Yes, the ruler. Different from the princess or prince. I have Ava Murbarger here today explaining the stereotypes kings and queens in fiction have!
Rules for Writing the Ruler by Ava Murbarger
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Five Steps to being the Ruler (King, Queen, Emperor…)
You’re either benevolent or the opposite. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you're on the middle ground.
You’re either commanding, with a loud, booming voice; quietly wise, so that everyone listens to you; or you’re incredibly dense and everyone knows it. Don’t know which one you are? You’re probably the third.
If you’re benevolent, people are going to try to assassinate you. If you’re not, you are ruining the hero’s life, whether you know it or not.
You work like a master chess player (unless you’re dense), and shoot for success, whatever that definition may be for you.
You value establishing order, sensible hierarchies, and a strict chain of command, sometimes more than actual people. BONUS- You fear losing control more than anything. If you lose your position, who are you, really?
You’re under a whole lot of pressure as a ruler. No one likes a tyrant, and no one will agree on all the laws you put across. Prepare for a whole lot of conflict.
Ava Murbarger is an aspiring Christian author who enjoys writing in a range of genres- from fantasy, to sci-fi, to contemporary- and loves stories with themes that ring true, even if they aren’t played out in a real setting. She lives in southeastern Illinois, in a town doing its best to become a city. When she’s not thinking up new stories to tell or mapping out strange worlds, she enjoys reading, worshipping on her guitar, and going to camp each summer. You can contact her at murbargerava@gmail.com.
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I literally thought of one of the stories in The Fairy’s Return and other stories by Gail Carson Levine. Have you read that collection? Comment below with your answer!
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