Interesting Articles on Writing

[Deleted]

I thought I may be a nice to have a thread where we can post articles on writing stories with disabled characters so we just have to look at one place.

Here is an encouraging article writen by Stephanie Green, a partially sighted writer, who is querying why more writers aren't including disabled characters in their stories.

fmwriters.com/Visionback/Vision46/Writingaboutdisability.htm

[Ximena]

Thanks for posting that, Tab! And a para vampire would definitely be different and interesting!

[Deleted]

I have also found this blog and couldn't resist posting it as on of the comments mentions Ruth''s Whole. It is along the lines of the article that DG posted, with a list of what not to does.

www.yahighway.com/2011/04/great-characters-with-disabilities-in.html

[ruthmadison]

Great finds!

[devogirl]

Thank you Tabby! That second article is great--her list of dos and don'ts is right on.

The last don't though, about the superpower that makes up for the disability...most of the time, I agree. There are so many times that's done so badly. But occasionally it is ok. It's too bad she took a swipe at Daredevil, because I'll bet she has never actually read the comics. As with any superhero comic, some story arcs are bad and some are good. At its very best, the Daredevil stories don't ignore his blindness, and it's super devvy.

[Deleted]

DG, I am reading Touching The Rock by John M Hull and there is a bit in there which he describes the freedom he feels when it rains. He is a guy that had been dodging blindness but it finally caught up with him and he struggled to accept it. But he said that when it rained he could tell where his path out his front door was and where the shrubs were etc. This reminded me of the DareDevil film where it rains and he can see her face. I have to admit I love the film.

I'll do a review when I finish the book as I am really enjoying it.

On another note I have found this article about writing sex scenes. It is something that I struggle with and a couple of stories I am doing at the moment need to have some steamy scenes and I keep putting it off. The fiction here on PD and a certain book by a certain person on here that I have been reading have great sex scenes, and the writers handle them with great confidence. I watched a programe once about a writer trying to switch from chic lit to Mills and Boon and she got drunk before writing the sex parts. I may have to do that. Lets face it, it worked with dystrophian's poem, lol, even though I am gutted I wasn't mentioned.

I like the humor in this article.

www.utne.com/Literature/How-To-Write-A-Sex-Scene.aspx?page=3

[devogirl]

Wow, thanks for that link! What a great article, and on the Utne Reader, I never would have guessed.

I have struggled with sex scenes too, which is weird because I'm pretty uninhibited in what I will talk about and in my imagination. But when it comes to writing sex scenes, especially in a story that is not just all about sex, I have a trouble stretching out the description by more than a paragraph. It doesn't help that when I read romances, the sex scenes are my least favorite parts, so often they are just embarrassingly bad, but even when it's done well, I find myself skipping over it to get on with the plot.

The advice in that article is really good, I will try it out. Although I disagree about not using the word "penis." I hate how romances are always talking about his "shaft." To me that's way cheezier. "Cock" sounds so smutty, it's ok if that's the intended effect, but if the story isn't just erotica, it might not evoke the right mood.

[janewheeler]

Writing about a guy's parts isn't so bad; it's the womanly bits that are so difficult. "Her most private place." "The pink pearl." "The glistening nub."

Maude Lebowski: Does the female form make you uncomfortable, Mr. Lebowski?
The Dude: Uh, is that what this is a picture of?
Maude Lebowski: In a sense, yes. My art has been commended as being strongly vaginal which bothers some men. The word itself makes some men uncomfortable. Vagina.
The Dude: Oh yeah?
Maude Lebowski: Yes, they don't like hearing it and find it difficult to say whereas without batting an eye a man will refer to his dick or his rod or his Johnson.
The Dude: Johnson?

[Ximena]

Lol made some of the points in that article in advice I've given others. But I also disagree about terminology. My point there is to be consistent w the diction of your narrator and/or characters. Some characters will say penis, others cock, others dick, others prick, etc.

I personally hate euphemisms if they're used too much.

Megan Hart does great sex scenes (my fave author so fa anyway), and for M/M I suggest KA Mitchell.

Reading lots of sex scenes is advice I give that wasnt on that list. Both good and bad-- it helps you see what works and what doesn't so you can emulate it in your writing (or you know what to avoid).

[janewheeler]

Reading a lot in general is always a good idea. If nothing else, it gives you ideas for what NOT to do. Or it gives you ideas about what the clichés or accepted ways of doing things are, even if the author is doing that for a particular reason.

[devogirl]

LOL Jane. Totally agree-- "her glistening/quivering/whatever NUB" shows up all the time in crappy romances. SO unsexy. The article's suggestion to avoid any words for genitalia at all is ok but will not work all the time.

Great quote by the way, "strongly vaginal" hahaha ;D It's the best line in a great movie.

[Ximena]

Aug 5, 2012 9:07:58 GMT -5 janewheeler said:

Reading a lot in general is always a good idea. If nothing else, it gives you ideas for what NOT to do. Or it gives you ideas about what the clichés or accepted ways of doing things are, even if the author is doing that for a particular reason.

Very true! Plus, I find it stimulates my creativity.

[Max]

See, that's why I didnt bother writing a m/f-story, but a m/m one. No glistening nub, blosoming flowers or anything like that

[Deleted]

Aug 5, 2012 11:18:07 GMT -5 Max said:

See, that's why I didnt bother writing a m/f-story, but a m/m one. No glistening nub, blosoming flowers or anything like that

Please no "his treasure trail" though Max

[janewheeler]

But treasure trails are fun!