If you were an author...

Ode to a Grasshopper · Tue May 07, 2002 11:26 pm

@Beldin-doesn't a cookbook for S.S.I.s sort of defeat the purpose? The whole point is to improvise and then warn other people not to try it later.

Has MnM ever said he'll do something that's not serious? I've only just noticed it, but he only reads 'serious' books (Tolstoy, Shakespeare, etc), and he'd focus on 'serious' stuff...I'm sure he must have something he does that isn't serious...Mustn't he?

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Wed May 08, 2002 2:11 pm

Originally posted by Mr Sleep
I think if i ever wrote anything (something i do intend to do) it would be somewhat like the writing's of Ellroy, maybe base it on a real event and show what could have happened, i would love to do the reasearch and then create a story from that.

For some reason, I think you will be extraordinarily apt for that kind of writing.

I haven't read all Ellroy's books, but the Black Dahlia springs to my mind since it is a fictious interpretion of a real event.

When my parents were young, they had a female friend who was murdered. Her body was found much later, dismembered, in a forest about 100 miles from where she lived. Her murderer was never found. She was a very pretty girl (I've seem her on photos) and the police suspected a jealousy or love-related drama was behind the murderer, but none of the men around her could ever be connected to the murder. Perhaps she didn't know her murderer but was a victim of random violence. If I had the time and skill, I think it would be quite interesting to make a documentary style fictious story out of this.

GNGSpam · Post by **GNGSpam** » Wed May 08, 2002 2:18 pm

Im currently in the beginning stages of writing a historical book entitled (tenatively) "Barksdales Brigade" about the famous Mississippi Brigade which served in Lee's Army of Northern Virginia from Manassas to Fort Stedman at Petersburg.

It probably wont be of significant intrest to anyone, but its a neat project, my first book, and something I enjoy. I havent begun actually writing yet, as with all historical books the amount of research is daunting, and being in college at the same time makes things tough.

I would love to write a fictional novel, but I havent been able to develop anything resembling a book worthy plot line. For the time being I think I will be forced to stick to poems, essays, and short stories. Maybe writing full length books on history will give me the experince to branch out into fiction (its much easier to write a non-fiction book because its your research and how clear you are which makes or breaks your book, as opposed to fiction where its more artistic and creative in nature)

Mr Sleep · Post by **Mr Sleep** » Wed May 08, 2002 3:21 pm

Originally posted by C Elegans
For some reason, I think you will be extraordinarily apt for that kind of writing. I haven't read all Ellroy's books, but the Black Dahlia springs to my mind since it is a fictious interpretion of a real event.

I have always been interested by events like Fred West in this country and many of the other highly publiscised events like that. I would enjoy reasearching what caused him to tick and creating an interesting story around that and the events that caused them to do their deeds.

Your story for instance could be anything, one could create many stories from that.

Iain Rankin (famous globally now) wrote a book centered on Bible John a somewhat mythical figure in Scottish History, he was a serial killer but completely out of the normal mould. He killed about 10 people and then dissapeared never to be heard from again. Rankin does an excellent job with it and i would enjoy doing a book of that proportion

Minerva · Post by **Minerva** » Wed May 08, 2002 3:47 pm

I'll write history or biography.

What else can I write? I don't have talent...

Waverly · Post by **Waverly** » Wed May 08, 2002 4:05 pm

Originally posted by Minerva
I'll write history or biography.

What else can I write?

Erotica?

GNGSpam · Post by **GNGSpam** » Wed May 08, 2002 4:06 pm

Romance novels

Minerva · Post by **Minerva** » Wed May 08, 2002 6:26 pm

Originally posted by Waverly
Erotica?

Why I wasn't surprised to hear this from you?

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Tue May 14, 2002 6:52 pm

@Delacroix: I've got the book!

So far, I've only had time to read the foreword, but I hope to have some spare time next week

@GNGspam: Good luck with your first writing project!

Originally posted by Mr Sleep

I have always been interested by events like Fred West in this country and many of the other highly publiscised events like that. I would enjoy reasearching what caused him to tick and creating an interesting story around that and the events that caused them to do their deeds.

Yes, despite the media hypes around serial killers, it is an interesting area to try to understand how they came to be like this. Another thing that interest me is how "ordinary people" transform into someone who performs horrible crimes, I would enjoy making a story out of that kind of change.

With a couple of friends who are forensic psychiatry professionals, I sometimes get to hear stories that make me wonder. Since they have a vow of silence, I never get to hear the whole story, only pieces that they can tell without violating the patient-clinician confidentiality. Some years ago there was a case where a women had killed and mutilated her ex-husband, and women who mutilate their victims is highly unusual. This woman was not a typical lunatic killer, she killed this man out of extreme hate, but they couldn't let me know her motive.
I still wonder what events can trigger such increible hate - I can't post the details here since it's too gory, but the man had been tortured for a long time before he was killed, and parts of the body had been cooked. (Edit this out if it's too much)
Even if I'm a psychologist, I have difficulties with understanding how a person can do something like that...

Delacroix · Post by **Delacroix** » Wed May 15, 2002 6:08 am

Originally posted by C Elegans
@Delacroix: I've got the book! So far, I've only had time to read the foreword, but I hope to have some spare time next week

Incredible fast! Things seems to work very fast in Europe.
The psicological introspection of the character I talk about is made by the fact that the character is the own autor of the book, exposing his thoghts to the reader, sui generis. Very pessimist and fun.
--" I don't have childrens, Don't transmit to any creature the legacy of our mysery."--
Best phrase in the book.

Hope you like it!

Mr Sleep · Post by **Mr Sleep** » Wed May 15, 2002 6:21 am

Originally posted by C Elegans
Yes, despite the media hypes around serial killers, it is an interesting area to try to understand how they came to be like this. Another thing that interest me is how "ordinary people" transform into someone who performs horrible crimes, I would enjoy making a story out of that kind of change.

It is actually a field i have considered following for a career, though i imagine it would be extremely sobering work. I know that Ellroy spent a great deal of time with Forensics and other legal authorities before writing The Black Dahlia etc

Even if I'm a psychologist, I have difficulties with understanding how a person can do something like that...

The problem with not being told all the facts by your friends is that one can not rationalise what the woman then did, if there was a plausable reason for her anger one can deal with that, but to not be told motice makes the crime seem that much worse in my opinion.