Premises that horrify you

[KJuno]

I just came up with a premise that literally makes me sick to my stomach. (And I'm usually hard to impress in any way.) I told a friend of mine about it - someone who's similarly not very impressionable - and she loved it. She said it was twisted, she'd allow that, but if handled well, could be good.

Obviously I'll give it a go when I get over my shock but... >.<

But anyway, I doubt you guys can help me with that and I'm sure I'll get over it. My question is, have you ever thought of something that scared you in a way? And did you work on it?

[Shweta]

I've thought of things that appalled and scared me, and yes, I've worked on some of them. But in short fiction length. I think at novel length it would play hell with my emotional state -- other people could surely manage, but maybe not me.

[dancingandflying]

I don't think that I've ever thought of a story premise that made me sick to my stomach. Anything twisted I come up with usually excites me - not appalls. If I did, though, I probably wouldn't work on it - it would be even scarier on paper than in my mind.

Just my two cents.

d&f.

[soapdish]

Yes, those are the best ones.;)
I think once you even pause to consider them, you are doomed to have to write them. At least that is how it is for me. Once it gets in my head...I have to write it in order to get it out. Even if only in outline form. I have a bazillion outlines just sitting there waiting to be developed--including some that horrified me to begin with.

[Aggy B.]

Yeah, I've had a couple. I like vaguely blatantly twisted characters.

My senior film project in college had people asking me if I had an abusive home life.

My novel ideas tend to run in the same vein. Some more so than others. But I don't let my discomfort keep me from telling a story. I DO work on the really intense projects a little at a time to keep the emotional overload to a minimum.

[Judg]

I've had a few unsavoury ideas. But I forget them as fast as I can... ;) I really don't think the world needs any more twisting.

[Romantic Heretic]

I've a couple of stories like that. I do plan to write them some day.

But compared to some of the things that have happened in history and are happening now, they're not so bad.

[scarletpeaches]

I'm dying to know what the OP was hinting at now!

Have I ever thought of a story that made me sick to my stomach? No, because I know anything I write isn't real.

Besides, there are no bad stories - only bad writing.

[dwellerofthedeep]

One novel idea I had recently is centered around being grotesque. I couldn't write that sort of thing all the time though.

[sunandshadow]

Yeah I have one of these:

D/S ROMANCE FAIL
A dominant man who won't take no for an answer takes a woman captive and tries with increasing force to make her think and act submissive to him; the assertive woman meanwhile attempts to demonstrate a better way of behaving by maintaining her civil, pacifistic identity. From the woman's perspective, the man could almost have been lovable but repeatedly ruins things by not respecting her or caring whether she is unhappy. Ultimately the woman realizes that to protect not just herself but also others, she must incorporate force into her ethical way of behaving and execute her tormentor, who has made himself intolerable and unforgivable despite all warnings to the contrary. So, she poisons him, watches him die to make completely sure he's really dead, and walks away.

[sunandshadow]

I don't think that I've ever thought of a story premise that made me sick to my stomach. Anything twisted I come up with usually excites me - not appalls. If I did, though, I probably wouldn't work on it - it would be even scarier on paper than in my mind.

Just my two cents.

d&f.
Doesn't have to be appalling in a scary way, might strike you as morally repugnant or maybe just unbearably cheesy.

[miles]

Every day I struggle to keep things from going "too far." I'm trying to write for the masses, not just those who like sick, twisted stuff. But it's hard, because my mind always goes to the extreme.

So, I guess it depends on who you're writing for.

[James81]

So what was the premise? (curiosity is killing the cat)

Nothing I come up with surprises me anymore. I can come up with really sick twisted premises, or I can come up with hilarious, fun and light premises. Sometimes that hilarious stuff is horrying and sometimes the twisted stuff is amazing, and sometimes I get about 8 pages into it and realize that there was no premise at all.

[Haggis]

those who like sick, twisted stuff

You rang?

