I've often wondered how descript or graphic to get when describing a scene of horror, war, or suffering. And each time I come back to the same conclusion: it is what it is. Now I'm no fan of the slasher gore-fests that so many have become accustomed to in today's media, but I am one for making it as real as possible.
A believable story is one that immerses you in what you're reading. I hate stories that you really have to try and think about what the author is trying to say. But the ones that tell you what is going on to whom that you can just feel it, those are the stories that make for excellent entertainment.
That is what sorts the exceptional writers from the mediocre.
I think this is a dilemma every genre faces. I know in romance, some are offended by the use of more graphic terms, while others find the lack of them to make the story diluted. You just have to go with who you are as a writer. I know that sounds so hokey and so many people are calling themselves writers these days, but I think you just have to be you.
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My philosophy is: if you're not comfortable reading it, then don't write it. Otherwise it's just boring babble or dirty drivel.
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ReplyDeleteJulee J. Adams said...
ReplyDeleteI think part of the issue also is in what POV you're writing. As an article said in a recent Romance Writer Report, sex scenes are kind of icky in first person. A murder scene would be kind of horrific too and make your readers wonder about you, wouldn't it? Maybe, a clean up scene would be more effective. I'd add, if you're not comfortable reading the scene aloud, you should probably cut it or not write it, maybe refering to events later.
Fortunately I write in the third person. I just don't want my work to be contrued as some cheap hack'em up blood and gore, because there is real substance to my story. Much in the same way the movie 'Braveheart' was riddled with gory sequences, but it had substance to it, which was that the English-Scottish wars were extremely brutal.
ReplyDeleteI think what makes a writer exceptional is one who 'feels' the pain, the blood, the faint or the nausea so greatly that it cannot help but bleed out onto the page. It is what it is, no holds barred, naked and vulnerable and horrific.
ReplyDeleteJust my 2cents...
Thank you so much, Pam. That's what I'm trying to say. You're 2 cents are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI agree it's the emotion of the conflict that is important to convey, as opposed to the details of the blood spurting or whatever. I've got battle scenes that depict violence, but it's the fear and the confusion that I'm trying to get the reader to connect with.
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you, btw.
Thanks for stopping by. I like to build up the anticipation and fear of the impending combat or doom, and then follow through with the bitter reality of it. But I worry at times that it might come off as some cheap slayfest.
ReplyDeleteI've read some of your work. I don't think it will ever come off as a 'cheap slayfest'. I agree with many posts here...what you must convey are the emotions of the character through the description of surrounding events. It takes patience and skill, but it's damn satisfying to read a well written scene from your own pen. ~ Nadja
ReplyDeleteHitchcock knew that glimpses spoke volumes more than long, lingering on whatever terror or horror was transpiring. Rooting the reader in the moment and the heart of the character under pressure will draw the reader and viewer in.
ReplyDeleteWe must go with our instincts. They seldom lead us wrong. You have a great blog, Roland
I agree you should go for it. I write the scenes as they come to me. If it is graphically violent then that is how they will be. Obviously you want balance and not just a bloodfest, but sometimes a really shocking scene that slaps the reader across the face is necessary.
ReplyDeleteEveryone seems to feel the same way I do. I really appreciate all of the advice.
ReplyDeleteNadja- I'll be posting more excerpts soon, that I hope they don't disappoint. And you're right: it's really damn satisfying.
Roland- I totally agree, it must be effectively conveyed with fluidity. Instincts have steered man in the right direction most of the time.
Lizzie- I write as it comes to me also, and balance can be somewhat out of reach, sometimes. I'm a firm believer in shock scenes that really make the reader kind of reel back and say 'whoa!'