tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post112834873988529994..comments2024-03-18T06:16:18.802-05:00Comments on A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Still Life with Hate MailJA Konrathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1130515775195546912005-10-28T11:09:00.000-05:002005-10-28T11:09:00.000-05:00As a former dog rescuer, I can see both points. Th...As a former dog rescuer, I can see both points. The fact that people do just dump their dogs like they dump unwanted furniture is a real problem. Unfortunately, some people only selectively see fiction as fiction. To them, showing a guy killing doesn't mean the author condones the act, but showing someone dumping their pet at a shelter does. The problem lies not with your fiction, but with the hypersensitivity of those who have to deal with the results of real-life animal abuse and neglect. Write on!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1128867044912105132005-10-09T09:10:00.000-05:002005-10-09T09:10:00.000-05:00This thread reminds my of something I wrote a whil...This thread reminds my of something I wrote a while back.<BR/><BR/>Someone asked if I knew of any children's books that dealt with the death of a pet. I managed to compile a short list:<BR/><BR/> <BR/>IT'S EUTHANASIA, CHARLIE BROWN! by Charles M. Schultz <BR/> <BR/>RIBSY AND THE DRUNK DRIVER by Beverly Cleary <BR/> <BR/>GARFIELD'S MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION by Jim Davis <BR/> <BR/>THE CAT IN THE HAT GETS CANCER by Dr. Seuss <BR/> <BR/>CUDDLES DIED BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T LOVE HER ENOUGH by Judy Blume <BR/> <BR/>FUN FACTS ABOUT DECOMPOSITION by Dr. Phil <BR/> <BR/>WHERE'S WALDO'S DOG? by Martin Handford <BR/> <BR/>THE BLACK STALLION: FATAL MALNOURISHMENT! by Walter Farley <BR/> <BR/>ONE FISH, TWO FISH, DEAD FISH, YOUR FAULT by Dr. Seuss <BR/> <BR/>WHERE THE BREATHING ENDS by Shel Silverstein <BR/> <BR/>SEE SPOT DIE (or DICK AND JANE DIG A GRAVE) by Unknown <BR/> <BR/>PARVO THE PUPPY: A MATTER OF TIME by Ken L. Coff<BR/> <BR/>YOU SAID KITTY WAS IN HEAVEN AND I FOUND HER IN THE TRASH by Erma Bombeck<BR/> <BR/>POLLY WANT A EULOGY? <BR/> <BR/>ALL DOGS TASTE LIKE CHICKEN a Walt Disney Reader<BR/> <BR/>EVERYTHING DIES, INCLUDING DADDY, MOMMY, AND YOU by Steve from Blue's Clues<BR/> <BR/>WHY WON'T WAGS WAKE UP? <BR/> <BR/>A.S.P.C.D.O.A.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1128659032356007742005-10-06T23:23:00.000-05:002005-10-06T23:23:00.000-05:00Stacey...you're right. I had thought for a moment ...Stacey...you're right. I had thought for a moment that the dog-kickin' sumbitch was Randall Flagg from <I>The Stand</I>, but it was indeed Stillson. <BR/><BR/>But you do ask the bigger question...if the character is the villain and you're supposed to hate him/her, is it "okay" to see them abusing an animal? <BR/><BR/>My gut feeling...it's a quick n' easy way to establish that your villain isn't just evil, but EEEEEVIL. But you've got to be careful to make sure it's not a lazy shortcut. <BR/><BR/>Joe's set himself an interesting challenge: his protagonist is a horrible toad of a man. It's a short story, though, so shortcuts are allowed. As are characters who are horrible toads.JD Rhoadeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07123361739160525998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1128570797441506732005-10-05T22:53:00.000-05:002005-10-05T22:53:00.000-05:00Hey Russel,You're right. I think a key difference ...Hey Russel,<BR/><BR/>You're right. I think a key difference between Cujo, Jaws, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, is that the human protagonist isn't abusive; however, they do kill the animals.<BR/><BR/>And, JD, The example of Stephen King's The Dead Zone is interesting (I think that's the book you meant). Seeing Greg Stillson kick the dog to death is the reader's first introduction to his character, and we're supposed to hate him. He's the villain.<BR/><BR/>So, is it okay to show your villain, you know, tossing a cat in a sack and throwing it in the river? If it's the villain that does it, is it okay?<BR/><BR/>Stacey<BR/>www.staceycochran.comStacey Cochranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14128613653591282474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1128568391381289342005-10-05T22:13:00.000-05:002005-10-05T22:13:00.000-05:00JMH: To be fair, the Stephen King character didn't...JMH: To be fair, the Stephen King character didn't just "kick a dog." He kicked it to death while it groveled for mercy. It was a very disturbing scene. Also very effective. And the character in question was, after all, the Devil, or as close to it as makes no difference. <BR/><BR/>JW: Thanks for the Monty Python voice suggestion. I just woke up my own dog because I was laughing so loud. <BR/><BR/> JD Rhoades (Mrs).JD Rhoadeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07123361739160525998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1128523716151452792005-10-05T09:48:00.000-05:002005-10-05T09:48:00.000-05:00I imagine it would be better to talk about eating ...I imagine it would be better to talk about eating babies than it would to talk about eating doggies or lil' kitties...After all, cuddly animals have the ASPCA. Cuddly kids - they're on their own.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1128501191876744542005-10-05T03:33:00.000-05:002005-10-05T03:33:00.000-05:00"So, which animals are okay to portray as potentia..."So, which animals are okay to portray as potentially dangerous, and which ones are not?"<BR/><BR/>Ahhhh... but in those books the violence is committed primarily against humans. The fuzzy-wuzzy animal-lovers don't have a problem with *that* (and can then say that the violence perpretated against the animal by the end of the book was done in self-defence).