Many people enjoy sick twisted stuff. Fortunately for the rest of you, they're safely locked away in their own forum (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=44). They hardly ever get out.

Almost never.

[Tasmin21]

I wrote a short story once and it still disturbs me greatly that THAT came out of my head. Not quite sure what it says about me. Needless to say, very few people have ever seen it.

[Travis J. Smith]

So what was the premise? (curiosity is killing the cat)
I second this question. Your killing us, Smalls~!

[mhughes]

I find these concepts a lot of fun.

In college, I wrote a story about a teen at the funeral of his brother who had recently drowned, an event the main character witnessed. The focus was on the conversations that happened afterwards, everyone offering their condolences, etc. I don't have it anymore, but the last line went something like 'People just assumed that I tried to save him.'

Most of the class liked the story when it was critiqued. The only person who didn't was my twin brother. Never figured out why...

[tehuti88]

Well, I write things that would be horrible if they happened to me or someone I know, but the writing of them doesn't scare me personally since I know it's just a story. I could and have written some of the most horrific things...I find the subject disturbing, but the story, it doesn't disturb me to write it.

I have, however, had certain stories that I can't write because of the characters involved. That's whether the material is disturbing or not. I've written erotic scenes featuring many of my characters but there are a few I just can't write about in that way. It'd be like, I don't know, walking in on my best friends having sex or something, then letting everyone else see it! *shudder* And even though I've written really horrific scenes featuring some characters, with certain others, even though the same things happened to them, I just can't bring myself to go into detail writing those parts of their lives. I just feel like it would be wrong. I'm not sure why, since I feel very close to all these characters; there are just a few certain ones I can't write about in that way.

I have two characters, e. g., who were molested repeatedly when they were children. With one, I wrote it all out in graphic detail without the slightest bit of trouble. With the other, I could only bring myself to write him recalling some vague memories and not going into much detail at all, and it was incredibly difficult for me to write that alone. Like I said, I can't really explain it.

[Hillgate]

I just came up with a premise that literally makes me sick to my stomach. (And I'm usually hard to impress in any way.) I told a friend of mine about it - someone who's similarly not very impressionable - and she loved it. She said it was twisted, she'd allow that, but if handled well, could be good.

Obviously I'll give it a go when I get over my shock but... >.<

But anyway, I doubt you guys can help me with that and I'm sure I'll get over it. My question is, have you ever thought of something that scared you in a way? And did you work on it?

Yes and yes - a psychological thriller. It scared the sh*t out of me writing it and I had sleepless nights. I started becoming paranoid at one point, thinking that I might fall prey to the same things that affect my protagonist. I was really rather relieved when I finished it. The more scared you are, the better it might be!!!

[Rarri]

Oddly, i think the more twisted ideas can become quite profound books. I really want to know what this idea is though...

Oh, meant to add, i've had - and written - some pretty twisted things i suppose, usually involving psychosis or suicide.

[Carmilla73]

I underatnd completely. I have an idea that I would like to work on when I'm finished with my current project. I think about if often, with certain scenes, and dialogue popping into my head. I think following it through will be very disturbing. I'm excited about the prospect through.

[DamaNegra]

My NaNo novel's premise centered around the murder of a 9-month pregnant woman in which the baby was literally stolen from her womb. Later, I had to change that, because although it's happened IRL, I didn't think people would like reading about it. I've since trashed that MS, 'cause it didn't work for other reasons.

[kuwisdelu]

Those are the most fun.

[Devil Ledbetter]

Yeah I have one of these:

D/S ROMANCE FAIL
A dominant man who won't take no for an answer takes a woman captive and tries with increasing force to make her think and act submissive to him; the assertive woman meanwhile attempts to demonstrate a better way of behaving by maintaining her civil, pacifistic identity. From the woman's perspective, the man could almost have been lovable but repeatedly ruins things by not respecting her or caring whether she is unhappy. This part of it was the Goldie Hawn movie "Overboard."

