NaNo updates (plus a bonus rant)

[ladyhadhafang]

Got 10,087 words today. Also on the duel with Dooku. Doing pretty well, I think, considering the circumstances. Pretty tired right now, but relatively satisfied.

Also, a bit of a ramble, based on one post that I read (thanks to a recommendation by fangirlblog). I don't know how qualified I am to really talk about this (and I doubt I can be as

Comments

[forcewatcher]

Identity Crisis was handled about as badly as it could have been on all fronts, and I could go on and on about some of the things they pulled. Ever see Wonder Woman's lasso as a noose? It's the cover of issue 3. Yeah... This book is a shining example of what not to do with established comic book heroes and how well it'll sell because of it. If they'd done like in Watchmen and used new characters, maybe it could have worked on some level, but they needed the history in order to break it. That was the entire point. And it didn't stop there. Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis kept moving that train forward into dumber and less-coherent territory.

You pretty much nailed it - pick your buzzword, you have to use the tool intelligently. After that, pretty much any topic you choose can have relevance. I find it interesting (and a bit disturbing) that rape is somehow seen as a necessary story trope these days, and those who argue against it think it's more harsh than murder. Both sides of that argument are just messed up, but I think that's the effect of a much larger problem at work. We've gotten used to murder, so we have to villify something else? That doesn't quite ring true either, but that seems to be what's going on in fiction these days.

Warning: Not making sense ahead.

[ladyhadhafang]

Ugh, that sounds bad. Thanks for the warning; def. staying away from IDENTITY CRISIS, etc.

Well, I think it's far worse than murder because it utterly destroys your world. I mean, from what I've heard, it's sort of a case of...well, you start blaming yourself, you feel unsafe...the physical injuries are bad enough, but the emotional injuries are just as bad if not worse.

And then there's the matter of society's response to it. Mostly in regards to some people thinking she asked for it, because of what she was wearing or how she was acting, or she was drinking, or anything else. (And on the other side of the coin, there are people who deny that men can be raped and/or play it for laughs -- e.g. prison rape -- which is just as disgusting, really) Never mind that no one deserves to be raped, and if anything, anyone with a functioning brain cell would know that it's the rapist's fault. They chose to ruin someone else's life. (There's actually a wonderful post about that matter that I'll link you to later) It's not just a violation of the body, but the soul. And I think it's why one shouldn't use it in fiction: you have to actually put some thought into it. Does it advance the story, plot, or characters, or themes? If not, don't use it.

Re: Warning: Not making sense ahead.

[forcewatcher]

Dumb question, but how does murder not destroy your world, not to mention the world of those around you? See what I'm saying? Every argument you list can be applied to rape, murder, and a host of other such problems. Which affects a person more is completely determined by the person and, for lack of a better word, the presentation of the story in question.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say any of this is good. Far from it. I just simply don't get the idea of a "lesser evil." When you're dealing with this stuff, it's either wrong or it isn't. I don't think there's a question as to which it is.

As to whether or not it should be dealt with in fiction... I think everything should be dealt with in fiction. Used responsibly, it's easier to present these kinds of arguments in fiction. The way racism was dealt with in To Kill A Mockingbird, for example, made it easier to address the real life equivalent. Why should rape be off limits because it makes people uncomfortable? It's supposed to be uncomfortable. That's the point. That's where hard-hitting storytelling begins. The problem isn't the subject matter, it's the maturity level of the writer and/or audience. If it's being used to for the sake of exploiting it as window dressing, then it's not a case of it shouldn't be used. It's a case of the writer shouldn't be writing. If it's a question of the audience being uncomfortable, that goes into the arena of personal taste. Personally, I go out of my way to be offended at least once a week just to remind myself I don't have the right not to be offended. It's a lesson everyone needs. Most people can't handle it or don't want to, and that's fine. If you don't want to see it, my recommendation is simply don't look at it. If you know it's there and don't want in, then avoid it. Some things are done simply to make money, and they will because that's the objective, whether the subject matter is handled well or not. There's no fighting that other than to vote with your dollar.

Anyway, I hope that didn't ramble too badly. I'm not trying to support it. I just get how things can work sometimes, whether I like it or not.

Re: Warning: Not making sense ahead.

[ladyhadhafang]

I kind of meant in terms of the victim personally, but good point. I think rape is worse if only because it's a violation of someone else's well-being as well as their body. Not to mention it's so often used as a sort of punishment from the rapist, e.g. teaching someone a lesson. Which I think makes it worse. It's sort of a case of hatred of women (or men, for that matter), or claiming what they think they deserve. There's always a sort of hatred of a certain type in murder, but rape definitely takes it up the scale.

Besides, current subject aside, there's always things someone can do that are worse than murder. Humiliation, for example. Also, check under this page: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AndIMustScream. There are many things that are worse than just killing someone. I'm not invalidating murder, merely saying.

Very good point. The problem is that it's very rarely done well. I already mentioned THE CAVERN, as well as multiple fan fics where someone's raped just so they can be rescued by someone else. It's sort of a case that...yes, the writer shouldn't be writing. At least, they shouldn't be writing about that subject. The problem is that rape is so often used for shock value that people get a little leery when it's seen in fiction. When it's done well, it's done well. Look at the book SPEAK, for example. But when it's done horribly, it's done horribly. And we come back to THE CAVERN again.

Not to mention everyone has different comfort zones. I mean, if someone doesn't want to have their characters being raped, they have the right to not write it. And really? There are more powerful ways to get your point across than rape. The problem is that some people (at least in general) don't seem to understand.

