From: "Karin Montin" <
kmontin@sympatico.ca>
<< This is a good discussion that could go on and on,
but it's a little difficult by e-mail -- all this writing is
hard work. >>
Never fear. This is my last post on this topic, although if
you'd like to continue the discussion off-list, I'd be more
than happy. I'm afraid I'm boring everybody else now.
<< Why is a scene where someone gets socked in the
kisser more acceptable
(to me) than one someone's teeth are pulled with pliers? Good
question. I can think of two main aspects. First, it's more
run of the mill (TV, movies, books) and I'm inured to it.
>>
By that logic, if you read some more violent books, and watch
a few movies
(try ICHY THE KILLER: I almost didn't make it through the
skewering scene), you'll get inured to the level of violence
you're currently uncomfortable with, and then it in turn will
be acceptable. Problem solved. A friend of mine who was
studying film had to do this to get through the course.
<< Second, torture is worse than a single punch.
>>
Not if the punch slams into you so hard you lose
consciousness before you fall, so that when your head strikes
the ground it bounces off it. So I was told afterwards. The
resulting kicks didn't do much good either, but at least I
didn't feel them. But the pain for some time afterwards was
much worse than a tooth extraction. At least, that's how it
seemed to me.
<<As to whether rapists really commonly pull their
victims' teeth -- who knows? The newspapers may leave out
such gory details -- and maybe novelists make > things up.
>>
I'm not sure how 'commonly' got added. Why does something
have to be common to be written about? As I writer, I'm far
more interested in the unusual. As a reader, I am too, too.
For instance, before writing KISS HER GOODBYE, I read a
government report in which it was stated that 98 percent of
'sex workers' in Edinburgh were drug addicts. So I
immediately decided that the character of Tina, who's a
prostitute, was going to be one of the other two
percent.
<< The kind of violence that bothers each of us most,
and how much violence is too much or unnecessary are both
highly personal judgments, largely based I suppose on our
individual psychology (childhood experience with scalding
cocoa, and so on). I just thought it might be worth going
into the subject a little. I know I'm not the only one who
reads a lot of hardboiled or noir fiction, yet still has
reservations about certain depictions of
violence.>>
Also, I think it depends on how visual you are. The more
visual you are, the clearer the picture, the more it affects
you. Readers who don't visualise well, won't respond in the
same way. They need more detail to achieve the same effect.
Maybe.
<<Clearly novelists write things that by their very
nature fall within the realm of what they find acceptable and
necessary for their work. But I believe that writers
frequently make changes in response to their first readers'
reactions, and I don't see why those changes might not
include toning down violent scenes. Censorship,
self-censorship, self-restraint, editing, writing to market,
responding to criticism: aren't these related concepts, not
all of them necessarily bad? >.
Hmm. I can only speak for myself, but they sound pretty bad.
Let's see:
'censorship', no thanks. 'Self-censorship': what makes you
think I don't do that already? You should see the original
drafts, Karin. One of the seven endings I wrote for KISS HER
GOODBYE is a real eye-waterer.
'Self-restraint': ditto. 'Editing': are you sre you mean
editing, and not expurgating? 'Writing to market': the market
I'm aiming for includes people who enjoy fast-paced violent
action tales (Hard Case Crime, remember), so in what way am I
not writing to market? But that aside, the idea of writing to
market is extremely unappealing to me. Some writers can do
it, but I'm nowhere near good enough. Every reader would see
through my lies and my lack of passion. 'Responding to
criticism': constructive criticism (the violence is out of
place, for example; or, the level of violence is not in
keeping with the victim's reaction, etc), yes, absolutely;
but not opinion (ie: this is too violent for me). There's
nothing constructive about saying you find a book too
violent. It's like you saying you find a curry too hot. If I
was cooking for you alone, I'd make you a Korma. But a 'Hard
Case' curry's gonna be pretty hot.
>
> In any case, Al, I always find it enlightening to
hear from a writer on
the writing process.
I have a very simple writing process. I just try to tell a
story I find interesting about people who fascinate me. Then
I cross my fingers and hope a few other people find the same
things and people interesting.
Al
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