MESSAGE BOARD TOPIC #4

[Comicality]

While trying to create a very realistic and emotional vision of life in our writing, it can sometimes become necessary to tackle some very heavy concepts in a story. These topics, like death, verbal and physical abuse, heartbreak, suicide, rape, and poverty, as well as many others, might be necessary in order to tell a powerful and often 'personal' story. However, this can be extremely hard for some people to read and enjoy. Even if it isn't the main focus of the story. The question for this week is...

 

=How do you go about 'tactfully' dealing with disturbing subject matter while writing a story?=

 

How do you keep your readers interested in your work while hitting them hard with some of the harsh realities of life? How do you resolve such issues in the long run? How much drama is 'TOO' much in your opinion? And is it possible to keep your story focused on a loving relationship when there is so much hardcore stuff going on?

 

Let us know what you think! Not only as writers, but as readers too! I know that there have been some dramatic stories that I've read, that have been beautifully written and it adds to the story. But I have also read stories where it has been so much, so depressing or heart ripping, that the story was no longer enjoyable to read. Where is the balance? And how do you keep someone's interest through the rough parts?

 

The board is open!

[Myr]

hmmm... I haven't done it overly much yet. It takes the truly skilled to pull it off. You need to balance the pain you are causing the character with happiness for that character. Or at least appear to have it balance.

 

An example where there was no balance is Harry Potter book 5. I've had a seriously hard time writing HP stuff since that book came out. It didn't suck, exactly... but I threw the book across the room 3 times when reading it, I got so frustrated. You don't want to do that to your readers.

 

An example of pulling it off is Mercedes Lackey's "Magic's Pawn". (in case you haven't read it, it is a Valdemar book and the main character is gay.) Something terrible happens and a main character dies and the emotional pain in this book is huge. But she pulls it off. It is one of my favorite books, despite the fact that I cry at the scene every time I read it.

 

Something I'm writing right now is an attempt to explore some of the more complex realities in life. We'll see where it goes.

 

Great question Comsie!

[stew]

For me as a reader, I don't like things too detailed, nor do I like the event glossed over with a couple of lines, I like enough detail to know what's going on without it turning into a blow by blow running commentary. One story that's just popped into my head is Comsie's own My Only Escape, that to me has just the right balance, it's enough to know what Zack is going through without getting too much. I've always loved stories with an emotional impact, if I can feel what the characters are feeling, good or bad, then I think the writer has done his or her job. Obviously some storylines are going to be more emotionally depressing than others so you expect it to feature quite heavily, but as long as there are some lighter moments in there somewhere, it's all good to me.

[Comicality]

Honestly, the whole idea of adding that level of intensity to a story used to scare me an awful lot. I didn't want to complicate my writing with something so emotional. For the simple fact that it can be hard for people to take. Also, when I finally DID get the chance to add a piece of my personal life into a story (Around "New Kid" 20 and 21), I was really guarded and personal about it. So it was more painful than anything else for me to dive into it.

 

Nowadays? A lot has changed, and I feel a bit more comfortable with writing about some pretty touchy subjects, no matter how close they hit to home for me. I believe that the most important part of the equation is finding a balance between the 'bad' and the 'good'. No matter what unbelievable pain and suffering you put your main character through...if there is something of value, some kind of hope and meaning, to balance it out, then it'll be ok. There is a fine line between realism and 'punishment' when it comes to providing an experience for your readers. If there's no real explanation or reason for the abuse, death, infidelity, heartbreak, rape...in terms of the story, if there's no impact on the character in a way that justifies what he's going through, then it becomes a bit brutal.

 

In "My Only Escape", the abuse can be a bit harsh at times, and even then I've toned it down a LOT from what I remember. But that violence has meaning n the story. It has a purpose in developing the character. Same as in "Gone From Daylight", or "Final Hour", or "Someone For Me", or "Save Or Sacrifice" on my website. There are some pretty difficult situations that I wanted to flesh out and deal with, but that misery isn't just thrown in to make the story interesting. It makes a difference to the characters involved and the progression of the story. So it becomes more of a tool to further the plot than this horrible eyesore in the middle of the chapter.

 

I guess the way to avoid losing readers and getting angry and frustrated feedback, is to not only balance out the bad parts with a few happy moments...but to also make sure that every bit of struggle and agony that the main characters go through has some kind of meaning. Because to have it happen needlessly can make the subject even more cruel and more upsetting than it has to be.

 

I just hope that I can keep that balance going as some of the harder stories come along in the future.

[underthehoodster]

This particular topic is particularly timely for me, since I am about to enter uncharted (for me) territory in my story, Perry and Jesse. I will be touching on the theme of teen suicide for the first time. It was always my intention that P&J be a long, episodic, serialized piece of writing, conveying a number of different moods, through a number of different types of stories and a large cast of supporting characters. I knew since the get go that one of my main characters has dealt directly with this painful subject in his past, and the time is coming to finally give a full explanation to my patient, but very curious readers who have been following the story for over a year now.

 

I have chosen, thus far to avoid any grisly details or blow by blow descriptions, and I do spend a good deal of time having the characters discuss how they feel about these events. I know that this is a crucial part of the story, but I do want to be sensitive to those that might find this a very touchy, or even personal subject.

