Screams of Silence, Cries Unheard: The Story of Rita Landow

@Ed OP has given brief hints of an interesting story, interesting character and an interesting twist... if he just asked "what do you feel about randomly making my character an animal, than it would be "for its own sake"= literary masturbation.... but I somehow feel it is not the case here...

 

Interesting twist? Why do you think it's interesting? Aside from being different, that is.

 

@Ed interesting because it would interest me to see what the author can do with it ...and because it is different... and because changing one aspect of storytelling can/could/should/would enrich the layers of meaning, the joy of reading and the general reception of the text... of course, it is up to the writer to actually MAKE IT WORK, but the same goes for any other aspect of storytelling...

 

So, interesting to you as a writer to see what another writer could do with it, but nothing inherently interesting about it, nothing to suggest that the story would be more compelling if about an animal being sexually abused than about a human being sexually abused. Which was my point.

I would also point out that while changing an aspect of storytelling can "enrich the layers of meaning", it is entirely problematic as to whether the writer actually succeeds in doing so. And, in fact, it seems to me that such is the very problem with which the OP posted in the first place, because he was having trouble telling a story he feels compelled to tell. Keeping in mind that it is his stated desire to see this work published, so it is in his best interests in telling a story that others will find equally compelled to read. So far, no one - not you, not I and not even the OP - can come up with a single specific reason for telling this story in this particular way. In other words, the OP is struggling with an approach that not only is impairing him from telling his compelling story, but also likely making it less compelling to others to read. Encouraging him to continue under such circumstances would be, in my view, irresponsible.

 

Couldn't Animal Farm be told about humans rather than animals as well? With respect to Brian Jacques, who I mentioned above, I think every book he wrote could easily be re-written to feature a human cast instead of a cast of animals, but he chose to use a fictional world of talking animals. If the story is otherwise well done, I don't think that aspect in and of itself would prevent me reading it.

 

[MENTION=18889]Steerpike[/MENTION] - I think the point of Animal Farm being about animals was to take the process of the Soviet revolution out of the context of Russia in a way that did not automatically trigger a "couldn't happen here" reaction (such as if he had written about a communist revolution in Britain or the US). Similarly, no specific countries were ever mentioned in 1984 (if memory serves - I read it in high school). Two sides of the same literary coin, if you ask me.

 

@Ed if you go back and re-read the OP... I can't find a single sentence from him that would indicate that his problems in structuring the story actually come FROM the fact he wants an anthropo-fox for his MC...

he needs to WRITE IT first before you can say that!!!

it's Britain

 

I don't know, ED, I'm kind of finding the idea of a fox named Rita going to college in search of a boyfriend sort of titillating...

 

Yes, that's a good point. Maybe Watership Down, and that author's other works like Plague Dogs would be better examples. Ultimately, animals as MCs doesn't necessarily bother me, though at first blush I would tend to associate them with children's stories even though not all of them are.

 

KaTrian--I'm not comfortable writing about a father sexually abusing his daughter, so the scenes in which she is raped will not be described in graphic detail. Rita is a fox, plain and simple. She can think for herself and she is intelligent. The only thing that doesn't make sense to me is her checking into a mental hospital. Why on earth would she check herself into a mental hospital? Unless she is criminally insane, there is no reason she would check herself into a mental hospital.

Mammamaia--Since the late '90s, childrens' films have changed a lot. Before films like The Lion King, childrens' films were thought to be cheap entertainment for kids. Since the days of Pixar, there are almost no childrens' films like that. The standard for animated films these days has come to mean having something for everyone. I really must question what society you live in where people only go to animated films because their kids want to see them. If you're talking about films like Alvin and the Chipmunks, then you are most certainly correct. However, if you are talking about films like Kung Fu Panda, you are sadly mistaken. The sequel to this film should be viewed in filming schools on how to make a sequel. Kung Fu Panda 2 took what was so excellent about its predecessor and expanded upon it, and I didn't read any reviews criticizing the film for having its characters as animals. I will never understand why society has developed the mindset that animals as characters automatically means immaturity or entertainment for kids, and that humans are the only characters you can have in any medium that isn't aimed at kids. Yes, animal characters are primarily aimed at kids, but that does not mean that any other person can't like a character regardless of their species. Yes, there are some adults out there who only go see animated films because of there kids, but there are people, like me, who would go see an animated film regardless of whether or not we have kids, because the film looks interesting. I am eagerly awaiting the third installment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise.

