The Library of Spanking Fiction: Wellred Weekly
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Articles
Items of interest regarding all things spanking
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Musings on Writing One way to analyse fiction is through the elements of form, structure and language. This rather dry article is aimed at those perhaps new to writing, and at readers interested in such dusty matters! Form The most immediately striking aspect of form is usually the narrative perspective adopted by the writer. This can be 'first person' with an 'I' narrator (or more than one); 'third person/omniscient'; third person, but giving the 'over-the-shoulder' view of one or more characters; or second person, which is unusual. Form also encompasses how the text is presented: most commonly, this is as a straightforward short story, but writers also use letters, monologues (all the speech of one character), diaries/journals, historical documents, or reports of various kinds. These (perhaps more inventive) forms serve to disguise the fiction, giving it more of an appearance of reality which in turn enables readers more easily to suspend their disbelief. Spanking stories are like any other in this respect. The form needs to be consistent within its own parameters. Switching, for example, too suddenly from one character's over-the-shoulder perspective to another's can confuse, and feel odd. Ideally, the form enhances the structure and enriches the story's meaning. Structure The way in which the plot is arranged is crucial! Presenting events chronologically is most common, and arguably works best for the kind of cause-and-effect, crime-and-punishment, plots we favour here in the LSF. However, structuring a story well can be quite complex. Characters need to be introduced and (ideally) 'shown' (rather than 'told about') at the right moments. The plot must be carefully constructed, with sufficient detail devoted to the more important elements, and irrelevance avoided. Most writers will admit that thorough editing leads to the discarding of plenty of passages that seemed fun at the time, but in retrospect add nothing to the story. Finally, the right balance needs to be struck between action, description, dialogue and reflection, to create a variety of focus in the writing and to maintain an appropriate pace, all of which goes to keep a reader engrossed. Cohesion is one of my favourite aspects of structure - has been ever since I found the Observer Book of Cohesive Features in my Christmas stocking one year. The most prosaic cohesive feature is the simple phrase that moves a story forward, linking one paragraph to the next, but cleverer ones include the repetition of a key word or phrase in the story - sometimes near the beginning and end, or else more often through the story. The title itself can add cohesion - as we read on, we are looking for the reason for it; sometimes it arrives right at the end, completing a circle. Cohesive features can also be used to point the reader to the themes of a story. Throughout Macbeth, Shakespeare uses imagery referring to clothing ("Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?" asks M. himself when addressed as Thane of Cawdor for the first time). A major theme of the play is the contrast between appearance and reality. His use of this imagery knits language and theme together to create a subtle form of cohesion that we hardly notice as we watch, yet it acts on our subconscious and enriches the meaning. Cohesion, in my view, plays a significant part in what leaves a reader thinking, "Yes! What a satisfying story!" Just as bone-structure plays an important part in creating the beauty of someone's appearance, so the structure of a story enhances the pleasure we get in reading it. Seen another way, those moments that feel wrong, in a less well-written story, tend to be when the structure is somehow awry. Many readers may find that they simply don't notice the structure in a 'perfect story' - they're carried along, seamlessly, at just the right pace, to the denouement. Experienced readers - perhaps writers themselves - see the way it's done and marvel at the skill. Language There are probably hundreds of 'rules' to be learned or considered about the use of language, and yet most can be ignored - anything can work, done right. But it is the language itself, rather than the content of what's being said, which often has the most impact on us as readers. The authorial voice, in a 'third person' narrative, needs, again, to be consistent in its style, as does the voice of a character-narrator. Tone (humorous, tragic etc.) will vary, but the shifts must be carefully handled. Imagery (metaphors and similes) can enrich the text, but needs to be appropriate to the context, and not overdone. In general, the writer should aim for balance and variety in the use of language. Spanking Fiction I wonder how many fellow writers started out, as I did, writing in Our Genre simply in order to entertain themselves - to commit to paper their own favourite fantasies. It's not surprising to find these initial efforts a little over-excited sometimes, with intense and minutely described spanking scenes devoting paragraphs to each smack or stroke of the cane, to each tear that falls, each groan of agony or ecstasy, each gleam of sadistic pleasure in the eye of the chastiser. With time and practice, however, many writers branch out and try other scenarios, orientations and tones. One of the joys of the LSF, for me, is the incredible variety we have here, from flopsybunny's comic (and other) tales to Dr Grace's explorations of childhood perspectives to John Benson's surrealism. In our private worlds, let us not forget that the LSF contains a lot more than just spanking stories: the range of fictions, as well as discussions, articles, poetry and plays is mind-boggling, even if hand or whatever striking bottom is the defining link between them all. Long may we continue to entertain each other and provide weird and wonderful research material for future anthropologists. 14 comments
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