[sunandshadow]

This part of it was the Goldie Hawn movie "Overboard."
And about three dozen historical or SFF romance novels I have read - the premise was spawned by me saying, "If I was the heroine of this romance, I would definitely not forgive this guy, a jackass like this doesn't deserve the HEA ending!"

[seun]

I've had ideas that have made me uncomfortable which has usually been because it's either too close to home. I can't say anything's ever made me sick, though.

[DMarie84]

I don't really think in that vein too much, however, I am coming across a section of my book that's turning out to be a lot darker than I'd originally anticipated. After writing that chapter, it haunted me for a few days afterward. And I know there's at least two or three other chapters that could be equally as disturbing.

Then again what I find disturbing is fairly mild to other things I've read.

[Sharon Mock]

I've got a short story I doubt I'll ever write because a) I really don't think I want to go there; and b) even if I did, I wouldn't put my name on it.

[Atlantis]

I have an urban fantasy set in germany during ww2 planned that is going to have Hilter as one of the characters. Even though I love the idea of the book and will go through with it, I'm scared that I'm going to either stuff up trying to protray Hilter or insult loads of people. So...yeah...a little nervous...

[Hollan]

I never have ideas that horrify me until after I've written them. They never seem as bad until the words are out of my head, I edit and go "what the hell was I thinking?"

But art shouldn't always be comfortable. Pushing boundaries is a good thing, as long as it isn't just for shock value. If it works for the story, write it.

[KJuno]

Haha I love how varied the responses have been. Very helpful :) I've decided to get over myself and work on this.

Oh and sorry to disappoint the curious people, but I'm really weird about sharing premises before the story is written. (I can tell you it's paranormal, though.) However, if you want to beta for me once it's done... :)

[RunawayScribe]

My current WIP scares the hell out of me. I've written in the past about premises I've found sickening, too. Some of them are some of my favorite pieces. :D

[Phoebe H]

My most recently completed story is one that I desperately didn't want to write, but it kept hounding me until I did. It contains several things in it that are among my deepest fears.

The thing is, no one who reads it will ever realize that. For *me* it is a horror story, but to most people it comes across as a rather light fantasy.

[MetalDog]

I tend towards writing the twisted and I always find it a lot of fun. Real life always exceeds me anyway.

I had to do some research on old asylum methods for one novel and while I'd come up with some fairly nasty stuff, it didn't hold a candle to what people really used to do to inmates. The doctors in a lot of them seemed like bored, sadistic children with free licence to play with people who were seen as little more than animals. The close resemblance between devices meant to 'shock patients out of thier insanity' and torture devices was impossible to miss.
I was also unpleasantly surprised to find that non-elective ECT can still be found in the western world and there are still some people trying to get lobotomies back on the agenda.

Real life always trumps fictional nastiness. No matter how bad you write it, someone out there has done it worse, for real.

[Fullback]

You're going to write a book about my ex?

[thethinker42]

I've come up with some twisted and grotesque ideas, but only one that actually turned my stomach. The reason it did was because of the "holy shit, that could have been ME" aspect of it.

I had a rather frightening experience at my place of employment at the time, something that resulted in me walking off the job because I was scared of it happening again. I was actually afraid for my life. I decided that it would be interesting and cathartic to take what happened, stretch it to the "what if...?" extremes, and write a story. Even though I took it to an unlikely extreme (i.e., far beyond what actually happened to me), there's still an unsettling hint of "that could have been me" that makes my skin crawl every time I work on the story. It's only a novella, but has taken me months to write (most novels take me less than a month), because I can only work on one or two chapters at a time, then I have to put it away for a while.

So yeah...I know that feeling.

[Zoombie]

...

Okay, none of my concepts scare me.

But sometimes, other people's do. More specifically, John Boorman.

More specifically Zardoz

Why, might you ask? Pictures speak louder than words.

http://www.agonyboothmedia.com/images/articles/Zardoz_1974/cap471.jpg

Oh Sean Connery...what has become of you?

