I have recently besides writing the short stories ive been publishing here been thinking about how brutality and violence. Should be depicted in dark fantasy and fiction ive also recently been reading some studies on Cormac McCarthy's work and his use of violence in his fiction and writing. Anyway it seems the wording and description of the acts can either make it gratuitous or make it have meaning or say something more then violence for violence sake. I have been working on a dark fantasy character that is both violent and measured and in a lot of way's say's things about the nature of violence and depravity as he or it can be both good at times but is prone to extreme act's of violence if his code is broken or sense of honor hurt by a action. I know this isn't a happy subject but I think its interesting to talk and discuss as writers
I think violence is a fantastic way to drive the narrative and keep the reader engaged in the story...to a point. You have to keep the violence focused, or else you risk alienating your readers with, as you put it, "Violence for violence sake."
I avoid graphic violence. It something that I don't like to read, or write. I think even alot of blood is in poor taste in most cases. However, sometimes it can be used for great emotional effect. That's the only time I think it's warranted, when its not just violent to be violent, like ArtWander said, but to serve a purpose.
I only use extreme violence if I want to drive home a point. I won't write a scene were a child get blown up by a land mine just to be cool. But if I'm trying to drive home the idea that war is terrible and tragic then yes I'll use scene's like that sparingly.
Well for me its part of the fantasy world then again you could say its based on real world figures and well known people and tribes throughout history. Violence can be pungent and leave a lasting affect my fantasy world is rather barbaric so there is a reason for it being violent and dirty also messy. Although ive found in writing horror the less violence the better implied works well enough I think for that then again my favorite horror films aren't splatter films. As for the amount of blood I don't have a issue with that as long as its messy and lets the violence invoke a sense of horror and disgust that it should
I tend to use it for as a method of driving the story along, like a James Bond film...older one's from Brosnin back..not this new crap masquerading as Bond. But I digress... If your story is about someone who has to try to save a dignatary from a group of terrorists, then they'll be plenty of violence to go around because those two opposing forces don't lend themselves to patient talk. An example of this is "The Hunger Games." DaD is very dark, and violent, but it's also a trip into my MC's character because she's had to deal with: a contract on her and her friend's heads, and why, a rogue agent who's betrayed her even more then Intelligence as a whole, and now needs to foil the antagonists plans of starting an interstellar war. Not to mention, there's starting to become elements of her character, internally, which aren't very nice, and will carry over in the third book. She's a good character, but life's been cruel to her. It's all in how you use it. I don't have gunfights just to have them.
