Is my book idea wrong and disgusting?

LegacyUser

ok so i've had an idea for book for the last 2 years, its a dark, disturbing plot and i'm wondering if its worth writing or if it bears a reflection on how f*cked up my mind is

i don't want to give away the plot, put the story contains [elements]
child abuse
rape
necrophilia
gruesome murder [a sort of serial killer]
self mutilation
etc

believe it or not there are more things like that in the story i just can't think of them at this time
i'm aware that all of the subject above are disturbing, and hard hitting for many people.
i came up with this story when i was severely depressed, since the story is so gruesome/disgusting/f**ked up i'm considering whether or not to write it
should i write it?

[apologises for poor grammer and/or spelling but i'm tired writing this]

dominiquecruz

If you think the story's any good, write it.. if it's just gratuitous shock violence, dont bother. The kind of subject matter you mention is often the focus of a lot of crime fiction, so dont worry about alienating an audience. If it's good, they'll read. Good luck.

stealinhorses

I can't think of any way that a book can't be wrong and disgusting if it contains characters physically/mentally abusing children, having sex with dead people, mutilating their own bodies and raping people.

The book might be brilliant in some twisted way, but the idea surely is wrong and disgusting.

jill_valentine

stealinhorses wrote: »

I can't think of any way that a book can't be wrong and disgusting if it contains characters physically/mentally abusing children, having sex with dead people, mutilating their own bodies and raping people.

Some of these things occur in To Kill A Mockingbird. You can't automatically declare something taboo like that, with no thought to what function it might serve to the book as a whole.

OP, if it serves a greater plot, it may be justified. If it's just for shock value, as somebody else said, don't bother. So ask yourself - what does this lend my story? What would my story lose without it?

TerrorFirmer

Call to mind American Psycho. A book that exists today in it's edited version, which in itself is a serious trip into the disturbed, let alone that version that we cannot see and was deemed unacceptable by publishers. Yet, it's a masterpiece, and a piece that features in college lists the world over. There's very little that's wrong and disgusting, as long as there's a point to those aspects within your work. Don't be wrong and disgusting for the pointless sake of being wrong and disgusting.

viadah

If you have to ask then you already think it is yourself. If you didn't you'd be writing it rather than asking about it here, I reckon.

did you watch a serbian film recently or what

leggo

Write first and decide later. If it's in your head, it's best to put pen to paper then worry about all of this in the aftermath. Once you've finished you can give yourself a psychological evaluation or examine if there's a market for it. Til then there's no point.

But remember that writing is a way to vent the madness that goes on in our heads. Whether it's appropriate for everyone else to read or not, it might at least be therapeutic for you.

pickarooney

With the possible exception of necrophilia, all the above are everyday occurrences. You wouldn't presume anything about the mental state of a journalist who wrote about any of those so I don't see why a fiction author should be considered any different.

viadah

pickarooney wrote: »

With the possible exception of necrophilia, all the above are everyday occurrences.

Speak for yourself, buddy.

pickarooney

viadah wrote: »

Speak for yourself, buddy.

Apologies. For some of us necrophilia is obviously an everyday occurrence.

H. Flashman

The more you compromise the poorer the final product will be the less you compromise the better it will be.

BunShopVoyeur

Can't_Be_Named wrote: »

ok so i've had an idea for book for the last 2 years, its a dark, disturbing plot and i'm wondering if its worth writing or if it bears a reflection on how f*cked up my mind is

i don't want to give away the plot, put the story contains [elements]
child abuse
rape
necrophilia
gruesome murder [a sort of serial killer]
self mutilation
etc

believe it or not there are more things like that in the story i just can't think of them at this time
i'm aware that all of the subject above are disturbing, and hard hitting for many people.
i came up with this story when i was severely depressed, since the story is so gruesome/disgusting/f**ked up i'm considering whether or not to write it
should i write it?

[apologises for poor grammer and/or spelling but i'm tired writing this]

Not that big a deal to be honest, a lot of books deal with gore and various unpleasant activities.

Once there's a decent story being told and you're not simply trying to shock for the sake of it because that would be pointless.

bazza1

Sigh! Another book about the clergy!

sillo

I'd say it really depends on why you write to begin with. If the idea keeps bouncing around your head there's probably a reason for that and the catharsis alone may be reason enough to at least start writing it.

Having said that, if you're more commercially oriented and looking to get published, it's hard to imagine that kind of subject matter finding a home very easily

mylittlepony

When i read your thread this film came to mind i saw censored clips on youtube by chance looking for movie trailer of another horror movie final destination1-5.
Did i see the movie? hell no. I think it would be too disturbing for my eyes and mind , even though it suppose/hidden meanings/messages to be about the serbian war how if affect modern serbian or sonething like that:
http://xtravision.ie/movie/ASerbianFilm_2009

More details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Serbian_Film

DHYNZY

I agree with everyone else, if you find there is a use for the necrophilia et al, then it should be in your story. Try and avoid gratuitous use. Kinda reminds me of that episode of South Park where Butters 'writes' his book

watson88

I guess readers of your book also go in depression Just kidding, why not you write something comic, so that people forgot their problems at least when they are reading your book.

Can't_Be_Named wrote: »

ok so i've had an idea for book for the last 2 years, its a dark, disturbing plot and i'm wondering if its worth writing or if it bears a reflection on how f*cked up my mind is

i don't want to give away the plot, put the story contains [elements]
child abuse
rape
necrophilia
gruesome murder [a sort of serial killer]
self mutilation
etc

believe it or not there are more things like that in the story i just can't think of them at this time
i'm aware that all of the subject above are disturbing, and hard hitting for many people.
i came up with this story when i was severely depressed, since the story is so gruesome/disgusting/f**ked up i'm considering whether or not to write it
should i write it?

[apologises for poor grammer and/or spelling but i'm tired writing this]

tabstheatre

Writing to please the masses is dull. Just look at all the chick-lit out there.

Look not everyone will read your book but that's what we love about living in the free world. We get the choice to pick up and read whatever we want. If someone else thinks it's sick, then they don't have to read it.
And there are plenty of books out there about all of the things you mentioned. I would only be worried if you were thinking about doing those things yourself. Putting it in a book is creating a work of fiction. Trust me there are plenty of disturbing works of fiction out there.
It's all about choice. Write a good enough story, and that's all that matters really.

D1stant

Can't_Be_Named wrote: »

ok so i've had an idea for book for the last 2 years, its a dark, disturbing plot and i'm wondering if its worth writing or if it bears a reflection on how f*cked up my mind is

i don't want to give away the plot, put the story contains [elements]
child abuse
rape
necrophilia
gruesome murder [a sort of serial killer]
self mutilation
etc
]

So no car chases. Nah Dont bother

Fuinseog

Can't_Be_Named wrote: »

ok so i've had an idea for book for the last 2 years, its a dark, disturbing plot and i'm wondering if its worth writing or if it bears a reflection on how f*cked up my mind is

i don't want to give away the plot, put the story contains [elements]
child abuse
rape
necrophilia
gruesome murder [a sort of serial killer]
self mutilation
etc

believe it or not there are more things like that in the story i just can't think of them at this time
i'm aware that all of the subject above are disturbing, and hard hitting for many people.
i came up with this story when i was severely depressed, since the story is so gruesome/disgusting/f**ked up i'm considering whether or not to write it
should i write it?

[apologises for poor grammer and/or spelling but i'm tired writing this]

personally, I would say a book with the above topics would have a limited appeal.