Qualms about using cancer as a subplot

adipose · 12-01-2012, 02:12 AM

Okay, so my dilemma is this. I'll simplify as much as I can but could really use advice.

My WIP is a YA fantasy. (Contemporary fantasy? Urban fantasy? I don't know.) Healing is one of the powers people can have in this world, but all the powers are somewhat limited. One girl (a secondary MC) has considerably more power than others. It turns out that the headmistress of her school is sick. (She has to be seriously ill, it doesn't necessarily have to be cancer.) This girl is healing her on the reg, but she can only keep it at bay, not get rid of it.

Then later, it turns out another character's mother has cancer (or the same thing the headmistress ends up having) and that causes some problems/moral dilemmas when he finds out this girl can heal at that level.

SO the problem I have is: I am worried about using a serious disease (that has been handled very thoughtfully by other people) as a throwaway plot device, but the people who have it are not the main characters. One does not appear in the book and the other is the villain. This isn't really a story that can address the struggles of being ill, though the character whose mother gets sick will deal with some like "how far would you go to help your family" stuff.

Do you have problems with the situation as described above? Do you think it's insensitive or should be tweaked in any way? For the story to work the headmistress has to be sick, somehow. (I have also thought about it being a thing where she's really old, and is using this girl's magic to keep her body from breaking down).

Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry for being longwinded, and thanks.

melindamusil · 12-01-2012, 02:17 AM

Personally, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but if you're worried about it, why not make up a disease? Since it's a fantasy novel, it would be especially believable...

Maryn · 12-01-2012, 02:31 AM

That's exactly what I was going to say. (How does melindamusil get into my brain?) It's a fantasy, so you get to make up diseases with their own collections of symptoms, or assign them new names so the real thing is not recognizable.

For a fantasy, I'd especially enjoy the made-up names similar to kennel cough, childbed fever, milkleg, summer complaint, that sort of thing, made to match the symptoms which best serve your plot.

Maryn, whose maternal grandmother died of childbed fever

Buffysquirrel · 12-01-2012, 04:03 AM

I think cancer has become the go-to disease for many writers, just as Alzheimer's has. So for me it's not so much that it appears insensitive as that it's overused. I don't think there's any harm in making characters ill just so the protag can demonstrate her powers. But if you're finding it problematic, that may affect the writing.

BethS · 12-01-2012, 04:09 AM

I'm with Buffysquirrel. Cancer is so ubiquitous. I'd suggest doing some research and finding something more unusual.

Susan Littlefield · 12-01-2012, 05:28 AM

!

Cancer is pretty overused.

You might find this list useful.

dangerousbill · 12-01-2012, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susan Littlefield

!

Cancer is pretty overused.

You might find this list useful.

If I were a hypochondriac, this list would be pure gold.

On the other hand, both my parents died of diseases from the very back chapters of the internal medicine textbook.

rwm4768 · 12-01-2012, 08:25 AM

I don't see a problem with using cancer. In fact, it's one of those things that doesn't seem to show up a whole lot in fantasy.

quicklime · 12-01-2012, 09:14 AM

cancer kills what, 1 in 4? So it isn't exactly unheard of, and folks deal with all things in all manners....unless it was a ridiculously ham-fisted plot device (and making a disease up wouldn't help that...) I don't see cancer being a problem

rwm4768 · 12-01-2012, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susan Littlefield

!

Cancer is pretty overused.

You might find this list useful.

Wow, that list looks worse for a hypochondriac than watching a marathon of House.

Susan Littlefield · 12-01-2012, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwm4768

Wow, that list looks worse for a hypochondriac than watching a marathon of House.

I love House!

thepicpic · 12-01-2012, 01:36 PM

I think if you want to use cancer, feel free to do it. But I have a question...

Would healing powers work on cancer? If the host's body can't identify cancerous cells and eradicate them accordingly, can the magic tell the difference? Perhaps destructive powers might be able to do the job (chemotherapy kills off all of the affected cell type, cancerous or otherwise), or a hybrid of the two?

Just a thought, based on my own experience with cancer and its treatment.

Lunabird · 12-01-2012, 11:14 PM

My dad survived cancer and my grandpa died from it, but I don't have any problems with this plot in the least. Forge ahead, I say.

goldhorse · 12-02-2012, 09:28 AM

I've lost a grandma and two aunts to cancer. I also have a cousin who is a survivor. Really, the use of cancer doesn't bother me. However, I agree that it's a convenient go to for the dreaded "incurable disease". I'd suggest to get more creative.

Beatlemaniac · 12-02-2012, 10:01 AM

My take on this "incurable disease" plot? Write it very, very, seriously. If this is a "one minute someone has it, the next minute they don't" (even if it's eradicated by magical powers), it won't hold up, despite it happening to secondary characters.