Finally, every publisher whom I sent a copy of Founders' Island too wanted to publish. No one seemed to care about the fact that the main character was a raccoon. However, as KaTrian said, a writer should be at least be willing to try something new, to see what works and what doesn't work. I do believe that one of the problems with this novel is that I'm trying to make the main character's species work in the story. I am willing to at least try writing her as a redhead and see if that doesn't work. The only problem with this is that I've been writing about this character and her companions for over five years and their designs are pretty much cemented in my head, so transforming them into humans will be quite difficult, but not impossible.

Burlbird--I like you! You seem to be the only one who knows where I'm coming from!

[BMckk][/B]--Yes, Rita does blame herself for what happened to her. She feels that she must have done something to make her father sexually molest her. Rita deals with her guilt through cutting. What finally showed her that it wasn't her fault was her therapy sessions, which is one of the first things that rape victims must learn: it wasn't your fault! Her guilt regarding the abuse caused her to view the world as cold and heartless, causing her in turn to become cold and heartless as a result. When she finally lets go and realizes that the rape was not her fault, she becomes more friendly and begins to warm up to those around her.

As stated numerous times, Rita's goal is to overcome her traumatic childhood and move on with her life.

Ah, Speak. I read that book in my freshman English class in high school and thoroughly enjoyed it. While the rape wasn't described in great detail (yet the American Library Association has banned the novel on the grounds that it promotes premarital sex and is pornographic), the film shows her actually getting raped in the backseat of the rapist's truck with their clothes on.

No, you are right; I won't reach a large audience and I don't expect to given the fact that I have a very difficult time promoting my work. However, one of the joys of writing is writing what you are comfortable with and writing what you enjoy.

EdFromNY--No, as a matter of fact, this will be my third novel. My first novel was Founders' Island and my second novel is Mind Games, which is still in production at the moment. The release date has yet to be announced. If you would like more information on these books, please let me know. But, I think you are correct. As I said already, I think one of the things that is crippling the writing process for this story is the fact that I'm trying to make the characters' species work. One other thing that I think is troublesome is the fact that I'm not stepping out of my comfort zone. One of the things about growing up and maturing is stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things. Therefore, I think it would be beneficial to see if the story could not work with a redhead in the lead. Simply keep the name, but change the species.

 

I think the best thing to do is completely get rid of all my characters and create new ones. Either that or take the characters that I have and turn them into humans.

 

Listen, whatever story you write, somebody will dislike the way you wrote it. It happens to the best of 'em. But does it matter? No. Everybody has an opinion. Many here have given their (mixed) opinions, but that's all they can give. In the end, it's you that has to decide how to write your story. If you want to use animals as characters that seem to be exactly like humans, go write ahead. It's your story, and yours alone.

 

But the story wouldn't work with the title character being a fox. It would work much better with a redhead.

 

So you're gonna write your characters as humans now?

 

of course they watch them and of course there are animated movies meant for adults...

but movies and tv are one thing... books are quite another... you can't equate the two, marketwise...

traditional/paying publishers' decisions to accept or reject a book ms are based on marketability only... and a book about foxes being able to do everything that humans do and actually being 're-formed' to have hands and other human physical attributes simply will not have a large enough adult market share, and since the subject matter is not suitable for children, it won't be worth their time and money to publish...

that's the fact i'm doing my best to get across, that you don't seem to want to accept... if you intend to self-publish it, then the point is moot...

