*dodges rotten veg*
Feb. 22nd, 2005 11:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pezNeil Gaiman's (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-syndicated.gif)
officialgaiman) answer to a teenager about the inclusion of sex scenes in his book... whilst I haven't actually read that book and so can't say that much and so don't understand the relevance of the scene, if any, I can empathise with the girl, IF what she said about it being "irrelevent to the plot of the book" is true. Gaiman's answer of "the book's hero wouldn't have been born" is fair enough, but does it justify a descriptive sex scene - does it add to the plot?
Wait, don't lynch me just yet, read the rest of what I have to say...
I'm not saying that Gaiman's wrong. I haven't read the book, can't form any opinion. I'm guessing that his explanation about the relevance is correct. But what I'm trying to say is... that's one thing I'm always asking myself - if I include certain elements into the story, does it only beef it up in terms of length, or does it actually show something? If it's a sex scene, are the motives or consequences enough to justify it (if the story isn't meant to be erotica-centric), if it's violence does the attack/manner of death etc really do anything? Do I want to show the mental state of the attacker, how the ugly death affects those close to the victim, etc? Or do I just want this person dead and be done with?
On a completely unrelated note, people should learn to stop saying "actually" and "basically" all the damn time.
officialgaiman) answer to a teenager about the inclusion of sex scenes in his book... whilst I haven't actually read that book and so can't say that much and so don't understand the relevance of the scene, if any, I can empathise with the girl, IF what she said about it being "irrelevent to the plot of the book" is true. Gaiman's answer of "the book's hero wouldn't have been born" is fair enough, but does it justify a descriptive sex scene - does it add to the plot?Wait, don't lynch me just yet, read the rest of what I have to say...
I'm not saying that Gaiman's wrong. I haven't read the book, can't form any opinion. I'm guessing that his explanation about the relevance is correct. But what I'm trying to say is... that's one thing I'm always asking myself - if I include certain elements into the story, does it only beef it up in terms of length, or does it actually show something? If it's a sex scene, are the motives or consequences enough to justify it (if the story isn't meant to be erotica-centric), if it's violence does the attack/manner of death etc really do anything? Do I want to show the mental state of the attacker, how the ugly death affects those close to the victim, etc? Or do I just want this person dead and be done with?
On a completely unrelated note, people should learn to stop saying "actually" and "basically" all the damn time.
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no subject
Date: 2005-02-22 01:05 pm (UTC)In the past when I edit my writing I used to have to delete quite large chunks because of their irrelevance, no matter how good the writing is. Now I'm better and don't need to do that so much anymore (it's hard to kill your own babies ~_~).
I can't wait to read that list!