in

I am a single, and before joining this community, I had very little knowledge of multiplicity at all.

Being a prone-to-writing-fiction single, I had an idea for a story with a certain character--or certain group of characters, I should say. It excited me very much, and I began working on it right away. This group of characters shares the same body, but none of them are aware of it. They are all aware of each other, but they are not aware they are in the same body.

But then I pursued research on the concept of multiplicity, and came across this community, and found that my fictional system didn't seem typical at all.

It bothered me a little, because I'd hate to give people an incorrect idea of what multiplicity is really like, and that seems to be a concern especially of many of the people in this community.

But I don't go into it thinking it's standard, and I also, knowing next to nothing of psychology, believe (hope) that there is some variation as far as this sort of thing goes.

I don't think I portray multiplicity negatively, though the system is rather dysfunctional. I like all of the characters very much.

I was thinking maybe I could call it something else, but throughout the book, I don't call it anything. I don't refer to it at all: the reader is supposed to guess they all share the same body by descriptions of circumstances, and the only people who remark on it are bystanders who don't know anything.

So I thought maybe I'd put a disclaimer or something in the beginning, you know, "By the way, this isn't really MPD or DID, just so you know," but then they'd figure out from the disclaimer, and there wouldn't be any point in avoiding mentioning that they all have the same body.

Hopefully I will manage something to that in the end, however, after everything has already come out. I haven't developed the end much; I've only written one draft of it, and don't like it much.

Any opinions?

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From:

threedog.livejournal.com

I think you should feel free to call it whatever you want, or whatever fits, and not have to worry about going, by the way this isn't what it's really like! We're talking fiction, here, and as far as multiplicity seems to go, everyone seems to have their own systems and experiences. It doesn't work exactly the same for everybody.

Write what you want and don't worry. ;D

From:

pengke.livejournal.com

The problem is less that your scenario isn't typical and more that your scenario is completely illogical. If the individuals all know about each other, how would they miss the fact that they're in the same body? You can ignore logic and write it anyway, as movies such as Identity and Fightclub did, but it's better writing if you can find an explanation. For example, do they have a distorted view of their body so that none of them can see how it really is?

I'm assuming that you don't want them to know they're in the same body to set up gaffs or fool the readers. If that's the case, you could just modify the situations to allow them to know they're in the same body. The readers don't have to know what the characters know. Throw in a little miscommunication between the characters and all sorts of funny misunderstandings could arise. IE, Bob and Sue know they share the same body but they never talk so somehow they missed the fact that they're both dating Dan.

From:

themournfulduck.livejournal.com

The problem is less that your scenario isn't typical and more that your scenario is completely illogical. If the individuals all know about each other, how would they miss the fact that they're in the same body? You can ignore logic and write it anyway, as movies such as Identity and Fightclub did, but it's better writing if you can find an explanation. For example, do they have a distorted view of their body so that none of them can see how it really is?

Yes, something like that.

Whoever happens to be fronting is aware of the body only in the capacity that it moves around and does stuff for them. When they look at themselves in the mirror, they see themselves, with their own physical attributes, not the actual body they're in. If an other of them happens to be in the same room, they see them there, occupying the space, and interact with them, as if they are another outside person. Actual outside people wouldn't be aware of them though, and all they see is the body.

I'm not entirely certain exactly how they switch, as it would involve some weird jumping through space thing. But they're all used to it, and might not notice it, since they've been doing it pretty much since they came into existence.

I haven't seen Identity or Fightclub.

There's definitely still a lot more to think about regarding this, and I will take your comments into consideration.

From:

mirrorbrothers.livejournal.com

There's nothing wrong with writing about unusual people. In fact, if there was nothing unusual about them, they'd be boring to read about. Granted, I think an "ordinary" functional multiple would be worth writing about, but that's nothing like saying your story is bad.

What you should really avoid, are multiple stereotypes. A multiple that's dysfunctional in a new and interesting and realistic way is dramatic; a multiple that's dysfunctional in all the old, false, stereotypical ways is offensive.

Some things I'd suggest staying away from:

One-mood alters - system members who have only one role and/or one emotion. Especially ill-used: the violent protector, the sex fiend, the traumatized child. In "full" multiple systems (meaning non-median ones) the members are all complete people with mutliple interests and moods.

Hostile systems - system members who are fundamentally opposed to each other, so that most of them need to be integrated or gotten rid of. There are such systems, but in most systems I've heard from, there's a strong feeling that at the end of the day everyone's on the same side. This happens even when there's long-running, serious arguments, or headmates who, were they singlets, most people would just stop talking to.

Multiple criminals - I suppose multiples aren't any less likely to commit crimes as anyone else, but the "one system member did something awful and none of the others remember/could help it" thing has been done to death.

There are probably a few more, but those are the big ones I can think of. If you're not using any of the old button-pushing stereotypes, I'm sure you're fine. In fact, a system with communication but unaware that they share a body is a pretty cool idea.

What I'd really suggest is learning more about what a "normal" system is like, and then use that as a starting point to write an unusual system.

Johnny

From:

themournfulduck.livejournal.com

I think I've avoided all of the stereotypes you've mentioned: all of the characters have different sides, and I've developed them, in my opinion, sufficiently, though some more than others--and none of them are criminals. There is some disagreement and even aggressiveness, but I wouldn't say they are "fundamentally opposed to each other" or anything, and if everything were okay on the outside, like they all had enough food, and money, and good relationships, and some more happiness, they would have got along fine. In the end, however, they do all go their separate ways--but nobody is kicked out or integrated, and they don't hate each other.

Reading this community these pasts months has given me, I believe, a rather good acquaintance with what a "normal" system is like, and if I do write about multiplicity again, well. But this idea occurred to me, like I said, before.

Thank you very much for the comments!

From:

mylittlebox.livejournal.com

Put the disclaimer at the end. That way, no one will know until it's been revealed.

(deleted comment)

From:

themournfulduck.livejournal.com

I think it's more focused on coming-of-age or maturing or something than multiplicity; the fact that they're sharing a body is more of a backdrop, (though I suppose I'm emphasizing the importance of it by not stating it out right.)

The ending of the story that I'm going with at the moment does not send a positive message about multiplicity. I hadn't intended it to send any sort of message about multiplicity, but they don't learn how to become a system that can function successfully in society as it is.

They had been dependent on each other for a long time, but come to realize they can't get what they want if they continue. So they all leave, to try and function independently, except for one, who is left with the body, and feels empty and lonely without them.

The message is not supposed to be that multiplicity is bad and independence is better, and I think I prove it's not that earlier in the story because the multiplicity came about when Leah needed help coping in college, and they banded together and were really supportive.

However, in their particular situation, they cannot fulfill each other the way they thought they could, so they look elsewhere. I think it's more about the conflict of trying to keep a family together vs. the members' need to get out as they start to grow up. I'm about to go to college for the first time, and I'm thinking of getting out a lot lately.