[PrincessKitten]

Laugh if you must, I think the concept of pregnancy is utterly horrifying. I will not write it in any of my stories.

I had every intention of reading "The Wayfarer Redemption," but I got stuck right in the beginning when pelvic bones were shifting and babies were eating their way out of the womb.

And, for as bad as "Twilight" was, I managed to get all the way through books 1-3 without problem. Then, boom. Book Four. Who would have thought the author who really didn't describe much in the series (besides Edward) would take such time out to give you the goriest description of pregnancy/birth ever. Like, EVER.

Granted, I don't think babies really eat through their mother during birth IRL, but who wants to take that chance? *Shudder*

[Zoombie]

Um...

Did you watch Alien when you were too young, or what?

[Queen of Swords]

Many people enjoy sick twisted stuff. Fortunately for the rest of you, they're safely locked away in their own forum (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=44).

I clicked on this to see if it was the PA forum.

[tehuti88]

I've had ideas that have made me uncomfortable which has usually been because it's either too close to home. I can't say anything's ever made me sick, though.

I think (based on my previous post) this might actually be the problem with me. The characters I have trouble writing about in certain situations, I feel much closer to them than to the ones I have no problem writing in nasty situations. I might know both characters the same, but I don't feel as close to certain ones as to others. Hence writing the uncomfortable material hits closer to home.

I also occasionally have characters who disturb me. There's a warrior captain in one story of mine who is just an utterly complete LOUSE in regards to women (he regularly assaults the pregnant mate of his superior, and this leads to her miscarriage and poor health), and he's utterly full of himself, and his actions ultimately lead to the near-total destruction of his tribe. Yet he has a few good qualities. Strangely, it was showing his GOOD qualities in the story, making him more ambiguous and not a TOTAL monster, that was disturbing for me. It's easy to write a bad guy (and by "bad guy," I mean a lousy guy, not an antagonist), not so easy to write a bad guy with some redeeming qualities. It's disturbing because it's easier to just totally hate him without seeing any good qualities. Like when you hear about a child molester on the news, then learn about how loving he was toward his family. It's unsettling to learn that monsters can be human.

Difficulty also arises depending on the rating/target audience of my stories. There's sex and violence and sexual violence a'plenty in my adult writing and I don't shy away from it. Contrast with my PG-13 writing, where I can't even MENTION the R word (rape) without squirming, and usually just find a way around it.

[Red.Ink.Rain]

The WIP I'm writing now is one that I was really scared to write. It's not really because it's a scary premise - it's because it dystopian, and dystopian scares me because it's always so close to real life. Plus this is probably the hardest book I've ever written, so I'm afraid I'm going to mess it up.

For some reason there's always some kind of rape or abuse in my books. I have no idea why. What I absolutely can't write about is torture. *shudder*

[dgrintalis]

Yes! One of the characters in my book makes me squirm, and not in a pleasant way. But, although his actions are repulsively vile, I just could not help it. One scene gave me a couple of unpleasant dreams, though.

[platinumscript]

Amazing how the 'twists' poured right out of you heathens.. and in record time.

KJUNO---bodes well for your premise. The masses yearn for it.

Ahem... i wrote a s-play once that 'turned the innards' of the reader. Not sure if it was the subject matter or the writing!

Enjoy all.

[Ugawa]

Yeah. I've started planning out an idea for my next WIP. It's pretty twisted and doing a phychology A level is really helping with knowing how certain things would make certain people react - that and the fact that I've lived something very similar, so really, I can't wait to start writing it.

XX

[CheshireCat]

My question is, have you ever thought of something that scared you in a way? And did you work on it?

Yes. And yes.

Didn't have nightmares during the process, but I still feel a bit queasy when I think about that one.

[Staceyp67]

I just finished my first novel and I wrote some things that surprised me. Actually, it frightened me that it came from my head. But as long as it stays on paper......... I'm good!! LOL!!