 

One thing I have thought of doing is putting a warning at the beginning of any chapter that has more than a passing reference to the subject. I was also thinking of including a link at the end of those chapters that would give people who need help a place to go. For example, I could put in a link to the teenage resources page here at gayauthors.org.

 

While I have been blessed with an extremely devoted and gregarious readership, I do know that many people turn to these gay romance stories as a place to find hope when perhaps their own lives are not working out so well, or to imagine how things could have been different, or to make any number of other very personal connections. Still, I have always told myself--and those that ask--that I am writing the story for myself, and if that is the case, then this is one place that I must go. It simply makes dramatic sense.

 

If anyone has any thoughts, particularly pertaining to the posting of warnings and weblinks, please let me know, either by responding here, or by email: underthehoodster@netscape.net

[Forloyn]

I would simply post a teen help line, there are billions and most are toll free and sometime better then the net because they are more privet, I don't know any off hand.

 

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as for the topic, it is apropeat that I post this here. The first story I ever did I have a problem with the first few chapters, that story would be Stained, I began writiting it becuase a author who's name I won't mention.... had yet to update 'Gone From Daylight' on top of the fact at the time there where very few stories out there on that topic.

 

I don't even think I delt with it in a very tastful fashon and it might be why I never get any input from that story. Needless to say from reading I like a little bit or a lot of the good before you start getting into the bad. If you start building a story line from the bad the reader will get depressed before they get into the story and might stop reading.

 

In Harry Potter book 5 the mood was set wrong from the beggining and left for a very long road to the end. Till Myr's post above, I thought I was the only one to feel that way.

 

I think it is best to first start with a someone happy invierment something for the readers to reminis about before hashing out the bad stuff.

 

but what do I know I'm still a novis that dose a half way decent Draco Malfoy.

[TheEggman]

In "A New Life" chapter 13, Preston looses his mother. Since then, its been a balancing act - on the one hand, memories of a lost loved one; on the other, the "present day" events, character interactions and a moving timeline. They say that every hurt makes us stronger and I try to relay that in the story. For every pain there is some growth or reward, though it may take multiple hurts for single distant reward.

[Guest Marcus]

uh..hello?*waves*...uhg I get so nervous with posting things..

Anyway I just wanted to put in my half of a cent.

Ok got it, balance with the good and bad, but what about predictability with balance?

I mean I have read a few stories where the balance is really...too perfect.

Every time something good happened something bad happened and blah blah..just endlessly...like.."Life couldn't be more perfect"...so bad things happened.and on and on good bad good bad.

How would you fix that?

Hmmm.what I would do is go through a happy time and add in small bits of non-goodnes, you know degrading the happy time until it can be slowly built up and then maybe take an unseen turn...or something....uhg did I mention how nervous I am with posting?..My stomach is literally rollling..and i feel like im breaking some unknown posting rule...like the topics closed and I didnt know or something and I'm writing a story!...yes I am..I dont know if I should be saying that sort of off-topic thing here so im going to end before i make a complete idiot of myself

 

bye

[Comicality]

Hehehe! NO dude, you did great! Don't be nervous, I'm glad you posted. That's what I WANT! I want folks to talk to each other, trade ideas, announce new stories, ask questions. I'm not conducting a lecture here. ::Giggles::

 

Glad you stopped by Marcus. Missed ya, where've you been, anyway?

 

To answer your question, it's kind of a hard thing to balance, the good and bad elements of a story. And you're right, nobody wants their story to swing from one extreme to the other too predictably or mechanically. Something I try to think about while writing is to have one with an 'awareness' of the other. So while something good is happening, there are references to darker parts of the story. And while situations are bad for the character, it's the thoughts of the good things that pulls him through. In storys like "My Only Escape", "Final Hour", "Taryn's Song", and "Gone From Daylight"...even when things are going badly, there's always a good vibe to latch onto that let's you know that there's a good chance that things will be ok. But while they're having a great time and life seems perfect, you're also aware of this impending doom just around the corner, and you know that it can't stay perfect forever. So there's a balance, but hopefully both elements are present enough at all times in the story, where nothing jumps into this sudden drama without warning. (Unless, of course, that's the intention)

 

So when do we get to see this new story of yours M?

[Guest Marcus]

Me? I have been right here ...I was absent for a while...I dont know it just seemed that every time i went to the chat something bad happened..a bit superstitious I know..but anyway..I went last week and..I ahem..Accidently broke my cousin and his girlfriend up....i felt awful..she cried and all..I dont know if she actually did brake up with him...i reasoned with her..so ill see tonight when i go over...the other thing is i felt kinda happy as well because it was like a sit down talk session where i was sorta practicing my therapist skills and we stumbled upon a breakthrough...and i helped her to find this revelation...so i felt kinda good with that..uhg...anyway(i need to break this'.....' habbit)

as to the story a teaser is on the library if you didnt already know, I would love any and all of your comments...? im not sure if this icon comes out but anyway.umm if you want to chat i will be at the satchat tonight...alright bye

 

 

Edit";..-/.>lol lol lol i have been waiting in the chat room since 8 30 (its now 10 54)hahaha and i just remembered that today is friday..ohhh i would forget my dick if it wasnt already glued on

Edited February 14, 2004 by Marcus