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Will a story that is very violent; traumatic even, do well here? Concern for possible youthful readers here gives me pause about whether it should be published on this site or at all? Not trying to rationalize an excuse for writing it, just being open.
This is a story that would be quite innocent aside from a very serious and painful episode. For the author, it would not feel plausible without that section. Warnings and cautions will be used, but is that enough? Perhaps it is a story that should just lay smoldering on the hard drive? I don't normally write this sort of thing, but feel a compulsion to do this one. Working off previously unacknowledged rage ???
Previously thought that rehearsing violence simply led to violence.
Seeking input, perhaps a censor?
Gwen
Comments
It depends
:)
In SEE there are two major battles, which by their nature are violent, but it is perfectly possible to describe things like that without putting people off, if that's what you are concerned about.
There are other stories here with more violence than I'd care to write about and they seem to accepted by the readership. Gratuitous violence just because the author likes doing bad things to her characters would be frowned upon, I think.
There are always ways to infer what is happening (or has happened) without going into great detail - and still achieve the psychological effect you need on that character.
Penny
I agree with Penny here
In one of my stories the main character is ... well a lot of damage was done to her male parts.
I don't describe it in real time but it is used as key event in a couple of other parts of the story.
It is a violent event but only a small part of the overall story.
So, sitting on the fence Gwen,
"It depends upon the circumstanses and the context"
Samantha
True Historical Stories
In looking at history, there are artifacts that were extremely perverted. One "suit of armor" had spikes inside that pierced the flesh of the wearer. Scold's Bridle was demeaning and painful to the women who wore it. Even in post Medieval times, opposing Christian groups were burning each other at the stake over stupid and inane issues like the trinity of all things.
In my relatively brief encounter with being a Muslim, I could see that in some of those cultures it would not be that difficult to lose a hand or even a head. Many women are subjected to the unspeakable practice of Female Genital Mutilation. IMHO, it is especially despicable for this to happen to a woman. In the partial removal of the clitoral apparatus, the woman is robbed of any response to sexual stimulus; taking away an input to the female brain that it was designed for. I do not believe that castration is nearly as traumatic for a male, just saying.
In the clarity of harsh hindsight, it seems likely that I became Muslim out of extreme feelings of self rejection, and was desperate for a way to cover my unsuitability to those around me and God. As it develops that was futile. We eventually realize that life is random BS, sprinkled with moments of euphoria.
Bottom line is...
If it's key to the story or plot include it. If you are feeling a bit self conscious about it don't go into the details of the act, only using what is necessary to continue the story and plot.
Blow by blow details are not often necessary in scenes where some type of hostilities are taking place. The only time I can think of when I used a "Blow by blow" writing in a scene here is in my Kelly story at the beginning of the story where he saved some girl from a gang of thugs and that was to show how cool and clam he was "under fire" and how much his fighting abilities outclassed the street gang.
Later in the story after her transformation Kelly is being taught by the spirit that now shares her body how to fight with her new abilities. Kelly is so outclassed by the spirit that she only has time to react and no time to think things through and this reflects in the writing of that scene being more vague and reactionary rather than the cool and calm fighter we saw at the beginning of the story.
We the willing, led by the unsure. Have been doing so much with so little for so long,
We are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
the original canon whately stories
the original canon whately stories posted here contain a whole lot of violence yet are very popular.
ElrodW's whately stories are among those with fairly extreme violence levels, with very significant reader view stats.
What helps in the above cases is the very endearing personae of the protagonists in the stories. We love them so we hate the violence against them but read the stories to find out how our beloved characters deal with it. This means that the more that readers care about the protagonist the less extreme violence will deter them following the stories.
Stupidity is a capital offense. A summary not indictable.
One Story
One of my stories has a rape scene, and one reader said it caused a traumatic flashback. So I gave the scene its own section (file) and turned what would have been a solo into a three-part story. The story is "Vengeance and Beyond".
If you want, you could do something like that.
Many years back, the TV movie "The Day After" (about a nuclear exchange) was broadcast. Before the actual nuclear explosions, a speaker came on TV to warn about the upcoming scene and advise viewer discretion.
-- Daphne Xu
War of the Worlds
I remember that story being read on radio, in what now appears to have been 1953. I was age 6. We were living in very rural Oregon and our entertainment was to gather around the radio after dinner to hear things like "The Green Hornet" or "Dragnet". I think I remember "War of the World's." being acted out, and at my age, I thought it was real. My older brothers had a great time ridiculing me over my near hysteria. Later I found out that this was first done in 1938, but the book first came out in 1897.
I'll likely follow the advice of one of you and write it first in a rough draft, and after I calm down edit it.
Thanks
Gwen
Violence
It features in several of mine, sometimes because the protagonist is in the Forces. It features nastily in 'Sweat and Tears' because that is a story about redemption. It features in some others of mine because the cast involves police officers, and that is part of their life. In 'Sisters', it is a deliberate major plot element. What I try NOT to do is to glorify it.
conflict
is needed to add the dramatic tension that keeps people reading, violence is merely the easiest to implement.
emotional and existential conflicts are much more difficult to create to draw readers in.
without the conflict in a story it is a fluff piece, fun or humor. these type of stories are very difficult to expand into even novella length. Zoe and Ashley's Magic of the Kingdom stories are a good example of the fluff / humor stories.
Stupidity is a capital offense. A summary not indictable.