A Question

[destinie21]

Okay I have a question and no it's none of my usual fuckree and dicking about. The question is this I'm writing a story about a lesbian couple but there's lots of turmoil because one of the women (Shanina.) is the minister of music at a southern baptist church in Memephis. There's al lot of reference to the 'black" full gospel type church. Also there's a few cultural refrences about what the women go through as black women in the south.

My question is this is the topic to complicated and are the refrences to cultural identity a bad idea?


okay discuss

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Cultural identity references can never be a bad idea - they fall in the same category as setting and character development, as was being discussed sometime ago. Without it, every story is alike.

Whether or not it's too complicated is up to you, though. No topic is too complicated if you know how to handle it.

 

[Guest]

 

[Sabledrake]

Complicated topics, backgrounds, and conflicts make for richer characters and better stories. Go for it!

Sabledrake

 

[ABSTRUSE]

Okay I have a question and no it's none of my usual fuckree and dicking about. The question is this I'm writing a story about a lesbian couple but there's lots of turmoil because one of the women (Shanina.) is the minister of music at a southern baptist church in Memephis. There's al lot of reference to the 'black" full gospel type church. Also there's a few cultural refrences about what the women go through as black women in the south.

My question is this is the topic to complicated and are the refrences to cultural identity a bad idea?


okay discuss

I think it would be a fabulous perspective into a world many of us know nothing about, I know I would love to read it, being from a northern mainlly white community. I say go for it, I'm very interested in reading it.

~A~

 

[CharleyH]

Okay I have a question and no it's none of my usual fuckree and dicking about. The question is this I'm writing a story about a lesbian couple but there's lots of turmoil because one of the women (Shanina.) is the minister of music at a southern baptist church in Memephis. There's al lot of reference to the 'black" full gospel type church. Also there's a few cultural refrences about what the women go through as black women in the south.

My question is this is the topic to complicated and are the refrences to cultural identity a bad idea?


okay discuss

Well Dest - first - you are a priviledge black woman in the north = do you know what it is to be? in the south - the turmoil also depends on the context family - is huge issue can be - both black and not . . . south and north also diif atts . . . . I think it is a great idea that need to be addressed - just me . . .

 

[destinie21]

Re: Re: A Question

Well Dest - first - you are a priviledge black woman in the north = do you know what it is to be? in the south - the turmoil also depends on the context family - is huge issue can be - both black and not . . . south and north also diif atts . . . . I think it is a great idea that need to be addressed - just me . . .

lol I had to spend every summer with my grandmother in memphis and she was definately a holy roller. I know all about being able to sing so sweet it'll make people weep and think Jesus is their own personal love song and and even the mother's board and the deacons would be thinking I was ready to hasten to the almighty thone but if they knew who I was then or now they'd have me tarrying on the alter with the church mother trying to cast out demons while some pimped out preacher "annoints" me with blessed oil . It's not the prespective I'm having trouble with it's whether it's even worth writing.

 

[Guest]

make it real

D-

I think the challenge will be to make all the characters 3-D rather than rely on stereotypes for the non main characters. It is easy to let the non-loveable supporting characters to become trite hippocrites rather than real people.

Having internal conflict and external conflict always makes a story more intriguing and engaging.

Good luck!

b

 

[Raging Whoremoans]

If it intrigues you, it's worth writing. The premise/context is secondary. You've obviously got what it takes to do such a story justice and I happen to really enjoy a tale that takes me out of my severly culture-lacking life. Hop to it chickadee...I'm waiting to read it already.


~ R W

 

[Boota]

It definitely sounds like something worth tackling. Sure, it can be a complicated story. But life is complicated sometimes. I find that out more every damn day. LOL. Just make sure you know your characters and let them do what they do. The complications are just going to make it more interesting.

Good luck with it.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

D.

I can see Toni Morrison doing a mulit-volumn series with all those plot devices. As BK mentioned, the only problem I can see is fleshing all this out and making the characters three dimensional within a short story or even novella framework.

But I hope you give it a try. Even if you can't pull it off, you'll be aiming high and, IMHO,will be a better writer for having tried. Good luck.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[NoJo]

My question is this is the topic to complicated and are the refrences to cultural identity a bad idea?


okay discuss

I'd probably like your story most if you

Don't write for a white audience; and don't preach. Don't be sensationalist -- but surprise people like me, people who think they already know about the Black South, because they've seen a couple of movies and read a few books.

