I'm confused. Are your readers saying that the reader won't like the kidnapper? I think that the reasons for disliking the kidnapper go far beyond whether he provides clothes for the kidnapping victim. He's a kidnapper, and he's kidnapping someone for, apparently, the sheer fun of forcing someone into a fight. So he's, well, bad. Clothes or no clothes, I'm not going to like him. Or are your readers saying that the readers won't like you, because someone is doing something unpleasant in your book? Lots of villains do lots of unpleasant things in books. Or are your readers saying that they are made uncomfortable, queasy, unhappy, by the knowledge that the kidnap victim is naked? In that case, it doesn't really matter whether the kidnapper's reasons are valid, because it's not about the kidnapper, it's about the reader's empathy. Or (wow, I didn't know I was going to get to four) are your readers saying that you're introducing gratuitous, unnecessary nudity and that therefore your readers will dislike you as an author? My last thought: What about a very fragile paper robe, like the ones they give you at some doctors'? There's only so much you can do with that as a weapon.
I think my friend was saying I wasn't making real characters. That the kidnappers were beyond believable for this disrespect. Though I think he was also saying it added unneeded nudity. Actually it isn't that the clothing is a weapon but that she could use it to hide resources. If it was a pen she used as a weapon or a paperclip she turns into a lock pic. The idea is anything that gives her room to hide material is dangerous. Though I have a question for you. Does this feel like unneeded nudity? I try not to go undecent. Really I do but I do feel like you need to change the pace up a bit at points. Not saying nudity is the only way to do that but this scene, let me list bullet point to it. - Friend is kidnapped - Your team betrayed you - Self doubt that you can handle the situation - Lots of emotions This is this big moment. Does your kidnapped friend being held nude add or detract to that? Because to me it almost seems to add. More anger, your friend is not only kidnapped but held nude. It seems like it adds. Am I wrong?
I agree that it would increase anger. I'm also confused by your readers' idea that kidnapping is plausible, but nudity is going beyond. I find myself wondering if they're being influenced by, say, television broadcasting standards, where kidnapping and murder and arson are all find and dandy, but, yes, nudity is unthinkable. Kidnapping is...bad. Quite, quite bad. Much worse than somehow causing someone to be nude. For what it's worth, in the Dick Francis novel The Danger, about a kidnapping, the kidnap victim was kept nude, for weeks or months, as a form of psychological control.
Thanks. My friend is usually smart but he has his moments. So just to be sure. You think that this concept makes sense and adds to the scene?
I think it makes sense. I think that it would be important to avoid over-focusing on the nudity; you don't want to make it a very-soft-porn-like feature. (Unless it's that sort of story. But it sounds like it's not.)
That's true. I don't intend to over focus on it. I forget sometimes unlike a movie a book can change its focus. In my head I picture it like a movie. So it seems like it gets that kind of attention. I don't plan to write it that way though. If anything it is more meant to be a joke. As she will escape all the same and she isn't modest. So once free she doesn't just seek a shirt. So she stands there or sits down. She was injured.. I think it would be funny for someone to be like. "Hey, isn't she still naked?" "Yes. Yes she is. lol" "LOL" Just me or is that funny?