The reason I say this is because I lost both of my parents to cancer--and to two different types. I saw the physical and emotional damage of what it did to each of them. And yes, I would have given anything to have some magical cure heal them.

That said, I don't have a problem with it in the plot, as long as the implications of what it does to people (and their loved ones) is "real", despite being in a fantasy storyline (which has to have some basis in reality to work properly).

Since this is a fantasy, you could make up the disease as others have suggested. The good thing with this idea is you can determine just how "severe" it needs to be and how it serves it's purpose in the story.

I hope I didn't come off as bitter or angry in this post, because I'm not in the least.

adipose · 12-02-2012, 11:24 PM

Hey guys,
I really appreciate all the input on this. Just to share a little more about my thought processes, if you're interested, I don't think I can make up a disease, because I'm doing one of those magic-integrated-in-the-real-world type fantasies and I wanted a real disease to show its limits and also ground it more in something people can understand. Also, since cancer is really common, it is more likely that two characters would come down with it.

Beatlemaniac, you're totally right about the "one minute someone has it, the next minute they don't" thing and that is why I was worried, not wanting it to seem like something I just threw in there to move the plot along. But even the girl who has more power than everyone else can only keep it at bay and runs herself ragged doing it.

That said, that list looks really helpful (and terrifying) and I am going to look into other possible diseases to see if there's something else that would work.

Thanks again for your thoughtful responses!

melindamusil · 12-03-2012, 12:29 AM

I have a good friend who has cystic fibrosis - today is actually her birthday. That would definitely be incurable, manageable, but huge pain to live with. My friend has been in and out of the hospital with all sorts of medical problems her whole life - pm me if you want more information.

12-01-2012, 02:12 AM	#1
adipose New Fish; Learning About Thick Skin Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 35	Qualms about using cancer as a subplot Okay, so my dilemma is this. I'll simplify as much as I can but could really use advice. My WIP is a YA fantasy. (Contemporary fantasy? Urban fantasy? I don't know.) Healing is one of the powers people can have in this world, but all the powers are somewhat limited. One girl (a secondary MC) has considerably more power than others. It turns out that the headmistress of her school is sick. (She has to be seriously ill, it doesn't necessarily have to be cancer.) This girl is healing her on the reg, but she can only keep it at bay, not get rid of it. Then later, it turns out another character's mother has cancer (or the same thing the headmistress ends up having) and that causes some problems/moral dilemmas when he finds out this girl can heal at that level. SO the problem I have is: I am worried about using a serious disease (that has been handled very thoughtfully by other people) as a throwaway plot device, but the people who have it are not the main characters. One does not appear in the book and the other is the villain. This isn't really a story that can address the struggles of being ill, though the character whose mother gets sick will deal with some like "how far would you go to help your family" stuff. Do you have problems with the situation as described above? Do you think it's insensitive or should be tweaked in any way? For the story to work the headmistress has to be sick, somehow. (I have also thought about it being a thing where she's really old, and is using this girl's magic to keep her body from breaking down). Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for being longwinded, and thanks.

12-01-2012, 02:31 AM	#3
Maryn Remembering... AW Moderator Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 25,485	That's exactly what I was going to say. (How does melindamusil get into my brain?) It's a fantasy, so you get to make up diseases with their own collections of symptoms, or assign them new names so the real thing is not recognizable. For a fantasy, I'd especially enjoy the made-up names similar to kennel cough, childbed fever, milkleg, summer complaint, that sort of thing, made to match the symptoms which best serve your plot. Maryn, whose maternal grandmother died of childbed fever __________________ In Flanders Fields the poppies blow Between the crosses row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. --Lt. Col. John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)

12-01-2012, 04:03 AM	#4
Buffysquirrel Possibly not a real squirrel Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Coldest corner of the living room, United Kingdom Posts: 4,549	I think cancer has become the go-to disease for many writers, just as Alzheimer's has. So for me it's not so much that it appears insensitive as that it's overused. I don't think there's any harm in making characters ill just so the protag can demonstrate her powers. But if you're finding it problematic, that may affect the writing. __________________ Writing from a female point of view seems to be generally regarded as something more like writing from the perspective of a deer: you might get points for novelty, but it'd be impossible to get right, and who really wants to hear a deer narrate a story, anyway? Jennifer duBois Damn the prologue, full speed ahead! Laurie McLean, Foreword Literary

12-01-2012, 04:09 AM	#5
BethS writer, rider, reader Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: NC, USA Posts: 3,072	I'm with Buffysquirrel. Cancer is so ubiquitous. I'd suggest doing some research and finding something more unusual. __________________ The Stone River

12-01-2012, 05:28 AM	#6
Susan Littlefield Tell it like it Is Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: With my cats Posts: 7,501	! Cancer is pretty overused. You might find this list useful. __________________ Susan Please visit my website: http://www.susanlittlefield.blogspot.com/

12-01-2012, 02:17 AM	#2
melindamusil practical experience, FTW Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 250	Personally, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but if you're worried about it, why not make up a disease? Since it's a fantasy novel, it would be especially believable...

