This was a thought-provoking piece. I have sat here for the last minute or two asking myself how do I know how much violence to show, and I haven't been able to come up with an answer because I do it by feel, as you mentioned. If I were forced to give a definitive answer, I might say that what you show must serve to push the story, or at the very least the character, forward. Violence should make something change, either for good or bad, in service of the story. With a few exceptions (e.g. the truly insane) there's always a motivation behind violence. The character wants something and in that moment, violence is the answer. If a character chooses violence, I think we have to embed that motivation somehow, and also consider two things: showing just enough violence to create a visceral reaction in the reader, but earn it by then also showing something about what that violence does (or does not do) to the character's emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.
> showing just enough violence to create a visceral reaction in the reader, but earn it by then also showing something about what that violence does (or does not do) to the character's emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.
Good take on this - I agree it comes down to experience and maturity as a writer. I struggled with this in my debut spy thriller. I’m not sure I got it right but I can tell you how I presented violence and sex on the page evolved with each draft.
You're right on both points. IRL and in conversations, some people use F-bombs all the time. Depending on the character and the situation, an F-word can be necessary for dramatic effect or humor. But excessive use of the word can seem just that... excessive and distract from the narrative. I used to watch young comedians drop F-bomb after F-bomb in their sets. After a while, it seemed like they were using the word just to use it, and not to add humor to the joke. As far as violence goes... In my Faceless Man series coming in October, there will be violence, so I guess I'll let the readers be the judge on whether its appropriate for the story or not.
I don’t write fiction, enjoyed the read, kinda like talking about football 🏈 from a flag football players point of view… running the same plays without the real world violence
This was a thought-provoking piece. I have sat here for the last minute or two asking myself how do I know how much violence to show, and I haven't been able to come up with an answer because I do it by feel, as you mentioned. If I were forced to give a definitive answer, I might say that what you show must serve to push the story, or at the very least the character, forward. Violence should make something change, either for good or bad, in service of the story. With a few exceptions (e.g. the truly insane) there's always a motivation behind violence. The character wants something and in that moment, violence is the answer. If a character chooses violence, I think we have to embed that motivation somehow, and also consider two things: showing just enough violence to create a visceral reaction in the reader, but earn it by then also showing something about what that violence does (or does not do) to the character's emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.
> showing just enough violence to create a visceral reaction in the reader, but earn it by then also showing something about what that violence does (or does not do) to the character's emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.
This is so spot on, imo. Totally agree.
And thanks for reading!
Good take on this - I agree it comes down to experience and maturity as a writer. I struggled with this in my debut spy thriller. I’m not sure I got it right but I can tell you how I presented violence and sex on the page evolved with each draft.
Sex and violence, the peanut butter and jelly of crime fiction and thrillers :)
Seriously though, it's hard to pull of and hard to find the right balance. Thanks for reading!
You're right on both points. IRL and in conversations, some people use F-bombs all the time. Depending on the character and the situation, an F-word can be necessary for dramatic effect or humor. But excessive use of the word can seem just that... excessive and distract from the narrative. I used to watch young comedians drop F-bomb after F-bomb in their sets. After a while, it seemed like they were using the word just to use it, and not to add humor to the joke. As far as violence goes... In my Faceless Man series coming in October, there will be violence, so I guess I'll let the readers be the judge on whether its appropriate for the story or not.
Looking forward to the new series! I'm sure you've found the right balance.
I don’t write fiction, enjoyed the read, kinda like talking about football 🏈 from a flag football players point of view… running the same plays without the real world violence