1. J.P.Clyde

    J.P.Clyde Prince of Melancholy Contributor

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    A Flesh Being

    Discussion in 'Character Development' started by J.P.Clyde, Jun 22, 2011.

    Wouldn't make a good hero?

    Let me add more context into this. I had a very unpleasant conversation recently with someone whom didn't really like my character idea. They said a hero who used flesh to rip his body into pieces, absorb people, or even make weapons. Would disgust some people. And that the idea wasn't very good. That it would be so off putting that people wouldn't like the character and wouldn't like the hero.

    So, a flesh being wouldn't make a good hero? Do you agree or disagree?
     
  2. Suadade

    Suadade New Member

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    Haha, I love the term "flesh being", as if being weren't usually made of flesh. ;)

    It's certainly an interesting idea for a character, at the very least. As for being a hero... well, I suppose it might depend on how you write it. It'll be a grotesque hero, that's for sure, but maybe you could play with that? People hate him because he's disgusting, but it turns out he's noble in spirit. It's definitely been done before - the Hunchback of Notre-Dame is an example that springs to mind.
     
  3. J.P.Clyde

    J.P.Clyde Prince of Melancholy Contributor

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    Well the idea of the story, is that there is a girl the daughter of some global business. Paraset. It takes place on a planet called Star. And Paraset gives energy to nearly the whole planet. Her father dies, but on a last request until she is either old enough to take on the company or the last of the assassins are killed that they need to hire the best bodyguard in the world.

    Its a mixture of genres between sci-fi, western, and some super hero as well.

    Though I digress this isn't really about the idea. More or less I have a character whom well, rips himself into pieces and uses his flesh in weird ways.

    I guess the reason why I wanted to go with a more er dirty hero was because I'm kind of tired of seeing the pretty X Men or the pretty Twilight or even Harry Potter.

    We need some more gross heroes.
     
  4. Suadade

    Suadade New Member

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    Well, as I've said, I think it could very well work. =) Would this flesh dude be the bodyguard she hires?
     
  5. J.P.Clyde

    J.P.Clyde Prince of Melancholy Contributor

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    Well its the one the company hires. But yes, the flesh dude would be the bodyguard.
     
  6. Shahar

    Shahar New Member

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    There is nothing wrong in adding a little horror in a story, to tell the truth, I even enjoy it.
    But yes, some might get disgusted by the idea, however, it didnt stop many good horror books from becoming best sellers. I'll take Mister B.Gone by Clive Barker as an example. The MC is a demon from hell, and he tells some pretty horrific scenes. I loved it.
    With horror it's either you like it, or you dont. Do what ever you like.
     
  7. J.P.Clyde

    J.P.Clyde Prince of Melancholy Contributor

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    I love horror too, to tell you the truth.
     
  8. Ged

    Ged New Member

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  9. WriterDude

    WriterDude Contributor Contributor

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    Just remember to keep it flesh. :D

    Sorry ,just kidding. Anyway, I wouldn't worry about disgusting some people. Ever heard of a little movie called Texas Chainsaw Massacre? One of the bad guys there (Leatherface) liked to tear his victim's faces off and use them as a mask. His prefered method of killing people was a chainsaw, naturally. And to make it perfect, his entire family was sick, twisted psychos like him (no fleshmasks, though). Disgusting? Definitely. But it was so popular it started a franchise with several sequels, a remake, a sequel to the remake and several comic books, action figures and so on. The worst part is the movie was based on several real serial killers like Ed Gein. (a nice fella who made lampshades from human skin and so on.)

    The point is it depends a lot more on your target audience than how gory it is. If you want to let a character rip someone's flesh off their body, you might want to aim for horror. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing. I love horror. :)
     
  10. Quezacotl

    Quezacotl New Member

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    That's interesting. Sort of like detachable arm guy, just with-

    Sorry, that sounds stupid, really, but cool in a strange, morbid way. Like Alex Mercer, he'd make a strange antihero. Go for it, I guess.
     
  11. JimFlagg

    JimFlagg New Member

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    I love the idea. Spawn did not kill people nicely. He was an ugly daemon but people loved him. It is not so much of how they do it as what they do and feel. If the hero is a social path then it might be a little harder to get behind him/her so I would give him empathy.
     
  12. J.P.Clyde

    J.P.Clyde Prince of Melancholy Contributor

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    I make no expense of how violent my books are. The world and real life is a violent and horrible place. It spares no expense to disfigure and disgust some people. I feel a book should spare no expense to unwrapping the very same core values of violence within life. If that means some people will not read my books, so be it. They chose to be offended. Or so I believe.

    @JimFlagg: You make a great point with Spawn. And Spawn was always bad ass.
     

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