Recently I tried to write a scene where a stillborn baby was delivered - the scene I have, but I can tell I couldn't quite tap into the emotions as much as I usually do for any other emotional scene. I like to imagine how I'd feel, or if I have a similar or related experience, I'd try to put how I felt into words. In this case, now that I have a daughter, I just couldn't do it. In fact, these days, anything bad involving babies is too much for me, because I immediately think of my little girl.
Are you referring to your nonfiction writing? (Or if you are referring to fiction, then what do you mean by honesty in fiction? A reliable narrator?)
No. I was referring to fiction, and I meant I would write what I wanted to write—and not worry about what people might think of me as a result. I mean, I don't want to be thought of as a bad writer, but I don't care whether some people like the topics I choose or not. I am much more cagey and careful when I write nonfiction (letters, etc!)
Interesting. As a fellow white, straight, cis, male, American I always try purposefully to include (hopefully well-rounded) characters from other races/genders/religions/nationalities etc. in my stories, because I'd be worried more about being accused of erasure. Although arguably, the main criterion we should be worried about is realism (assuming you're writing realistic fiction)--does it make sense that all the MCs in your story would have similar demographic profiles? If you're writing about one weekend in the life of a neurotic Midwestern family in rural Minnesota, maybe it's OK to not cast many minorities. If you're writing about a bunch of young 20-something women in Brooklyn, it's probably not OK.
Yeah, that's the line I try to tread as well. Erasure is something I worry about a bit in my own novel (set in Montana in 1886) but I've tried to give a mention to other cultures in passing. I actually plan to dig into this aspect of my story in a deeper fashion in one of my planned sequels, and I've laid the groundwork in my first novel. But as yet I don't feel quite well-educated on the subject to include a major character from that other culture. And the last thing I want to portray is tokenism.
I'm willing to go anywhere if the story demands it. I'm even willing to go there just for shock value - still got an itching desire to write an extreme horror one day. I have several of the things in this thread in my book, even though it's a commercial romance. I don't think any of them seem extreme, out of place, or gratuitous. I would have said animal abuse is somewhere I wouldn't go - I can't read it, always have to skip those sections in novels - but there is actually some in my romance book (I know how odd that sounds). It's an important turning point for one of the characters and acts as a catalyst for her arc, so I'm not going to take it out just because I find it uncomfortable. Although, having said that, it would probably be more effective if I made it more graphic and prolonged but I just can't do that to a fictional animal, so I suppose I'm not as fearless as I think.
Now do you mean you are not willing to write about poo? Or is this more metaphorical to low in quality. lol I know what you mean. My anwser is sort of the same. All my writing happens in a inter-connected universe. My main story is pretty PG because I prefer that style but other stories in the universe aren't as restricted. When I change angle to a place where a more R rated material is warrented. I will write that. Because it is a good story. I just try not to be unneededly graphic. I will get graphic but it has a point. lol
For all that read this topic there's a quote I picked up on by a favourite author of mine "if your work is trying to shine light in the human psyche’s deepest, darkest, illest places, then you have to go there, and be it, and that’s no casual undertaking." In context he intends you visit the more uncomfortable aspects in thought only. I hold the above like a set of rosary beads when I write about the horrible stuff. Admittedly there are times when I just can't do it there and then (the prospect being so draining) so I leave a gaping space where I'll bravely tackle the untouchable subjects with some Dutch courage in me at a future time. I don't want my writer's wings clipped you see, I want my villains despised, my hero's loved and those in-between fully understood for their flaws and assets. Guess the area I don't like to write about then is the mundane.
I surprised myself by pushing far into my work and after more than 200k words, I found that I had developed deep emotional attachments to a few characters in particular. It devastated me and I cannot actually edit it - because the heroines climatic fight ends with them being beaten, tortured and then raped in front of everyone. It leads to scenes of utter insanity - from fury and joy - and what is real and what is a dream becomes inseparable. Yes - a rape scene which the reader actually has legitimate reasons to be happy about, right before everything goes crazy. Let's just put it this way - it makes everything so much worse. Scenes of a similar nature have been skipped - alluded to - but some things are best left merely implied.
