Writing Face Slappers!

[Queenfisher]

So, okay. I need to make a confession -- I am a face-slapping writer-virgin. I often read face-slapping stories and enjoy them but I have no idea how to write them because I tend to overthink and overdescribe characters too much.

Thus, I almost always overwhelm my antagonists with backstories and when the time comes to face-slap them, it's... not as satisfying as I had originally planned. Because they ended up becoming sympathetic characters and now the Protagonist face-slapping them seems kind of assholish on his part?

So, what would you say are the quintessential parts of a good face-slapping arc or story? Give me pointers and tricks of how you do it! Or, as readers -- what you most like to see. (Maybe with examples).



Thanks!

 

[SailusGebel]

Just make it black and white morale, that's it. Also, braindead characters are a must for that kind of story.

 

[Queenfisher]

Just make it black and white morale, that's it. Also, braindead characters are a must for that kind of story.

But I heard "good face-slapping" and "bad face-slapping" being thrown-around in NU reviews (apart from "satisfying face-slapping"). Are you saying there are really no gradations to it?

Also, are you saying this as a reader of FS or a writer?

 

[SailusGebel]

But I heard "good face-slapping" and "bad face-slapping" being thrown-around in NU reviews (apart from "satisfying face-slapping"). Are you saying there are really no gradations to it?

Also, are you saying this as a reader of FS or a writer?

I am saying this as both. If you want a story about face-slapping, you would eventually tire yourself out, trying to write 'smart' villains, don't forget that your mc should be even smarter. That's why usually every novel has these mind-numbing stupid villains that value their 'face'. It's easier to elevate your mc with stupid villains, that way you won't need to rack your brains thinking up smart schemes and etc.
Also, if you delve too much into character development, it would stop being face slapping and eventually transform into a revenge story.
In my opinion, good face-slapping is basically a good story with face slapping. The tag itself doesn't exactly leave you with much freedom if you aren't a pro author that has enough time to think of a high-quality plot.

 

[SailusGebel]

Oh, I also forgot about comedy. If you include comedy, any kind of lighthearted, cheerful, perhaps slapstick type of comedy it would work wonders. Try to avoid serious topics and themes.

 

[Valmond]

So, okay. I need to make a confession -- I am a face-slapping writer-virgin. I often read face-slapping stories and enjoy them but I have no idea how to write them because I tend to overthink and overdescribe characters too much.

Thus, I almost always overwhelm my antagonists with backstories and when the time comes to face-slap them, it's... not as satisfying as I had originally planned. Because they ended up becoming sympathetic characters and now the Protagonist face-slapping them seems kind of assholish on his part?

So, what would you say are the quintessential parts of a good face-slapping arc or story? Give me pointers and tricks of how you do it! Or, as readers -- what you most like to see. (Maybe with examples).



Thanks!

That would depend, for instance, my writing revolves around morals. So no one is right nor wrong. The trick is to have each point connect to each other. A great driving character helps to make this easier. Which is usually the leading character. For instance, how I did my own. Is to show why the leading character is the true enemy. The first book shows their reawakening, and gives a solid idea. That they have damned the Nine Worlds, all for a chance to grasp their deepest desire. Take note, in this book, it does not directly cover. That the lead has always been the voice for those who cannot speak any longer. It usually indirectly shows it, with these points concentrating towards the finale.

The second book covers how the main becomes the Bringer of Demise. Diving into their darkest days. So a prequel to the first book. It is here I gave both sides of the main’s story. During the time they were most happy, throughout backstories, with the present time covering how they are now. While trying to maintain who they once has been. In this book, one of the antagonist’s is the main’s father. Which you get a solid idea of why their father has fallen into their despair. Each part of the book reflects to each character in one way or another. All parts directly links to the main. With the finale concentrating all those points into a battle between the main and second main. In this book, it reveals who the true antagonist is. Which goes into place for the final book. Which is the sequel to the prequel, right before the first book.

In this book, it focuses on how the main becomes an Iconoclast. Being pushed to the depths of despair once again. This time however, it served as an evolutionary means. In this book, it reveals the main antagonist’s true motive, while showing why they did so through backstories. Giving them more of a humanistic feeling. Which is more out of paranoia really, a chain of reactions connecting each book. Why they went so far, being the reason for the birth of the first Iconoclast. What this book reveals, is that while the main embraces their imperfections and selfish desires. They also was the voice for those who can no longer speak. However, at this point, they have become an abomination, staining their very soul in corruption. All for a chance to grasp their desire. They knew upon striking down the main antagonist, that they will eternally be the enemy. However, that is fine, to have that chance finally, opening endless possibilities of the future.

