Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Tuesday Tropes: Defenestration

 
Is your character frustrated? Wouldn't it be great if he could throw his cares out the window? Well. This is fiction, right? Why not throw your problems out the window? Even if the problem happens to be alive!


Defenestration  - The act of throwing someone or something out of a window.

This is often used for dramatic effect (for objects), the beginning of a murder mystery, or for the climax of an action sequence. Few things are as final as falling from a high-rise. And it never gets old. There's quite a lot of history about it, too. Check it out here.

There's plenty of examples to choose from. Watchmen started with a defenestration. It's happened in Spider -Man, Braveheart, Robin hood: Prince of Thieves (thanks to Friar Tuck), and even in Stardust. Twice!

 Secundus never saw it coming!

The best scene of defenestration I've read in a long time is in this book. Larry Correia knows his action, humor, and firearms. Werewolves beware. Gravity > silver.



There is also Self-Defenestration - The act of jumping or throwing oneself out the window. Makes for a great escape, if your MC has a parachute or a grappling hook.

Have I used these in my writing? Self-Defenestration. Once. For my first novel. It was a pretty cool scene.

Have you used any form of defenestration in your writing? What kinds of objects (or people) did you plummet to their demise?

I'm David, and this trope is going out the window!

23 comments:

  1. Ha! This post cracked me up (I'm still chuckling), I had no idea there was an actual word to define throwing someone out the window!!! And for the record, I've actually used a form of defenestration in my current WIP--but does getting slashed in the gut and then falling out the window right after count? Not sure it does...

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  2. No, I've never used it in my books. But I watched an episode of Blue Bloods the other day and a woman was murdered by being thrown out a window.

    I'd love to see a twist on this--maybe the woman screams out her murderer's name as she plummets to the ground.

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  3. "The Defenestration of Prague!" I love that word! I just wish I could actually use it and not get blank stares back.

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  4. I told you I was going to look forward to the "Trope Tuesdays" and it's true! Love this idea. I'm finally getting back to my WIP and these are some good ideas! Hmmm - how to use them, how to use them... must start brainstorming.

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  5. I punched through a window when I was younger...but that's a whole other story.

    In my current WIP, I do have a scene of self-defenstration. Sometimes, there's just no other way out.

    Love the Secundus reference! Oh man. Karma's a bitch, ain't it!

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  6. Oh the puns! But I really do enjoy the visuals of defenestration, the glass flying everywhere and reflecting the light.

    The closest I've ever come to defenestration, is actually not in my writing but breaking into a house! I had to climb through a tiny bathroom window (when I was seven-ish) because my entire family locked themselves out of the house on accident. Defenestration in reverse?

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  7. I haven't used it, but now I'm going to think about it :)

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  8. I've beeen contemplating the use of this though I wasn't aware it was a trope that so closely reselmbles the words deforestation and defense tossed into a word chopper.

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  9. Ha! I adore this blog post. I haven't used this in one of my books, but I want to now!

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  10. You always have the best posts. I actually did write one scene where a villain jumped out the window. Does that count?

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  11. I actually haven't used that in any of my writing yet. (Hmm... is there something wrong with me that I haven't thrown a character out the window yet? Seems all the best stories are doing it!)
    Thanks for teaching me a new word!
    My fav line from this post: Werewolves beware. Gravity > silver.
    :-)

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  12. A classic movie staple. Occasionally inverted as the bounce off the plate glass. I guess the escape through the bathroom window also counts.

    I think it can still feel original and fresh in a book if you can make it seem realistic.

    mood

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  13. My character's haven't thrown anything out the window yet . . . but it's an interesting idea. Thanks for the post on defenestration!

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  14. I am lovin' your Tues. Tropes. Defenestration is a good one. I used it in a YA novel I wrote when the sylphs reveal their true nature to my MC. One of the guys jumps out the window, then floats back up to show her he can fly. It's not true defenestration since it's not a forcible push, but it adds drama for sure.

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  15. I can't believe my characters haven't thrown anyone or anything out the window yet! I must remedy this. Strangely though, they seem to enjoy blowing things up much more.

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  16. I always thought it just applied to a living thing.
    Guess that means I've defenstrated a chair. ^_^

    Reminds me of a piece from David Eddings' Tamuli Trilogy. Can't remember the exact words or whether it was in book two or three, but the guy thought it meant something else.

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  17. Ahhh...my all-time favorite word.

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  18. Haven't done that yet...peace loving and all...most action movies/books and I think Jackie Chan movies tend to have one, atleast Police Story had...and it seems a favourite way of committing sucide.

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  19. Oh my gosh! This is brilliant, just brilliant!!!

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