 

You're describing Rita like she's a furry. LOL She's a fox. Just an ordinary red fox. Also, I think it's very wrong just to publish someone's book because you think it can be marketed. What happened to good story telling and interesting characters and proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling being the main focus of whether or not a book is published? On the subject matter, I am afraid I must correct you. Childrens' books tackle subjects like sexual abuse all the time. Last night, I had a revelation. I could keep my characters exactly as they are and I could easily write this as a childrens' novel.

 

It's "Children's" - the word "Children" is already the plural form

You say it is "very wrong" to publish a book only when you have a market for it? Well, then you live in a dream - publishers ONLY publish those books that they think will sell. Fact of the industry I'm afraid. You either work with the industry or you self-pub and cross your fingers. Also, for perfect grammar, that's why you have editors and copy editors and proofreaders - it's probably the easiest aspect to correct (assuming you have a basic grasp of grammar already of course).

Which children's books tackle sexual abuse, may I ask?

I'm not convinced any parent would buy a book on sexual abuse for their children - and if you can't convince the parent, you've just lost your audience. I'm not convinced schools would stock it either. Less controversial books have been banned in the past for being "inappropriate" - I'd venture a guess that a children's book on sexual abuse would fall under that category. Perhaps you're forward thinking - it does happen - but you're really fighting what you don't have to fight. You've seen the reactions of everyone on this thread - somehow I don't think parents would react too kindly either, perhaps worse, if anything.

Children's books also don't lend themselves to good electronic sales because the whole point is that the kids would read in bed, or the younger ones would have the stories read to them before bed. This means self-publishing, and I will assume for now that that is pretty much the only way your book would ever get out there, which means your chances of getting read has gone from slim to very very slim.

But it's your choice, ultimately. However, for me, I really don't see the point of pouring so much heart and soul into something that has next to no chance at all (in an already highly competitive and tough environment) of being read, ever. Maximise your chances - and the truth is, if you want to be read, which I assume you do because you want to be published, then you've got to write for your market as well as yourself. Not only yourself, but as well as yourself. Consider that.

You've seen the reactions from this thread towards your ideas - your market will be an extremely niche market. Think on that. It's okay to write for a small niche, but you MUST be sure there's actually such a niche, and not just your ideas of what "should" or "should not" be acceptable.

 

A very nice response from you. You can find books for children on sexual abuse by using Google. I understand why some parents wouldn't want to expose their kids to topics like sexual abuse, but the sad truth is that kids deal issues like sexual abuse every day and it's only when such issues are addressed that the children can heal from their trauma. While it is true that books are only published because the agent/publisher will think that they will sale (this is the wrong motive for publishing any work, in my opinion), there is more to a book than its sale records. From your message regarding my chances of getting the story out there and published, you seem to think regardless of whether the character is a human or not, the story will not get published and my chances of getting read are very, very slim. A reader's chances of getting published and read is only limited to how much work the author is willing to put forth to make sure that they are published and read. If you manage to get your book published, but don't bother to go out and promote it, of course your book is going to bomb. Luckily, we have resources like Amazon and other websites to help build up interest in our books, for those of us who are visually impaired and have trouble getting around, like me.

 

A very nice response from you. You can find books for children on sexual abuse by using Google. I understand why some parents wouldn't want to expose their kids to topics like sexual abuse, but the sad truth is that kids deal with issues like sexual abuse every day and it's only when such issues are addressed that the children can heal from their trauma. While it is true that books are only published because the agent/publisher will think that they will sale (this is the wrong motive for publishing any work, in my opinion), there is more to a book than its sale records. From your message regarding my chances of getting the story out there and published, you seem to think regardless of whether the character is a human or not, the story will not get published and my chances of getting read are very, very slim. A reader's chances of getting published and read is only limited to how much work the author is willing to put forth to make sure that they are published and read. If you manage to get your book published, but don't bother to go out and promote it, of course your book is going to bomb. Luckily, we have resources like Amazon and other websites to help build up interest in our books, for those of us who are visually impaired and have trouble getting around, like me.