[The Lonely One]

...

But anyway, I doubt you guys can help me with that and I'm sure I'll get over it. My question is, have you ever thought of something that scared you in a way? And did you work on it?

If I'm not scared I'm not writing.

[Selcaby]

My WIP is based on a very scary idea. To me that's part of the appeal, but also this idea seems to fit my personality unusually well, bringing quite a few of my interests together. I don't know what I'll write when this is done - I can't think of anything else that matches up.

The emotional overload does get to me sometimes, but there are good parts to it too - I love thinking about how my main character feels when his nightmare ordeal is over.

[MetalDog]

I made a reader vomit once. Unfortunately I had to cut short my celebrations when I discovered that what I'd written had just put a mental image into her head that was ten times worse than what I'd actually written. I have no idea how she got from one character statement to the mental image, it was a real creative leap.

One day, I'll get the full vomit credit.

[valerie_parker]

I made a reader vomit once. Unfortunately I had to cut short my celebrations when I discovered that what I'd written had just put a mental image into her head that was ten times worse than what I'd actually written. I have no idea how she got from one character statement to the mental image, it was a real creative leap.

One day, I'll get the full vomit credit.

Okay, now I *really* want to know what this is...

[stuckupmyownera]

My question is, have you ever thought of something that scared you in a way? And did you work on it?

Working on it right now. It's hard, hard work, but I think it'll be beautiful and deep if I can just get it right... Whether anyone else will want to know about it - well that's another matter.

Care to join me in the sandbox?
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132386

[Aschenbach]

I saw a few horrifying premises last year when I was flat-hunting.

[willietheshakes]

I must admit, my bathroom is a little unsettling...

[FOTSGreg]

I better hide. Haggis is out looking for the stragglers again...

[Barpaio]

Most anything I've come up with along those lines, ends up as a short story. More of a flash in the pan than an enduring story line.

[Marie]

I don't think that I've ever thought of a story premise that made me sick to my stomach. Anything twisted I come up with usually excites me - not appalls.

Me, too. Every time I think of something sadistic to make happen I start laughing.

[bluebookworm]

I'm working on a WIP whose premises seem pretty horrifying. Although it's lots of fun to write, it is hard to imagine those thoughts came from my head, because I always thought I was a reasonably stable person. It hasn't ever made me physically sick, just worried about what other people would think if/when they ever see it.

[tehuti88]

I'm working on a WIP whose premises seem pretty horrifying. Although it's lots of fun to write, it is hard to imagine those thoughts came from my head, because I always thought I was a reasonably stable person. It hasn't ever made me physically sick, just worried about what other people would think if/when they ever see it.

That's the very reason most people I know in real life have no clue about most of what I write. :o

[Garpy]

Yeah I have one of these:

D/S ROMANCE FAIL
A dominant man who won't take no for an answer takes a woman captive and tries with increasing force to make her think and act submissive to him; the assertive woman meanwhile attempts to demonstrate a better way of behaving by maintaining her civil, pacifistic identity. From the woman's perspective, the man could almost have been lovable but repeatedly ruins things by not respecting her or caring whether she is unhappy. Ultimately the woman realizes that to protect not just herself but also others, she must incorporate force into her ethical way of behaving and execute her tormentor, who has made himself intolerable and unforgivable despite all warnings to the contrary. So, she poisons him, watches him die to make completely sure he's really dead, and walks away.

eek...that's Beauty and the Beast with an emo-ending.

[sunandshadow]

eek...that's Beauty and the Beast with an emo-ending.
Well, sort of. I would say the character dynamic is different, but it depends which version of Beauty and the Beast you are thinking of. Actually I wouldn't call the ending emo at all, she gets empowered and frees herself and doesn't feel particularly guilty, so it's more like a 'women's lib' ending or something.

[Aristocrazy]

I'm a little more disgusted by my prologue than I had hoped if that counts