gorp: Blog

I sent the following as a reply to a comment. I thought it was appropriate to share with everyone.


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Thank you for the comments.

One challenge of fiction is to take the reader someplace theyhave never been or had any desire to go, show them the landscape and have the reader desire more. "Willow" takes place in a world I do not live in nor would I. It is an extreme world. But can there be a compelling story in that world?

Running counter to that is the " turn off" factor. Some acts or situations repel us. No story appeals to everyone. I am writing against a strong current of repulsion and still trying to engage the reader. That may be the difference between a "stroke" story and what I and other authors want to do.

Would I like someone to be arroused by what happens in my story? Sure. Would I consider it a greater compliment to have someone not arroused but kept reading? Yes.

Thank you for letting me know readers are out there.

What went right and what went wrong?

Writing has been an adventure. It is fun, it is a struggle, it is hell, it is a rush.

What it is not is a guided tour. With little input from readers it is hard to know what was right and what was wrong in the story. I would like to get better, but it is impossible to improve "the craft" if there is no response to the writing.

I know I am singing the song every author here has sung. I am also guilty of not providing input as I should. Please accept my apology.

I want to know what worked in a chapter, a plot choice, a sex scene, or a technical construct. You, the reader, have a point a view and an opinion. Authors want to see through your eyes. I want to know what you saw good or bad in a chapter.

Please help the writers and comment.

G

Part of the appeal of the BDSM lifestyle is the push. Both sides push the boundaries of what is possible, acceptable and comfortable. Both a submissive and a dominant get a rush when they explore that ragged edge. Erotic fiction can explore much further than flesh a blood. What I am trying to do here is partly motivated by an extreme sports kind of rush. Think of it as literary base jumping.

What is the difference between writing horror stories, (S. King comes to mind) and writing in this setting? I guess what I am thinking is that a story like this finds some of its core appeal in the horror aspect rather than just the sex aspect. The sexual context kicks it up a notch, but is it horror at its heart? It is well documented that both men and women can become aroused when watching a horror movie. If you combine strong sexual themes and shocking violence, they can make for a pretty good kick in the pants!


Let's try a comparison. Let's use the recent 'Spartacus" craze as a parallel. Is there a difference between a Lord Blackmon type slave owner in his world and the owners of gladiators in the ancient world (such combat games were not unique to Rome)? Both were/are driven by the creation and display of suffering and observing extreme actions. People got off on the display of blood, violence, and sex, both in the arena and on tv. I am asking if such a heady combination can be created in a modern literary setting.

But I don't want to create just a slasher type story. I want it to be shocking, but I want it to be shocking real too.

Just some thoughts.

Let me know what you think.