 

The most important thing is that you believe in the story you're writing, and if you believe in it, and do it well, others will follow and find it (not everyone, of course, that's not possible).

Maybe that's the case in Vancouver then. You have to do what's credible in the setting of your story. Where I live you don't have to be criminally insane to get into a hospital.

 

Ah, that is true.

 

no, i was only referring to the description you gave of her actions... you have rita doing things that she could not possibly do if she was only 'an ordinary fox' with paws and no ability to stand erect, or to do all the other things humans do that ordinary foxes are not physically capable of...

publishing is a business, not a charity!... how on earth could publishing houses exist, if they couldn't market the books it takes lots of money to publish?... where would that money come from, if not from book sales?

nothing 'happened' to that... but luck still plays a part in getting an agent and publisher to take on a new writer, whether you like it or not... it's just a fact of life in general, as well as in the publishing world... if new writers don't get their mss to the right person at the right time, it can fall by the wayside... if they don't keep submitting till their work finally does get to the right person at the right time, it can't get there... and one agent's reader might hate the subject matter, so stellar writing aside, the ms will be dumped... while another may have had a fight with a spouse and be prone to rejecting anything by a writer with the same first name that day...

i don't see how that 'corrects' me... children's books with animal characters are for the younger ages, for whom sexual issues such as you deal with in your book are a definite no-no... and you might easily write it as a children's chapter book, but no paying publisher would take it on...

 

True, Rita is an ordinary fox, but the story would be boring if she just acted like an ordinary fox: living in a den, catching fish in the creek, going into chicken houses, etc. It would be equally boring if she were to be taken in by someone. How is she supposed to meet her brother and recover from her trauma that way?

You make a good point. The marketability of the book should be one aspect of publishing, but it should not be the only aspect of publishing.

Funny thing is, J.K. Rowling had to submit Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone multiple times before it got published. Many writers have to do that before their work will see print.

Your last line is frustrating to me. To me, it sounds as if you're speaking for the publisher, saying what they will or will not publish. If you're speaking about the subject matter, then you may be correct. Yes, schoolchildren should not be learning about sexual abuse, but, as I said, it happens to them as well as teenagers and adults, and it is only when the subject is addressed and dealt with that the child can recover. Reading Rita's story just may inspire a child to come out and tell someone that they were sexually assaulted/raped.

Speaking of children and rape, there is a story that I have in mind called "Cry No More," about a young seven year old who is raped as he is going to the park and how it affects his life from then on. It isn't until he welcomes Christ into his life that he finally opens up about the incident at age fifteen. I can see the comments now: "Then just do that story!"

 

Yeah, but, incest in a children's book? Perhaps as educational reading handed by the police and psychologists, but not as an interesting work of fiction. However, a book for adults or even YA is entirely plausible.

I wonder why you need all these sugarcoatings, such as anthro characters and 'children's novel'? Children victims of incest have their childhood taken away from them, they are forced to grow up into a total nightmare of the world, one that children can't cope with. This fractures them as people, and they have to live their life with struggles vast majority of people have absolutely no idea about. Likewise, children shouldn't be exposed to very complex criminal behaviours and abuse dynamics because they have little capacity to fully understand them and they can get traumatised. I had nightmares for years watching an anti-smoking 'children's programme'. Did it prevent me from smoking? No. I was mostly terrified by a witch in it.

This is why I very much doubt there are any mainstream children's books featuring incest, nor should there be. Children are taught to come to adults, like teachers, friend's parents etc and confide in them every time they are frightened or somebody's hurting them. That works much better anyway.

Obviously, it's all up to you what and how you write it, these are just my thoughts.

 

No problem. I understand where you're getting the term "sugarcoated" from since the main character is a red fox. Yes, incest is a serious issue, but, like I said, children do struggle with this kind of subject matter everyday and a book on the subject could help them to finally open up and tell someone about the abuse that they've been experiencing. It seems highly unlikely to me that a child would tell an authoritative figure about the abuse on their own, especially if they have been either bribed or threatened not to tell anyone.