Finally a story question from me.

[SeaCat]

I am currently working on a story about a man and wife where the wife has been diagnosed with Cancer. (Multiple forms of it. More common than you would believe.) Yes there is sex in the story. My question is this. When I am talking about her treatments, ie. Chemo-Therapy would it be better to discuss specific medications used, or just generalise?
This story will be long and fairly involved. (it's already up to 25 pages on MS Works.) but I am enjoying writing it.
Oh yeah, there is a slight plot twost in it, but I wont get into that right now. I know how I'm working that.

SeaCat

 

[CharleyH]

I am currently working on a story about a man and wife where the wife has been diagnosed with Cancer. (Multiple forms of it. More common than you would believe.) Yes there is sex in the story. My question is this. When I am talking about her treatments, ie. Chemo-Therapy would it be better to discuss specific medications used, or just generalise?
This story will be long and fairly involved. (it's already up to 25 pages on MS Works.) but I am enjoying writing it.
Oh yeah, there is a slight plot twost in it, but I wont get into that right now. I know how I'm working that.

SeaCat

Careful my friend. My Mother had breast cancer which mestasisized (sp) into bones and multiple organs - do you think she wanted sex in that much pain when her bones were breaking every time you moved her to even piss? Or any time she raised her arm to kiss you? Chemo leaves one feeling exhausted, and believe me - after a chemo session, not met anyone who wants sex - is it love or slut . . . what are the characters? One can have sex, and wants to feel beeautiful after a mastectomy, or even after an ouepherectomy, or hyserectomy, but what kind of cancer my friend? (speeling wrong on all i know) Each brings with it, its own pains and wantings for pleasure

If you are not real in it, you will bypass the point in my opinion, but trying to help if I can.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

My question is this. When I am talking about her treatments, ie. Chemo-Therapy would it be better to discuss specific medications used, or just generalise?

SeaCat

SeaCat,

In my opinion, there is no "right or wrong" answer. If this were a short story, the choice would be easier. Unless knowing the specific information added DIRECTLY to the story, you'd probably want to leave it out.

But since this project is going to be on the long side, your decision is tougher. You'll have to ask yourself if the detailed information adds enough verisimilitude to the story to justify slowing the pace.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[SnoopDog]

Well CharleyH I'm sorry to hear about your mother. I didn'T have a case of cancer in my family but in the family of a close friend. So I know what one is going through....it's hell.

But I do want to address the question. I personally always like the details. It makes a story believable and makes it 'feel' more real. I think if you handle the story with care and reality it could actually be a good story. Just make sure to be sensitive with the topic 'cancer'.

Snoopy

 

[A7inchPhildo]

Seacat,

Only you can decide if the terms in the story are apropriate or not.

Some things to consider; Is this a How to story? Probably not so will the reader be interested in knowing proper terms or not.

I would guess the common Lit reader would not have a clue on major medical terms. For the main line Lit reader I would say break it down into lay-mans terms. Chemo-Therapy is more technical than what many readers can handle.

However from the sounds of the story I would guess you are looking to atract a certain interested crowd. In which case It could not only be factual, but benificial to the reader to have proper terms.

One of the reasons I would read you story is to associate myself with the cancer victom. Perhaps I have a friend or hear of a relative diagnosed with cancer. A story like yours can provide some good insight as to what to expect. Shedding some light on some terms so it is not all space shot words the first time heard.


My sugestion is if this is a serious story meant to enlighten some people of what "Cancer" is, and how it effects people in real life. Go with the technical nomenclature.

If it is intended to be more of a lighthearted story relating cancer is not the end. Nix the big words, and place the added effort into describing the words meanings so more can understand.

Phil

 

[Green_Gem]

My sense is for a story here on Lit and one that is not going into the Non-Erotic category, I wouldn't get into discussing specific medications. I would certainly go for a more generalised approach.

Of course we don't know what the story line is going to be, but I'm inclined to also agree with Charley H about ensuring the right balance of empathy and sexual behavior that is appropriate to the illness. I think it will add measurably to the credibility of your story. Good luck and let us know when it's up.

Green_Gem

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Gonna offer a slightly different take SeaCat. For me the story is in the details. If you know the specific meds used & thier side effects, using proper names will add immediacy & realism to the work. Don't get bogged down in it, but a touch of reality in the details never hurts, IMHO.

-Colly

 

[tiger_smurf]

Just a random musing but...

how many people are turned on by cancer? does it have a genuine place in your story? 25 pages is a lot for a lit work. If you have an actual message to your story, you should ask yourself if the sex is even nessecary. You could post it in non-erotic. It just seems to me that the type of people who are going to want to read a 25 page story about cancer might not care if there's sex or not. And most people just looking to get off won't bother with 25 pages of a story with a message/life view. I'd be careful with that one.

-ck

 

[SeaCat]

Re: Re: Finally a story question from me.

Careful my friend. My Mother had breast cancer which mestasisized (sp) into bones and multiple organs - do you think she wanted sex in that much pain when her bones were breaking every time you moved her to even piss? Or any time she raised her arm to kiss you? Chemo leaves one feeling exhausted, and believe me - after a chemo session, not met anyone who wants sex - is it love or slut . . . what are the characters? One can have sex, and wants to feel beeautiful after a mastectomy, or even after an ouepherectomy, or hyserectomy, but what kind of cancer my friend? (speeling wrong on all i know) Each brings with it, its own pains and wantings for pleasure

If you are not real in it, you will bypass the point in my opinion, but trying to help if I can.

Charley my friend,

I empathise(sp) with you. My mother has dealt with cancer four times so far, and I have lost relatives from it on her side of the family. I was mis-diagnosed with another type of cancer, so I know about the fear factor. (Notice I said mis-diagnosed. Longest two months of my life.) To answer some other questions I see unasked in your post and in others, there is a good amount of sexual play and release which goes on in a cancer ward. We shrug it off and accept it as part of the healing and dealing process, while carefully and quietly monitoring it to make sure the patients aren't injured. Luckily those who work with me are more enlightened than most. (Big meeting about this two years ago on my unit complete with Psychs and Oncologists.)
As for sex in my story, yes there is sex in the story, quite a bit of it as a matter of fact. (I have written two books of non-erotic fiction and left that area of writing when found this forum.) I balance the sex out with real life treatments of the patient, what they are going through, and how they react as well as how the people around them react. (I am using for the basis of this story several of my past patients, with their consent. In fact they have been receiving the updates to the story every two days and have been responding very favorably. Some of the incidents I have seen, some I have heard about, and some I have been asked to put in because these patients wished they had happened.)
As for the length of this, yeah it is turning out to be a lot longer than I anticipated. I originaly started it as a short story but it just seemed to grow. (I'm sure you know exactly what I mean.) I'm not even sure if I'll put it here on Lit. although if I don't I will offer it to the rest of you as an E-Mail.
Any thoughts and ideas would be more than welcomed.

SeaCat
Med Tech 2
Oncology

 

[raphy]

Throw in a few, to give the story a more 'grounded' and 'realistic' feel, but don't go overboard. Don't spend 3 pages with a doctor discussing the best and worst medical treatments or the good points and bad points of each drug otherwise your readers will go to sleep.

Throw the details in to add realism, but whatever you do, keep that plot moving along. Readers want to know what happens next.