 

[ABSTRUSE]

Hey Ms. D,
It looks as thought you have no choice but to write this now, we are all anticipating it with open arms and a great deal of faith.
If it's from your heart, it will be worth it. If it's from part of your soul, give it life. If it needs to be told, tell it.
We're not looking for Maya Angelou, Alice Walker....just Destinie and that will make it worth the read.
Hope your muse it testifying and singing in your ear.
Good luck.

~A~

 

[dirtylover]

I was going to post, but Abs said it better than I could.

ps
I don't think it will be too complicated as long as you don't assume too much knowledge from your readers (well me really - seeing as I'm white, non-American, male, and straight; although I do find those gospel, churchy type singers pretty hot, especially when they really get into it - just makes me imagine what they'd be like in bed - dynamite! Yeah, I think you need to write it, b4 my imagination writes itself into another quagmire. Is this the longest thing in parantheses ever or what? Hmmm, told you Abs said it better than me, although essentially I think we're making the same point).

 

[minsue]

I agree with most everything stated above, but I've a question of my own. Why would you question it or consider references to cultural identity a bad idea? Isn't that one of the main reasons for storytelling? (even porn? )

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Des,

I think it would be well worth writing. Not only because complex characters make for more entertaining reading, but becuase the perspective unique.

The idea that because we write explicit sex into our stories we aren't really writers is, in part, based on the lack of depth many stories have when it comes to charicaterization. I think this story would have a lot to say that is relevant to the culture in the south, a culture that many who have never lived there don't understand and have a great many misconceptions about.

It sounds to me like a story that will have strong characters, allow you to say something about the culture in the deep south and will also allow you to present something of a social commentary with the work. I would say it is defintely worth tackling.

-Colly

 

[Guest]

the story idea has potential if for no other reason that strong conservative religious values would make any gay love affair extremely painful emotionally for the believer. She would feel tremendous hunger for this other woman, yet se heself a pervert. So you have the potentio of a character forced to look herself in the eye.

The difficulty is that such a person cannot lightly 'experiment' with sex, this is a one way journey that will have regrets either way. For a character who is deeply religious to 'come out' even to yourself is to admit that you yourself are hated by the same God you have worshipped for years.

Another potential weakness is to reduce her fellow church and choir members as one dimensional. it is to easy to render fundamentalists as raving lunatics. But that has been done, and will exclude everyone but the converted. Nor is it realistic. Many fundamentalis Christians are actually quite kind people interpersonally, even though their politics may be hateful. A intolerant friend or two who are wonderful people in all other ways could be used to heighten the protagonists struggle with her own desires.

Really, I don't think you can do it right for under 20,000 words. That's a lot of words for a webite. NOw, if can get it done right, wel, more power to you.

 

[angela146]

I want to echo the caution about keeping the characters real. All too often when people write about one culture for another culture, they make the background "typical" rather than real.

Real characters (and real people) are quirky. They don't exactly fit in the norms of their society or culture.

If a story takes me to a place I have never been, I'll go along for the ride. Don't worry about explaining the cultural references in the story proper. Give the reader a couple of paragraphs at the end that explain things. I don't mind reading stuff that I don't quite "get", especially if you fill me in later on.

I'd love to read a draft or the finished story.

 

[Speak]

The idea sounds entertaining for starters. You should do it for that reason alone. There're a lot of interesting issues to touch on too. All in all a bonus. Is it going to be about love or love and lust or just lust? You should definitely have a pimped out preacher man. It'd be dope if you incorporated a loose moralled kinda slippery Navy recruiter too trolling the south looking for some poor kids to sell a dream to.

Ahh. Forbiden Love.
http://pages.emerson.edu/students/Michael_Histen/vma/lap3a.jpg
http://www.madonnashots.com/lap11.jpg
http://www.madonnashots.com/lap09.jpg

 

[Speak]

Are you considering tragedy? You should study leviticus for outlandish rules you can throw in people's faces when they want to quote it.

You should have a Romeo and Juliet type thing only its Romi and Juliet and they both get smart before they start offing themselves.

I saw some comments about a word limit. You should make it a serial. You gotta keep it sexy if its a lit story. That is if you want to have serial readers. Maybe not. I'm not so sure really.