12-01-2012, 08:25 AM	#8
rwm4768 practical experience, FTW Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Missouri Posts: 5,504	I don't see a problem with using cancer. In fact, it's one of those things that doesn't seem to show up a whole lot in fantasy. __________________ My writing blog: http://ryanmuellerwriting.blogspot.com/ WIP: The Man in the Crystal Prison (Upper MG Contemporary Fantasy): 66K Revising and Editing White Fire (Epic Fantasy): 114K Revising and Editing.

12-01-2012, 09:14 AM	#9
quicklime Classy, eloquent, shit like that... Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: wisconsin Posts: 7,083	cancer kills what, 1 in 4? So it isn't exactly unheard of, and folks deal with all things in all manners....unless it was a ridiculously ham-fisted plot device (and making a disease up wouldn't help that...) I don't see cancer being a problem __________________ Three words that convey the meaning of six will always look better than twelve....

12-01-2012, 01:36 PM	#12
thepicpic I am student- hear me snore! Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: South Yorks. England Posts: 378	I think if you want to use cancer, feel free to do it. But I have a question... Would healing powers work on cancer? If the host's body can't identify cancerous cells and eradicate them accordingly, can the magic tell the difference? Perhaps destructive powers might be able to do the job (chemotherapy kills off all of the affected cell type, cancerous or otherwise), or a hybrid of the two? Just a thought, based on my own experience with cancer and its treatment.

12-01-2012, 11:14 PM	#13
Lunabird Alive in the silence Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 61	My dad survived cancer and my grandpa died from it, but I don't have any problems with this plot in the least. Forge ahead, I say. __________________ Writing Blog Poetry Blog

12-02-2012, 09:28 AM	#14
goldhorse Oooh look at the pretty pony! Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: In the sticks Posts: 190	I've lost a grandma and two aunts to cancer. I also have a cousin who is a survivor. Really, the use of cancer doesn't bother me. However, I agree that it's a convenient go to for the dreaded "incurable disease". I'd suggest to get more creative.

12-02-2012, 10:01 AM	#15
Beatlemaniac Imma Mum-Mum Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: 1964--Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! Posts: 86	My take on this "incurable disease" plot? Write it very, very, seriously. If this is a "one minute someone has it, the next minute they don't" (even if it's eradicated by magical powers), it won't hold up, despite it happening to secondary characters. The reason I say this is because I lost both of my parents to cancer--and to two different types. I saw the physical and emotional damage of what it did to each of them. And yes, I would have given anything to have some magical cure heal them. That said, I don't have a problem with it in the plot, as long as the implications of what it does to people (and their loved ones) is "real", despite being in a fantasy storyline (which has to have some basis in reality to work properly). Since this is a fantasy, you could make up the disease as others have suggested. The good thing with this idea is you can determine just how "severe" it needs to be and how it serves it's purpose in the story. I hope I didn't come off as bitter or angry in this post, because I'm not in the least. __________________ "God help and breed you all."--John Lennon, In His Own Write (1964) "I have a distinct feeling about people who think of writing. It is this—if anything can stop them, it is probably no great loss."--Alexander Woollcott

12-02-2012, 11:24 PM	#16
adipose New Fish; Learning About Thick Skin Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 35	Hey guys, I really appreciate all the input on this. Just to share a little more about my thought processes, if you're interested, I don't think I can make up a disease, because I'm doing one of those magic-integrated-in-the-real-world type fantasies and I wanted a real disease to show its limits and also ground it more in something people can understand. Also, since cancer is really common, it is more likely that two characters would come down with it. Beatlemaniac, you're totally right about the "one minute someone has it, the next minute they don't" thing and that is why I was worried, not wanting it to seem like something I just threw in there to move the plot along. But even the girl who has more power than everyone else can only keep it at bay and runs herself ragged doing it. That said, that list looks really helpful (and terrifying) and I am going to look into other possible diseases to see if there's something else that would work. Thanks again for your thoughtful responses!

12-03-2012, 12:29 AM	#17
melindamusil practical experience, FTW Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 250	I have a good friend who has cystic fibrosis - today is actually her birthday. That would definitely be incurable, manageable, but huge pain to live with. My friend has been in and out of the hospital with all sorts of medical problems her whole life - pm me if you want more information.

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