The main antagonist, took away their friends and family a few times. Brand them as an abomination, did all they could to try kill the main. To be able to maintain their rule. However, also doing this to try and protect his home. What they could never count on, is the main continuously meeting the challenge at hand, elevating to new heights. The real face slap, is that the main that readers are following is the true enemy. At the same time, the main antagonist is also reprehensible. Since, all of this conflict could have been avoided, if they never targeted the main when they were a child. Destroying their family, this had a long chain of effects.

With this being said, ensure to carefully craft the story. Try not to be direct, connect your points carefully. You can have a sympathetic story, but also quite a faceslap if it done correctly.

 

[Nahrenne]

So, okay. I need to make a confession -- I am a face-slapping writer-virgin. I often read face-slapping stories and enjoy them but I have no idea how to write them because I tend to overthink and overdescribe characters too much.

Thus, I almost always overwhelm my antagonists with backstories and when the time comes to face-slap them, it's... not as satisfying as I had originally planned. Because they ended up becoming sympathetic characters and now the Protagonist face-slapping them seems kind of assholish on his part?

So, what would you say are the quintessential parts of a good face-slapping arc or story? Give me pointers and tricks of how you do it! Or, as readers -- what you most like to see. (Maybe with examples).



Thanks!

Make sure that - even with the backstory - the readers still absolutely hate the antagonist.
'-'

X

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

So, okay. I need to make a confession -- I am a face-slapping writer-virgin. I often read face-slapping stories and enjoy them but I have no idea how to write them because I tend to overthink and overdescribe characters too much.

Thus, I almost always overwhelm my antagonists with backstories and when the time comes to face-slap them, it's... not as satisfying as I had originally planned. Because they ended up becoming sympathetic characters and now the Protagonist face-slapping them seems kind of assholish on his part?

So, what would you say are the quintessential parts of a good face-slapping arc or story? Give me pointers and tricks of how you do it! Or, as readers -- what you most like to see. (Maybe with examples).



Thanks!

It is quite refreshing when characters are kind and humane. I see no problem with not face slapping. Not everyone needs to be hell-bent on revenge.

 

[DubstheDuke]

Is this like some sort of hidden meaning? What is a 'face slapping' story? Is it like a literal story about people getting slapped? Or does this mean something else.

 

[AdLeto]

Is this like some sort of hidden meaning? What is a 'face slapping' story? Is it like a literal story about people getting slapped? Or does this mean something else.

An story about slapping people in the face would be in my reading list

 

[Nahrenne]

Is this like some sort of hidden meaning? What is a 'face slapping' story? Is it like a literal story about people getting slapped? Or does this mean something else.

It's basically where someone gets pay back for something from the past.
An example:
The son of a rich noble feels offended by a passer by wearing peasant's clothes and so has his guards beat that person up
Later on, during an important noble ball/event where every noble in the country is there, that peasant ends up turning out to be the crown prince of the country who had been disguising himself as a peasant to truly see how the land was being run. Cue the crown prince then thanking the noble son for his hospitality during his stay before walking off with his own retinue of guards and cutting that noble son off from ever schmoosing with him.

Or...something like that. This is an extreme example, though.

X

 

[SailusGebel]

Is this like some sort of hidden meaning? What is a 'face slapping' story? Is it like a literal story about people getting slapped? Or does this mean something else.

Ever heard of the Chinese term 'face'? Face slapping is a trope where mc humiliates(and sometimes literally slaps) the antagonist who usually underestimates the mc. A more easy-going version of usual revenge, where readers get a sense of satisfaction much faster. You can say that a revenge story is homemade food, while face-slapping is junk food.

 

[K5Rakitan]

My husband and I do a lot of physical things to express our emotions, but I don't think I've ever slapped him in the face . . . not that I can remember, anyway. We do more scratching and pinching. Well, I do the scratching because Husband bites his nails and doesn't have anything to scratch with.

I think that more physical actions are warranted when one person just won't drop something. You need to draw on the argument for several minutes, have one person pleading for the other to "shut up" or "drop it" or something before the other goes too far and needs to be slapped. The slapper has to feel so emotionally overwhelmed that words won't work anymore. The person being slapped has to be nagging, persistent, or stubborn.

At least, that's my take on things.

