Research FUBAR
Oct. 4th, 2010 10:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ravensweptBecause it's what's been rolling around, and because the art on these people (while a little squicky) is beautiful, I've been going over scarification, tattoos and whatnot for work on Scarred. And from it all I've gleaned one important thing.
I'm an idiot.
Almost everything I thought I knew about scarification is either wrong, misformed (so still wrong), or not the whole story. For one, it's a lot more widespread than I originally thought, though my information was based on a tv show I watched six years ago so I'm an idiot for trusting that outdated notion. Also, larger art can still be done in a single day so my time frame for things is either pathetically slow or I'll need to change the time tables around to match what the story calls for. There's also a lot of aftercare stuff I didn't think about - well, not totally true, but there's a lot I didn't know about making sure the scar heals "correctly" or the type of enviroments it takes to get the most out of the process.
Another thing that's really gonna affect the story is I think there's a lot more sexual influence than I thought there's even going to be. It wasn't until after the short story was wrote that I even thought that Jani would grow to like it, but after a little communication withlimiinal and how people can and have actually gotten off from the experience, I think there's a lot more subtext going on with Ryan, Jani, and between the two of them that's going to expand and influence the story.
Ryan is still creepy, that's not going anywhere. But he's not, and never has been, "evil". Jani is still afraid for her life, but while she comes to terms and embraces the scars, I think she loses a small bit of sanity herself, with a good portion of Stockholm syndrome thrown in as well.
Regardless, there's a lot of planning and research I need to do to make sure this would all logically work. While I like the somewhat gritty feeling from the short story, giving it that much more sense of despair from the situation she has no control over, for as many women as Ryan has most likely done this too, he comes off as not prepared enough. He isn't some serial killer, who doesn't need to keep his torture champer clean because they're going to die anyway, he's in a disturbing way just trying to create art.
And (and limiinal already mentioned it) I need to change how he proceeds with the scarification. Watching videos, it's an exacting process, and how he has her set up is in no way conductive to clean lines or safe proceedure, two things Ryan would be all about.
This whole thing also really makes me wish I was better at figure drawing, because sketching out graphic designs in no way shows how they'd appear on a human body.
There's a lot more to this story than I thought there was. And it's going in strange directions that, while I'm not uncomfortable dealing with or writing about, I'm not sure I have the skill to effectively tie it all together in a way that's a) not insulting to the bodmod comminuity and b) evokes the right spectrum of emotion for the varied mental and physical development that occurs.
I'm an idiot.
Almost everything I thought I knew about scarification is either wrong, misformed (so still wrong), or not the whole story. For one, it's a lot more widespread than I originally thought, though my information was based on a tv show I watched six years ago so I'm an idiot for trusting that outdated notion. Also, larger art can still be done in a single day so my time frame for things is either pathetically slow or I'll need to change the time tables around to match what the story calls for. There's also a lot of aftercare stuff I didn't think about - well, not totally true, but there's a lot I didn't know about making sure the scar heals "correctly" or the type of enviroments it takes to get the most out of the process.
Another thing that's really gonna affect the story is I think there's a lot more sexual influence than I thought there's even going to be. It wasn't until after the short story was wrote that I even thought that Jani would grow to like it, but after a little communication with
limiinal and how people can and have actually gotten off from the experience, I think there's a lot more subtext going on with Ryan, Jani, and between the two of them that's going to expand and influence the story.Ryan is still creepy, that's not going anywhere. But he's not, and never has been, "evil". Jani is still afraid for her life, but while she comes to terms and embraces the scars, I think she loses a small bit of sanity herself, with a good portion of Stockholm syndrome thrown in as well.
Regardless, there's a lot of planning and research I need to do to make sure this would all logically work. While I like the somewhat gritty feeling from the short story, giving it that much more sense of despair from the situation she has no control over, for as many women as Ryan has most likely done this too, he comes off as not prepared enough. He isn't some serial killer, who doesn't need to keep his torture champer clean because they're going to die anyway, he's in a disturbing way just trying to create art.
And (and limiinal already mentioned it) I need to change how he proceeds with the scarification. Watching videos, it's an exacting process, and how he has her set up is in no way conductive to clean lines or safe proceedure, two things Ryan would be all about.
This whole thing also really makes me wish I was better at figure drawing, because sketching out graphic designs in no way shows how they'd appear on a human body.
There's a lot more to this story than I thought there was. And it's going in strange directions that, while I'm not uncomfortable dealing with or writing about, I'm not sure I have the skill to effectively tie it all together in a way that's a) not insulting to the bodmod comminuity and b) evokes the right spectrum of emotion for the varied mental and physical development that occurs.
no subject
on 2010-10-05 02:10 am (UTC)It sounds like the kind of story where the intensive research would have an amazing pay-off. And I like that it has button-pushing aspects like body modification and sexual response to pain. Whether you succeed in tying it together or not (And I know you have the skills to do so; your writing is scrumdiddlyumptious), it will have bite. And those are the best stories.
no subject
on 2010-10-05 02:39 am (UTC)..."balls to the wall?"
The research on this (and goddamn it, it pushed (or maybe cut) it's way into the current project fold) is gonna be crutial. I need to visit some tat shops and find out if anyone local even does it. And thanks ;)