How graphic can I get? (1 Viewer)

Hippy La-Laa

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I'm writing a thriller/horror story and there will be several murders. My question is (as my teacher pointed out to me today) how descriptive and detailed can I get?

I personally, want there to be enough description to shock/unnerve the reader, but I don't want them to be so repulsed that they stop reading...

What are your views?:confused:
 

AsyLum

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the limit is your imagination.


"The bullet cut deep into their minds, each fell back. The blank stare emitted by each of their eyes, that substance of nonentity which filled the void left by the exit wound, surmised the situation. They had achieved their goals, their intentions fulfilled. They would eventually disappear into an emptiness, back into that which they had come from, creation and destruction. "

"The two words symbolize the only inevitabilities in the world. We are born and start to live, but at the same time start on our road to death.

When we die, we cease to live, and death begins

but as the bullet whistled into the thoughts of Bob, he knew life was over at least for now anyway.

Rather animatedly, the motionless body lay in a pool of brain matter with ideas all over the walls. Light shines immaculately as he lies face down on the cold granite steps. The wind whistles as it scurries through the gaping hole left in his cranium. Then SILENCE

It was deafening.

Death.

Vulgar, dark and vague yet mystical; mind-provoking. It brings the living to honour the dead, in a false platitude of emotion, exasperated in a bid to cleanse ones own soul of any responsibility.

The brick wall of a speeding car, the ground viewed at terminal velocity, the sweet song of depleted uranium shells, the harsh whisper of shrapnel, that funny feeling as your blood flow reverses."

those were from mine so you can kind of gauge how violent or more graphic you really want to.
 

santaslayer

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You should be careful when doing your creative writing in Ext2. For example, last year, an Ext2 student wrote about John Howard being assasinated. The student was initiallty given a fail, but then after due consideration, was awarded a part of the marks. :)
 

AsyLum

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Originally posted by santaslayer
You should be careful when doing your creative writing in Ext2. For example, last year, an Ext2 student wrote about John Howard being assasinated. The student was initiallty given a fail, but then after due consideration, was awarded a part of the marks. :)
wasnt that the year before ? or something

and that was due to his story "not having any sense and was a non serious attempt"

hehe i laughed at that
 

glycerine

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I thought he wrote about it in one of the creative questions in his exam, not as a major work, maybe I'm wrong though.
 

Sarah168

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i've read a major work that got 50/50 ( or maybe it was 49/50 but yeah, it doesnt matter) and there was a fair bit of swearing including the f*** and sh** words..it depends if they're being used to support the argument not just random cursing i guess

but graphic as in violence shouldnt matter too much if its a written work does it?
 

AsyLum

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Originally posted by glycerine
I thought he wrote about it in one of the creative questions in his exam, not as a major work, maybe I'm wrong though.
lol i have no idea anymore you're probably right...but the fact remains

you can be as graphic as you want or as crude, but it has to be justified not only in the story but in the reflection statement :D
 

clive

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Originally posted by glycerine
I thought he wrote about it in one of the creative questions in his exam, not as a major work, maybe I'm wrong though.
Yeah I'm pretty sure that it was in the Ext1 exam, the story was about boat people i think?? and involved one assassinating the PM. The student got E3 for Ext1 i think.
 

Persephone87

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Have no doubt there will be swearing in mine...just make sure you sort of justify its use to validate a point, character or situation...could be a good springboard eventually for your reflection statement.
 

Hippy La-Laa

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It's not so much the swearing.. I doubt there'll even be any, but the themes of violence/killing and the level of description that goes with it....

Hmmm..
 

AsyLum

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Originally posted by Hippy La-Laa
It's not so much the swearing.. I doubt there'll even be any, but the themes of violence/killing and the level of description that goes with it....

Hmmm..
dont do it for the sake of shock factor, you will get hit hard for that.

But if you can justify it has a purpose which is integral to the progression or formation of your story then go right ahead
 

santaslayer

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Originally posted by Persephone87
Have no doubt there will be swearing in mine...just make sure you sort of justify its use to validate a point, character or situation...could be a good springboard eventually for your reflection statement.

Justify your swearing if yiou think people will believe it is excessive. Say something like it is a particular trait of my character due to his/her upbringing? :)
 

zerzillia

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if you can justify it, and use it so that it flows freely and smoothly in the writing you shouldnt have any problems.

my MW wont have any swear words i dont think. it's because of my personality, i get poetic when i write, swear words only ruins my mood (while i'm writing). it really depends on what you're writing.
 

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