Re: Warning: Not making sense ahead.

[forcewatcher]

Right, it comes down to power. Some use a weapon, some use humilitation, whatever. I still subscribe to the idea of where there's life there's hope, so I'm never going to say rape is worse than murder. You can live through it, and you can deal with the psychology. I'm not saying this applies to everyone, but to humanity as a whole, if we can somehow deal with holocaust and war, rape is almost minor league by comparison. Almost. But as I said, it's subjective. To one who's been through it, you'll never convince them either. Then again, if someone's been through both, rape and war, maybe they can say which is worse. Murder... nobody's talking. What makes anything worse than anything else is perception, nothing more, nothing less. Eye of the beholder stuff.

Can you tell my stream of consiousness mode is kicking in?

That it's rarely well done isn't the fault of the writer. If the writer's getting paid (i.e., rewarded), then that's positive reinforcement. That writer will do it again. Who's at fault? The publisher for giving him the shot? The audience for paying for it?

I totally agree - there are always other powerful ways to get anything across in writing. It comes down to the quality of the writer. Some people are better than others, and some simply will never get it.

Re: Warning: Not making sense ahead.

[ladyhadhafang]

I know. But at the same time, rape takes plenty of time to recover from. Not to mention, in between all the slut-shaming and everything else -- I say rape is definitely a very important subject. I mean, maybe it is subjective, but at the same time, the slutshaming and utter lack of compassion some people show towards rape victims (mostly ranting in general) is definitely something that needs to be stopped.

Not saying that war and the holocaust aren't equally horrible, but still...there's something about rape, and society's treatment of rape victims, that gets to me. And I want it to stop.

You're definitely right. But at the same time, the writer has to take a degree of responsibility as well for not running it past someone else first. I mean...feedback's a pretty important thing, and if someone expresses some degree of disapproval...most of the time it's a good clue that you didn't write it very well.

And very well-said regarding the quality of the writer.

Re: Warning: Not making sense ahead.

[forcewatcher]

It's much like a phobia. Which is worse: fire, heights, or spiders? To someone who's afraid of one, the others may not be that bad. Clearly rape bothers you for whatever reason, and that's going to affect you. Personally, amputation and being buried alive leave a nasty taste in my mouth, but whatcha gonna do? I can't stress this enough: humans are infinitely adapatable. We as a species can deal with anything. Read Viktor Frankl's book Man's Search for Meaning, and you'll get what I mean. It'll change your perspective and your life.

That said, if stopping it is something you want to do, the immature writers of the world aren't your targets. Go forth and do. Be a part of law enforcement or become a public speaker or whatever you think is your path to success on that front. Anything you can name, somebody's making fun of it somewhere, somebody else is treating it like it's not a big deal somewhere else, and somebody else is treating it like it's the only problem in the world. If you want to be a part of a change mechanism in society, you have to be out in it, doing what you think is necessary. Whatever path that is for you, I wish you luck. You have the drive, you have the compassion. Just understand, there are no perfect solutions. The more you fix, the more you'll find to fix. That's hard for a lot of crusaders to deal with, and that's what causes people to become jaded after a few turns of the screw. Know yourself, know your crusade, you can make a difference to somebody.

As to the writer, if this clown has an editor or a publisher, it did go past somebody first. And even if not, if someone paid for it, that's all the justification in the world they need. Bad writing isn't a crime. If anything, it's necessary so you've got an example to hold up to the public and say "this is how not to do it. Let's learn from it."

Re: Warning: Not making sense ahead.

[ladyhadhafang]

All right. But it's something that has to be stopped in fiction if only because...while I wouldn't say fiction affects all of reality , it plays it's part in it. It's a very small part, but if it can be affected in some way, perhaps a difference can be made.

Re: Warning: Not making sense ahead.

[forcewatcher]

You'll never make a difference in any of it by trying to attack the creative process on any level. You know how creative types are, being one yourself. If you tell an artist they can't have a yellow sky in their painting, they'll paint nothing but yellow skies from here to eternity just to spite you. Writers are no different, and the ones you're trying to "stop" simply could care less what you think. Your efforts towards making a change for the better would be better served by concentrating on the real world version rather than trying to control the creative process. My two Republic credits, but only you can learn that for yourself.

Re: Warning: Not making sense ahead.

[ladyhadhafang]

I don't mean forcing the writers to write what I want. I mostly mean doing it for myself. Finding a way to set the example. After all, most of the great literary movements involved people showing the way, in a sense. And after all -- this isn't a case of yellow skies vs. blue skies -- I doubt I would call it artistic vision. It's a pattern that needs to stop, that needs to end.

And even if I don't, someone will. It won't happen overnight, not by a longshot. But it will happen eventually. You'd be surprised.

Re: Warning: Not making sense ahead.

[forcewatcher]

I encourage everyone to lead by example. But even then, you won't stop the pattern. You may very well inspire others to do what you're doing, but there's an equal and opposite reaction to all things. That's law at all levels of life. The more successful you are, the more likely people will parody it. That's usually the first sign of success. And where there's parody, direct insult will follow, which will include more of what you fight against.

I'm not looking to discourage you. I'm just pointing out what I'm sure you already know because it does no good to fight the good fight with blinders on. No matter how well-intentioned you are, you're fighting an idea. Ideas are bulletproof, regardless of how wrong they appear to be. Anything you can name that disgusts you is happening out in the real world and in a thousand fictional ones whether you like it or not. If that inspires you to go forth and fight, then by all means, go for it.