<BR/><BR/>Reverse it so that a human is hurting a whole lotta animals and then the writer is the beast for his cruelty, no matter the point of the book (say, that the person hurting the animals is an evil person). Personally I would be delighted if my writing annoyed these kinds of people.<BR/><BR/>One of the funniest things I read in years was in a Chris Brookmyre novel (I think it was A Big Boy Did it And Ran Away) where a budgie gets shot by a rather big gun. The humour was obvious and the intent clearly wasn't cruel and yet I imagine the kind of people who complain about these things have had a sense of humour as well as a contextual lobotamy.Russelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08882590221382217329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1128477700847050012005-10-04T21:01:00.000-05:002005-10-04T21:01:00.000-05:00I served on a panel at Bouchercon titled "Pet Peev...I served on a panel at Bouchercon titled "Pet Peeves: Animals in Crime Fiction" in part because I've written a suspense-thriller about a mountain lion who starts attacking people on a Tucson, Arizona golf course that borders protected National Forest Land.<BR/><BR/>It was really neat to hear some of the comments from the audience, as well as the other panelists, on how animals are portrayed in fiction.<BR/><BR/>Cujo, Jaws, hell even the squid in Sphere.... they're all monsters.<BR/><BR/>So, which animals are okay to portray as potentially dangerous, and which ones are not?<BR/><BR/>Is it just a matter of judgement?Stacey Cochranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14128613653591282474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1128469940203459372005-10-04T18:52:00.000-05:002005-10-04T18:52:00.000-05:00I worked as President and runner of a no-kill anim...I worked as President and runner of a no-kill animal shelter for three years, so I understand the horrors that this person saw that made him or her so emotional.<BR/><BR/>Saying that, I also think this is a sign of how well you did with the story. The ending affected someone instead of just ending. <BR/><BR/>I find what the character did irresponsible and disgusting - and that's the way it should be. I do not see this as a bright sign telling me to go out and put all animals to sleep or abandon them at the local shelter. <BR/><BR/>Of course, in my writing I've been depicting some 'distasteful' actions of my own characters. I can imagine the hate mail I could get with those!<BR/><BR/>I say "Good job!" <BR/><BR/>And I wouldn't hold it against you if you had something bad happen to Harry in a following story for being such a jerk. *grin*Diana Cacyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03288437853191567861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1128393210209369742005-10-03T21:33:00.000-05:002005-10-03T21:33:00.000-05:00"...really, this was your FIRST hate mail?"I don't..."...really, this was your FIRST hate mail?"<BR/><BR/>I don't count the stuff my mom sends me.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1128391340961670172005-10-03T21:02:00.000-05:002005-10-03T21:02:00.000-05:00Are you sure you're not pulling our leg? I find t...Are you sure you're not pulling our leg? I find this story incredible - really, this was your FIRST hate mail? Haven't they been paying attention? :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1128361097359733182005-10-03T12:38:00.000-05:002005-10-03T12:38:00.000-05:00Ah Joe, you had to do it, didn't you? Whatever. Mi...Ah Joe, you had to do it, didn't you? Whatever. Michael Moore received all sorts of criticism for "Roger and Me" because he focused on a woman who had taken to raising rabbits and selling them for food or pets. He got a lot of flak about the part where she butchers a rabbit. But, as he added, nobody commented about the scene where a dead guy is hauled out of a house on a stretcher.<BR/><BR/>And actually, I can kind of see Harry still having the dog around, pissing on his shoes.<BR/><BR/>No animals were harmed in the making of this blog entry.<BR/><BR/>Best,<BR/>Mark TerryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1128357774472734052005-10-03T11:42:00.000-05:002005-10-03T11:42:00.000-05:00There's this weird thing about animals. I remembe...There's this weird thing about animals. I remember as a kid watching a movie where all kinds of people were getting killed by a grizzly and it did nothing to me. Then some kid's pet donkey gets killed by the bear and I went to pieces. Go figure.Rob Gregory Brownehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11952008139132652259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1128356471473864922005-10-03T11:21:00.000-05:002005-10-03T11:21:00.000-05:00Joe, you can't mess with dogs or cats. Goldfish, m...Joe, you can't mess with dogs or cats. Goldfish, maybe. Stephen King apparently got similar complaints when a character in one of his books kicked a dog, or some such thing. His response was: it's fiction, no real dogs involved, so get a grip. Interesting that lots of people get killed in books, which is OK, but touch man's best friend and you're in major trouble.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01234972022475955356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1128354315201000282005-10-03T10:45:00.000-05:002005-10-03T10:45:00.000-05:00"Would you feel better knowing that after Harry's ..."Would you feel better knowing that after Harry's dog was euthanized, he ate it so nothing went to waste?"<BR/><BR/>LMAO! Joe, you're a card. ;)Heather Brewerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08896994050704696805noreply@blogger.com