 

[lehur]

So, okay. I need to make a confession -- I am a face-slapping writer-virgin. I often read face-slapping stories and enjoy them but I have no idea how to write them because I tend to overthink and overdescribe characters too much.

Thus, I almost always overwhelm my antagonists with backstories and when the time comes to face-slap them, it's... not as satisfying as I had originally planned. Because they ended up becoming sympathetic characters and now the Protagonist face-slapping them seems kind of assholish on his part?

So, what would you say are the quintessential parts of a good face-slapping arc or story? Give me pointers and tricks of how you do it! Or, as readers -- what you most like to see. (Maybe with examples).



Thanks!

Common Formula =
1. Make him in cloud nine (hahahaa... Look I had counter your hidden tactics, your plan A failed, plan B failed and I even come up with possible of your plan C
2. Noooooo...Slapping him back down to shit (hwahaha ...wkwkkwkwkwkk.. Your good only too see maybe decoy...How's my gift, making you happy before you go to the west was my specialty....My plan was to crush you all over...

 

[tiaf]

Well, if you keep on making the bad people really stupid and cliche then the face slapping could get boring if it's repetitive. The reader will also get it when the face-slapping is forced and it's just there for the sake of making the MC look cool.

If you give them a sob story or character development, then the reader might get mixed feelings. That's why they have to go down the wrong route and blacken!

Good face slapping is fast and due where it's due! The timing has to fit, e.g. QT Cannon Fodders Record of Counterattack is slow-paced and you hate the daughters and sons of fate so much you want to rip off their heads. They are typical cliches of Main Characters, which makes the face slapping even more satisfying. With every chapter, you get more reason to hate them because they behave entitled. You wait and wait for them to get burned at the stake.

The more ridiculous those antagonists behave, the more the normal behaving MC will look sane and in the right. It's also satisfying when stupid bishes and arrogant ducktards get screwed over by a third source (police, school, own parents...) without the MC actively counterattacking.

Protagonist face-slapping them seems kind of assholish on his part?

Only if your MC is already so OP that it seems like bullying. But people can always be sweet to one person but ducktards to others. I see no problem with paying an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. If you want to feel less guilty, then leave out the sob story, if not you get a villain who is both hated and pitied.

 

[Deleted member 29316]

Does face-punching count?

 

[crimson_carnation]

I don't feel very confident with face-slapping scenes myself, but if I had to talk about 'good' face-slapping, all I can think of is making an antagonist whose actions have understandable reasons, but not something we fully sympathize with. They go about realizing their ambitions or goals in a selfish or despicable way that manages to touch on the darkness of the human heart without going far enough to seem ridiculous. I don't know if any of that even makes any sense Basically, they can come off as evil and arrogant enough to warrant a face-slap without being too stupid or shallow.

 

[Queenfisher]

Okay! Thanks everyone! Tons of great advice on general antagonists and reader satisfaction ^^.

Although I can't say that I don't have even more questions than I did before, lol. Now I am wondering if there is actual difference between just a "revenge story/arc" and "face slapping". Or just the generic "this is your comeuppance for everything you did" moments...

For example, out of the popular western fiction, which of these could count as "face-slapping moments"? I do find copying developments and tropes from Western (or otaku) media a bit more convenient because I was raised in them, so ... Since I don't know which ones are known enough to be talked about, I'll just dump them all in a pile and you pick one you think would double as "face-slappy".

• Cersei from GoT? (SHAME, shame! comes to mind first as a face-slapping moment that is satisfying)

But likewise from GoT, Ramsey Bolton's, Joffrey's, and Tywin's final scenes -- do they count as "face-slapping" or not?

• Light Yagami from Death Note? (that moment when he is being all cool and "I am a god!" -- and Near undercuts him with "Huh? You're just a serial murderer").

• Gus Fring from Breaking Bad? (the Face/Off moment when Walter White outsmarts him once and for all).

• From Harry Potter -- Voldemort/Lucius Malfoy/Bellatrix's emasculation in their last scenes (Lucius being pwned by Voldemort, Voldemort being called "Tom" repeatedly when he hates it, Bellatrix being "bitch-slapped" by Mrs Weasley)

• Thanos from MCU? ("And I am Iron Man!" comeback which feels kinda face-slapping to me?)

• Any of the final scenes of the antagonists in JJBA?

• Frieza's defeat from DBZ?

