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Writing Triggers

The document outlines the structure and essential elements of writing effective triggers in storytelling, emphasizing the importance of clear emotional or physical escalation. It advises against 'fishtailing' triggers and stresses the need for clarity in the triggeree's feelings or experiences. Additionally, it discusses special cases involving powers and the necessity of cutting unnecessary details to maintain focus and brevity in trigger events.

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4 views

Writing Triggers

The document outlines the structure and essential elements of writing effective triggers in storytelling, emphasizing the importance of clear emotional or physical escalation. It advises against 'fishtailing' triggers and stresses the need for clarity in the triggeree's feelings or experiences. Additionally, it discusses special cases involving powers and the necessity of cutting unnecessary details to maintain focus and brevity in trigger events.

Uploaded by

toprakemn124
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Writing Triggers:

Setup: A trigger generally follows a fairly simple rhythm, since they’re so short. Context is established: the reader is
allowed to understand what is happening and why when the trigger itself occurs. Then, the exact moment itself
comes into play, building on what comes before. Sometimes this is a sudden sharp right turn - everything is
wonderful, then it’s not. Sometimes it’s just a final step in a long walk - everything is miserable and it gets worse.
But the moment itself should represent a definite, clear, nadir, that follows from the preceding material.
“Fishtailing” triggers, ones that seem to flip flop on the issues and themes at stake, are bad, and make it hard to
build powers for.

Finale: A trigger moment should be a clear moment of emotional and/or physical escalation from prior events.
Cases where it’s unclear what the triggeree is feeling (for a mental trigger) or experiencing (for a physical trigger)
should be avoided at all times. If it’s necessary to go slightly out of character, then do so - “What you don’t know is
X” is a decent device for a physical trigger where the character’s ailing but doesn’t know why, for example. For
mental triggers, make the emotions explicit where it fits. “You trigger in rage” is better than just leaving it as “She
calls you the most worthless piece of scum in the world. You trigger.” Sometimes previous context helps, but make
sure that what the triggeree is feeling at that final moment should be clear, otherwise it just creates arguments.

Special Cases: There are cases where a trigger event interacts with shards/other powers, and then there are special
considerations that need to be made in writing the trigger event. For the most part, the major concern with power-
involving trigger events is a) avoiding triggers that guide one to the exact same power as a character in the trigger
event, and b) avoiding bringing too much in the way of benefit to a given character by their nature.

● Duplicate Powers: This is particularly problematic in Trump and second gen triggers. Aim to have a
situation where the logical power to give isn’t just a duplicate of the previous gen/triggering para’s power.
It drags gen down for a while because nobody wants to go “alright, this guy is getting beaten up by a Brute,
so he gets Brute powers.” It cuts down opportunities for creativity, coming up with interesting ideas that
play off of what’s present in the trigger itself. This applies, in a different way, to multiple triggers - create
situations that both afflict multiple individuals, and afflict them differently. Power gens can grind to a halt
otherwise, as people try to make up four Brutes.
● Backup: Having a parahuman ally is good. If a trigger is a Trump from a loved one, put in a twist or obstacle
in the path of just getting a free ally. If it’s a bud, try to put the original further out of the picture, or provide
a situation where they’re at odds. If they’re in a multiple trigger unit, give them reason to stay away from
one another. And so forth. Otherwise, it can push the GM into a situation where they have to warp the
setting around it.

Cut, Cut, Cut: Go back over the trigger you’ve written. Look for clauses that don’t serve a useful purpose in
establishing context, things that aren’t relevant or necessary, and cut them. Try to make two sentences into one,
where possible - it’s better to say “His psychotic control destroyed your ability to trust” than “He was psychotically
controlling. In the wake of breaking up with him, you couldn’t trust anyone”, for example. Trigger events that are
too long clog up chat when they’re rolled and can make genning hard because people latch on to different things
that are maybe irrelevant, so focus on what’s important.

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