After reading Writing the Breakout Novel (review to come), I really want my next manuscript to be multi-layered. I'm trying to brainstorm all the possible issues connected with school shootings before I start writing. For me, the first thing that comes to mind is gun control and the lack thereof, but I'd like to get others' views. If you have any thoughts could you please let me know in the comments?
Thanks,
Beth
It's a really hard issue It's very easy to say "Something has to be done," but it's very hard to figure out which solutions might work. Every solution has its own drawbacks. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteMy mc thinks she's got a solution, but really what she has is a new possibly bigger problem ;)
DeleteOther issues you might consider: mental health care, being smart vs. brave (or how to be both), bullying, security in the schools (metal detector, guards, etc.), violence at home, survivor's guilt & PTSD. The list is huge. There are tons of other issues to address when it comes to school violence and any of them would add layers to your story. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI know I'm dealing with survivor's guilt and gun control. Maybe, my book is already layered and I just didn't know it. I think I'll give the hero a single issue in his backstory and go from there. I don't want it to become packed with issues. (And I never realized I was dealing with survivor's guilt until you said those words but that's what's driving the plot).
DeleteSchool security is a big one. Personally, I love when I pull up to my daughter's school and see the school police officer. Sometimes he mans the doors. Other times he comes to the student pick up at the end of the day. I just like knowing there's a police officer there watching over my daughter. Also, the security system itself is big. Locked doors at all times, people need to be buzzed into the building, hall monitors, etc.
ReplyDeleteThat is a big one.
DeleteRead Jodi Picoult's NINETEEN MINUTES. That's about a school shooting and is told from multiple povs.
ReplyDeleteI'll check this out. Thanks Stina.
DeleteHow about the role parents have in this kind of violence. You know the nurture vs nature thing. Can the relationship at home breed a killer? This may seem kind of obvious but it is what I always think of when I hear of a shooting. What must that child's parents feel like? Could they have done something to prevent this? Were there clues that the parents missed?
DeleteThere are so many variables to take into consideration that it can be scary. The Jodi Picoult novel that Stina recommended is very good as is "He Was Weird" by Michael D LeFevre. His novel puts you into the mind of the shooter where you develop genuine sympathy for his plight and by the time he does the deed, the reader is saying to themselves, "I don't blame this kid."
ReplyDeleteAfter the shooting, the story goes onto the different ways the tragedy is dealt with including the family who uses their child's death to get their 15 minutes.