......I have trouble coming up with other references, but hopefully at least some of these will suffice. I just felt that the definition of "face-slapping" in this thread through many posts became a bit vague. So if I can't understand the definition -- I know I can definitely understand the example.

Would these count as face-slapping if I just mimicked them for my "face-slapping" story? Or would they be merely considered normal "revenge" and "Justice!" tropes instead? Would there be a big difference if I were actively trying to change these examples into being as "face-slappy" as possible?

 

[Nahrenne]

Okay! Thanks everyone! Tons of great advice on general antagonists and reader satisfaction ^^.

Although I can't say that I don't have even more questions than I did before, lol. Now I am wondering if there is actual difference between just a "revenge story/arc" and "face slapping". Or just the generic "this is your comeuppance for everything you did" moments...

For example, out of the popular western fiction, which of these could count as "face-slapping moments"? I do find copying developments and tropes from Western (or otaku) media a bit more convenient because I was raised in them, so ... Since I don't know which ones are known enough to be talked about, I'll just dump them all in a pile and you pick one you think would double as "face-slappy".

• Cersei from GoT? (SHAME, shame! comes to mind first as a face-slapping moment that is satisfying)

But likewise from GoT, Ramsey Bolton's, Joffrey's, and Tywin's final scenes -- do they count as "face-slapping" or not?

• Light Yagami from Death Note? (that moment when he is being all cool and "I am a god!" -- and Near undercuts him with "Huh? You're just a serial murderer").

• Gus Fring from Breaking Bad? (the Face/Off moment when Walter White outsmarts him once and for all).

• From Harry Potter -- Voldemort/Lucius Malfoy/Bellatrix's emasculation in their last scenes (Lucius being pwned by Voldemort, Voldemort being called "Tom" repeatedly when he hates it, Bellatrix being "bitch-slapped" by Mrs Weasley)

• Thanos from MCU? ("And I am Iron Man!" comeback which feels kinda face-slapping to me?)

• Any of the final scenes of the antagonists in JJBA?

• Frieza's defeat from DBZ?

......I have trouble coming up with other references, but hopefully at least some of these will suffice. I just felt that the definition of "face-slapping" in this thread through many posts became a bit vague. So if I can't understand the definition -- I know I can definitely understand the example.

Would these count as face-slapping if I just mimicked them for my "face-slapping" story? Or would they be merely considered normal "revenge" and "Justice!" tropes instead? Would there be a big difference if I were actively trying to change these examples into being as "face-slappy" as possible?

I didn't watch the last 2 eps of Death Note - plus I hated that wimpy L wannabe, so I can't say for that.
I've never seen Breaking Bad.
For the Harry Potter examples you gave, not really. At least...not to me.
Not seen that MCU film. (Isn't a fan of them)
I have no idea what JJBA stands for...orz
Never watched DBZ.
'-'

I don't really think Western stuff does it as much since the very aspect of face-slapping - like @SailusGebel said:

Ever heard of the Chinese term 'face'? Face slapping is a trope where mc humiliates(and sometimes literally slaps) the antagonist who usually underestimates the mc. A more easy-going version of usual revenge, where readers get a sense of satisfaction much faster. You can say that a revenge story is homemade food, while face-slapping is junk food.

- it's more of to do with reputation (face) than just straight up insulting/violence. Of course, those two things are sometimes a bonus depending on how black-hearted the target was.
>w>
<w<

Hmm, I can't really think of Western examples...
orz


X

 

[SailusGebel]

I didn't watch the last 2 eps of Death Note - plus I hated that wimpy L wannabe, so I can't say for that.
I've never seen Breaking Bad.
For the Harry Potter examples you gave, not really. At least...not to me.
Not seen that MCU film. (Isn't a fan of them)
I have no idea what JJBA stands for...orz
Never watched DBZ.
'-'

I don't really think Western stuff does it as much since the very aspect of face-slapping - like @SailusGebel said:


- it's more of to do with reputation (face) than just straight up insulting/violence. Of course, those two things are sometimes a bonus depending on how black-hearted the target was.
>w>
<w<

Hmm, I can't really think of Western examples...
orz


X

Face how I understand the term is a complicated mixture of ego, self-esteem, how the said person is seen by the peers, and yeah, reputation. Face-slapping is basically destroying the image of the slapped person, and that's what humiliates the person, not an actual slap or a one-liner. But the feeling of getting stripped of his social standing\position\respect. There is something similar in the culture of my country so it's kind of easier to understand this than to explain it to others.