How would react someone seeing someone else being shot in front of him???

Mariana · Jan 21, 2014

Hi!!
Mi MC is going out for a date and her boyfriend shoοts a guy in the head in front of her. I wrote that she starts screaming and she is in shock, unable to walk or talk for a few moments. Her boyfriend explains to her why he did it and takes her home. I'm wondering, what about after that first moments?? What does she do afterwards, after how long she gets over this first shock and how she reacts? I thought that she would feel afraid of him or angry but is that logical? She could just start yelling at him or what?? And how does someone finally gets over seeing someone getting killed?

Thanks to all for your help!!

Rina Evans · Jan 21, 2014

You should ask yourself what kind of person she is. What does she do? What is the reason for the shooting? She doesn't have to scream or be in shock, but I think she'd most likely be angry, confused or afraid. If she's your average girl next door who's never seen a murder, killed anyone... There are various ways people react, so you can make it work in many ways. The only implausible thing would be, for me, if she just shrugged and went on with her life.

Myrealana · Jan 21, 2014

There are as many answers to that question as there are people in the world.

Mariana · Jan 21, 2014

bookmaker said:
A few things you might want to consider: Is she in love with this guy, as in, in it for the long haul? Has she ever witnessed anything resembling this kind of violent behavior in him? What's her personality type? Does she have a dark side? Is it possible she's intrigued? Turned on? I think if the answers to the above are no, and she's a good girl caught in a bad situation, taken totally by surprise, then I think she would initially be too in shock to say or do much of anything. She may go straight to bed when she gets home (maybe after she scrubs herself rid of it in a hot shower) and stare at her ceiling all night. But the next day, or the next couple of days, she will do something, even if she decides to do nothing and tell no one, which in this case is an action in itself, since it will make her an accessory.

For me backstory would be everything here. Why did he kill this guy? Did the guy have it comin'? Was it revenge for something?

ETA: Regardless of his reasons, that's a pretty self serving, manipulative, uncaring thing for him to do in front of her, because he would know that he is putting her in a bad spot.

Well, I think she is just what you described "a good girl caught in a bad situation". She is totally in love with him, she had heard rumors of his violent behavior in the past but didn't believe them and on the date someone tries to harm her and her boyfriend with no second though takes out a gun and he shoots him. She is shocked of his cruelty and of the fact that she suddenly realizes that the rumors were true. His boyfriend takes her home, one friend of her tries to calm her down and the next morning her boyfriend disappears. Does it make sense if I write that she is in shock till she gets home and after that she tries to find him and ask for an explanation? Or someone who had just past thought something so awful needs more time to calm down??

cornflake · Jan 21, 2014

Mariana said:
Hi!!
Mi MC is going out for a date and her boyfriend shoοts a guy in the head in front of her. I wrote that she starts screaming and she is in shock, unable to walk or talk for a few moments. Her boyfriend explains to her why he did it and takes her home. I'm wondering, what about after that first moments?? What does she do afterwards, after how long she gets over this first shock and how she reacts? I thought that she would feel afraid of him or angry but is that logical? She could just start yelling at him or what?? And how does someone finally gets over seeing someone getting killed?

Thanks to all for your help!!

It's your character - you're the only one who'd know what she'd do and how she'd react.

I can't imagine standing there and listening to someone explain and then going home with them; I'm clearly not your character. You know her; we don't.

veinglory · Jan 21, 2014

Keep in mind that no matter how rational the reason, the emotional parts of the brain will not just stop responding. In fact once a fight/flight reaction has begun, it can be difficult to even listen to and understand rational explanations.

WeaselFire · Jan 21, 2014

Last time I shot a guy in front of a date she just said "Oh. Can we go for Chinese instead of Italian?"

Jeff

Buffysquirrel · Jan 21, 2014

I remember when my boyfriend was attacked in the street (not quite the same situation, I know), I was completely calm at the time but once we got to the safety of our room in the student hall, I freaked. Actually I think what triggered the freak-out was my boyfriend saying he wasn't going to bother calling the police.

I think in your character's situation I would want to be as far from the date as possible, but at the same time scared to do anything that might annoy him in case he shot me too....

Different people react differently. One person might get over the killing very quickly--one approach is to rationalise it: They had it coming. They were worthless anyway. Another person might be haunted for the rest of their life. A lot of it comes down to individual personality, and to how other people around them react.

debirlfan · Jan 22, 2014

It's going to depend on the situation, too. You said that the "victim" was trying to harm her? That covers a lot of ground, from someone calling her names and perhaps slapping her to attempted rape or murder. If it's the latter, she may be a little shocked, but ultimately grateful to the boyfriend - but if it happens as a result of some minor incident, that's a different story.

Mariana · Jan 23, 2014

It has been so helpful listening all these different opinions!! Considering all these I thing that the answer is hidden in the character of the girl that I've already developed in the previous chapters. Based on that I'll try to find out the most possible and reasonable reaction of her

How would react someone seeing someone else being shot in front of him???

Mariana

Rina Evans

Myrealana

I aim to misbehave

Mariana

cornflake

practical experience, FTW

veinglory

volitare nequeo

WeaselFire

Benefactor Member

Buffysquirrel

debirlfan

Mariana