Advice needed

[Gunnlaug]

I'd be very grateful for some advice:

I'm writing a NC/Rel story and for plot reasons a death must occur. This death is a murder. Now, I understand that Lit isn't keen on acts of violence (which I understand and respect).

The murder will not be lurid, and the victim will be unaware of what is about to happen. Furthermore, the murder will occur 'off-stage' and will not be described. The only thing that the reader will be aware of is a gunshot, and an aftermath (again, not lurid in any way). In the combined experience of Lit authors will this be acceptable (if it isn't I might as well scrap the whole thing)?

Many thanks for your opinions.

 

[VenusButterflies]

I'd be very grateful for some advice:

I'm writing a NC/Rel story and for plot reasons a death must occur. This death is a murder. Now, I understand that Lit isn't keen on acts of violence (which I understand and respect).

The murder will not be lurid, and the victim will be unaware of what is about to happen. Furthermore, the murder will occur 'off-stage' and will not be described. The only thing that the reader will be aware of is a gunshot, and an aftermath (again, not lurid in any way). In the combined experience of Lit authors will this be acceptable (if it isn't I might as well scrap the whole thing)?

Many thanks for your opinions.

I think if it's not gratuitous and an important part of the plot, it's okay. Can you give more details about the circumstances surrounding it, or would you rather not divulge?

 

[Gunnlaug]

I think if it's not gratuitous and an important part of the plot, it's okay. Can you give more details about the circumstances surrounding it, or would you rather not divulge?

It's not about not divulging - I haven't written a very central scene yet and I may vary some elements of it. I've already thought about a change of focus and I've been struggling with the story in general (though I think the concept is sound).

Anyway.... my concern is that the murder comes at the end of a graphic sex act, and is of the 'victim' of the NC/Rel scenario. I have no desire to describe this murder in detail, so I am not compromising by having it occur 'off-stage' (it was always how it felt better to me). The aftermath of the murder will be abstract, and at no point will there be any blood, body, etc. There will be no lead in to the murder that the victim is aware of (although the reader will be able to see it coming), so no pleading for mercy, etc. Also, the sex act leading up to the murder will not in itself be NC/Rel. However, the reader will be aware that the murder is a consequence of actions leading up to the scenario in general.

EDIT: Sorry - should have expanded a little - the reader should be able to see what is about to happen because the narrator (and antagonist) will see a man take a gun from a bag and will turn away and leave the immediate area at that point. After which there will be a gunshot. The narrator will then confirm the murder of the victim in an abstract way.

 

[sr71plt]

Doesn't sound like it will be a problem. I have whole murder mysteries posted here and that hasn't been a problem. I just didn't go on and on in great detail of the murder going on onstage (except for the vampire ones--and they went through without question too).

 

[3113]

The murder will not be lurid, and the victim will be unaware of what is about to happen. Furthermore, the murder will occur 'off-stage' and will not be described. The only thing that the reader will be aware of is a gunshot, and an aftermath (again, not lurid in any way). In the combined experience of Lit authors will this be acceptable (if it isn't I might as well scrap the whole thing)?

No worries so far as I can tell. You may have misunderstood Lit's anti-violence policy. As SR7 points out, there is plenty of murder and violence in erotic horror, and in the dozens of murder mysteries posted here on Lit.

The "no-no" part (as I understand it) is "snuff"--that is, describing an act of realistic murder for the purposes of eroticism. To get the reader off. A person unexpectedly shot, on stage or off, hardly does that. In fact, you could probably show it if you wanted and be just fine.

 

[FAWCker]

No worries so far as I can tell. You may have misunderstood Lit's anti-violence policy. As SR7 points out, there is plenty of murder and violence in erotic horror, and in the dozens of murder mysteries posted here on Lit.

The "no-no" part (as I understand it) is "snuff"--that is, describing an act of realistic murder for the purposes of eroticism. To get the reader off. A person unexpectedly shot, on stage or off, hardly does that. In fact, you could probably show it if you wanted and be just fine.

Yes, you can actually go into quite a bit of description when it comes to a character's death. I've had characters shot in the head, dismembered, gored, stabbed and bludgeoned during the course of a story.

 

[Gunnlaug]

Many thanks to you all - mind set at rest