I will write about anything that comes to mind. If there are certain details about a subject, character, location or whatever that I am ignorant of, I will research them and then write. As far as I'm concerned there are absolutely no taboos when it comes to creating art.
I wrote about a little girl, crying and with blood between her legs and I deleted it and changed the scene for two weak warriors nearly unconscious. It worked a lot better in my story. The original scene was grotesque and kept the reader thinking about the little girl rather than in the central plot. Some times certain elements can be very distracting. You have a story of two lovers, and you say there was a man shooting a dog in the street over and over and then kicking the dog's corpse without anyone doing anything, and you can be sure the reader is going to keep that in their minds while reading your love story, and they're going to be VERY distracted. At the end of the day they will remember the dog and may be confused about the main story if there is some twists of whatever.
I once wrote a scene about someone being force fed a stale digestive. Needless to say, I thought it was a bit too graphic for an innocent reader.
With no emotional stake or attachment, "horrible" scenes are devoid of meaning and impact. Having your heroine rise to the climatic fight, grasp victory and then be back-stabbed by a friend is one thing. Being tortured, stripped and repeatedly raped by your traitorous friend (in front of everyone) is another. She is returned home, barely alive and so broken that she is almost unrecognizable. To make a long painful recovery short - she becomes pregnant and nearly dies giving birth. Needless to say... certain parts of the text will not be read by anyone and certain parts are omitted instead of even being written.
I'm not sure if I have any limits on where I wouldn't go, so long as the story called for it. I'd probably not be able to write anything to do with rape or excessive violence involving kids. It's just not in me.
I write (and enjoy writing) sex scenes and I worry about that, too. Like maybe there's something everyone does that somehow I don't know about.
This is one that I may need to change, but I won't include some politically incorrect words in my novel. For example, one of my main characters has dwarfism, but I can't write the word, "midget" in my book. Even if some bad guy is calling him one or if he's thinking negatively about himself. I've written scenes where he's hurt, but I draw the line at that word.
I dunno, I feel that villains should enjoy the right to use whatever insult they want against their opponents. What better way for the bad guy to royally piss off/break that main character of yours by pulling cracks about his dwarfism? Trust me, I'm also one of those who tip-toe around using offensive phrases and words, but if a villain wants to use it, they should use it. After all, why would the villain care about hurting his feelings?
Here is a limit I'm not willing to cross: I will never include a cross-eyed character in my works...!
Because I'd rather not think the worst, but it's all I'm coming up with, a genuine question: is there any explanation for this post that doesn't involve you being a bigot? If the photo isn't intended to humiliate someone for a cheap laugh... what is it for? Do you think we don't know what 'cross-eyed' means?
I wanted to ilustrate why. Now, I'd rather not think the worst, but it's all I'm coming up with, a genuine question: do you think cross-eyed individuals should hide from the rest of us? Like, just a picture of their face is enought for everyone to start laughing and calling them off? You seem to be delicate as a flower while also full of prejudice and agressivity as the worst trouble maker ever. Why is that? Do not ever ask me again to justify my actions. Next time you have a question, keep it to yourself.
I'll let you know when I get there. I've shied away from writing explicit sex scenes, I haven't written anyone being raped or molested in detail that would be sick to write....perhaps some of my characters have been but never gave thought to writing the scene itself, child or baby death etc All the stuff everyone else has mentioned. But I wouldn't rule it out. I think I can write anything if I put enough time into it and put my mind to it or well maybe not yet, I certainly don't think my skill is up to par just yet but I know I can do it and do it good. A lot of the dark stuff I've written wasn't very good or well the standard for myself is higher now. Just in terms of grammar, pacing, development and all that. So I can look back at that old stuff I've written that involved certain difficult or controversial topics and go "I can make this work! I'm going to figure it out one day!" So with me its more not so much I won't cross lines but more I wanna improve and learn more so I can translate all my ideas in a better fashion I wanna make sure that its done well (or at the least alright) if I do anything like that or just anything for that matter.
Course anything I do would have to impact the character development in someway don't wanna go writing anything horrible for no reason, that be a waste of time to do it for shock.
