It's something that's come up in my writing recently, so why not make a thread about it? I'm not necessarily talking about graphic scenes. I guess it could be a sex scene, but it could also be emotionally, intellectually, or situationally awkward. Just something that makes our readers shift in their seat a little, whether it be an incorrect fact that makes them think the characters are idiots or the characters just said something totally weird. The scene I'm writing is one where the main character is in a non-graphic but uncomfortable situation. She falls asleep in the car... but wakes up with her head on the shoulder of a (then) stranger. SUPER uncomfortable for her! But don't worry - she didn't know it then, but the guy turns out to be her brother, so it's all good in the end. So what about writing uncomfortable scenes, whether it be for the characters, readers, or both? What are the benefits of including awkward bits in our stories? What are some challenges of writing them? Let's hear your thoughts!
When it comes to scenes that might make one "uncomfortable," I suppose that's what I'd rather term the "spice" of writing... characters and writing just loses much of its impact if characters always stay within the "comfort zone"; in order to grow and change while the plot moves forward, it is necessary to put characters in situations that will make them uncomfortable, ones that make them move and think, feel and do. What makes us as writers uncomfortable, and even readers as well, may differ vastly from what makes a character uncomfortable... the benefit of awkwardness and unbalance is it opens the doors for change and revolution in the character, as well as for the reader and us as creators. Everyone's "discomfort" tolerance rests at different levels depending on livestyles, age, and generally on one's own experiences; push yourself as a writer to explore "uncomfortable" scenes in order to stretch your writing muscles, and with the ultimate goal of propelling your characters within the story world. I once challenged myself to write a short story featuring a long list of things I'd always avoided in my writing, in terms of scenarios, language (I never swear IRL, much less ever wrote characters who did!), character types and tropes, etc; while it's hardly something I would ever want to publish, it definitely freed me from numerous self-imposed chains that had been holding me back from truly doing my best writing in other areas. I like to look at uncomfortable scenes as a challenge rather than a block; always writing the same thing is like perpetually working out focusing on cardio. Sometimes you just gotta grab some weights and work out different muscle groups in order to maintain physical—or in this case, writerly—balance and full health!
Few stories can work without some uncomfortable scenes. That's just what life is like. The trick is understanding what makes scenes uncomfortable, in what way, and to what degree. You don't want scenes to be uncomfortable if that's not what you intended, and you don't want to write something as traumatic as a r*pe scene like something comparatively harmless like your example. And then you need to use them for appropriate effect. The emotions you invoke in a scene are important to whatever message you are trying to convey. Discomfort should add to the message. And the more uncomfortable the scene, the more gratuitous and offensive it will feel if it doesn't have a clear point to the story.
I have written stories with twists and turns that lead into graphic and disturbing scenes. I liked to lead the reader down a pleasant garden path only chop them up into pieces. Deliberately making the reader react . When I put the stories out for critique , some liked them but a lot more felt as they had been cheated into reading something they would normally avoid . I have moved away from that style of writing. But my conclusion are . You do need to flag up , at an early stage, where the stories are going. To drop your reader into boiling water is not a good idea. Writing the stories you like to read is the best approach, but to not have some understanding of your market might mean you will only be writing for yourself
Just do it like Star Trek and cut to commercial or switch POV whenever something emotionally tense happens, so that you don't have to resolve it.
"They got 'em in the off screen!" It's fun to toss out the occasional awkward or disturbing scene if it fits within the context of the story. It adds gravity to a situation or event that takes place within, and makes it less 'sun shine and daisies', and more believable. Think about those 'Utopian' Dystopian stories like Brave New World, where society is forced to take happy pills and doesn't understand how messed up reality really is. Or Logan's Run, where everybody lives a pretty good carefree life, all while denying the fact that once they hit 30 they don't get renewed, but instead are straight up killed to keep population numbers down. Then there are tons of Romance and Rom-Com stories that have awkward little moments that are a bit exaggerated to real life, but still exist to mirror reality and it's less than perfect moments. So, whatever or how uncomfortable it is, write it, don't skip passed it and avoid it.
The language and tone have a lot (or everything) to do with how uncomfortable a scene is going to come across for readers.
Every other scene should do that. The rest should instill a sense of safety and anticipation for these moments.
