Challenge of Writing Fiction on Abduction Theme

Writing a gripping story where the protagonist is incarcerated poses challenges in that most scenes will be set in one location. Great writers have exploited this state of entrapment to create a riveting psychological thriller. This is because being imprisoned can spur heightened sensations and fevered thought processes that can border on the obsessive. Writers Stephen King, Henri Charriere and Emma Donoghue have described the psychological anguish of the captive to great effect.

Psychological Effects of Isolation

According to Psychiatric Talk’s Psychological Issues for Trapped Miners, (which discusses other imprisonment-like situations), those trapped go through various psychological stages during their imprisonment. Initially, the individual(s) cannot believe what has happened. Emotional alienation interferes with rational thinking. But once these circumstances have been accepted, the hostage or captive creates diversions to cope with the captivity. Finding a routine helps the captive find some ‘normality’ and distraction from the psychological pressures.

In the second phase, fatigue and low motivation kicks in. This might be due to an unchanging state of affairs. Despair might cause the captive’s routine to go astray as each day melts into the next. But the hostage’s psyche, according to Dr James Thompson of the University College London continues to be ‘Trapped body, racing mind.’ This part fascinated me.

In the third, hypersensitivity and over-vigilance seeps in. This is due to continuous fright-or-flight state. The longer the imprisonment lasts, the more likely the individual is to suffer post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The way in which the captive reacts to the confinement very much depends upon past experiences and the age of the subject. Some will cope better than others.

Kidnapping Stories Fiction

A kidnapping story does not have to include violence or bloodshed to be mesmeric, as can be seen in the following examples of kidnapping stories and tales of imprisonment.

Room by Emma Donoghue (2011) is narrated by five year old Jack, who has only ever known ‘Room’ an enclosure where he and his mother have been held captive for 5 years. From his account we learn that Jack’s mother has been kidnapped by psychopath, Old Nick. Jack’s entire world exists within these walls; objects have personalities, like his ‘metledy spoon’, and his toy truck. Jack has bonded with Room, whereas his mother despises it. Jack’s final escape into ‘Outside’ is comparable to man’s exploration of an alien planet. At times, Jack finds the transition difficult and he wants to go back to Room. Room presents two different viewpoints: one of security, the other of claustrophobia.

Realistic Kidnapped Fiction Story

Stephen King’s Gerald’s Game (1992) takes a different approach to a story of being trapped. A woman, Jessie finds herself stuck in a cabin after her husband’s sex game goes wrong. She is now handcuffed to her bed, her husband dead after a heart attack and it’s getting dark. Jessie soon learns that her isolation isn’t her only foe, but her imagination. Physical needs such as thirst and hunger drag her into delirium where, she starts to ‘trip’ into another world where inner voices start to torment her. This dark tale has little blood or gore, but is more terrifying for the psychological state that Jessie endures.