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asked
David Putnam:
How do you balance the gritty reality of your books with changing social dynamics? Is there a line between stark reality and stereotypical portrayal? Hope to see you in person or on Zoom with Lit Up and Book Carnival
David Putnam
Thank you for the great question.
Hope this whole mess ends so we can get together again at cherished book venues.
In my writing I work hard to stay away from political hot buttons. I believe people read to escape so why give them what they are bombarded with in everyday life. I am very big on developing the, "Fictive Dream," in my stories. A fugue state where everything around the reader false away and they are immersed in the story. At the same time I try to make the stories as true as I can, one, two, three, false steps and the reader is tossed out of the Fictive Dream onto the hot asphalt of reality.
Several times at book events and in book reviews, I've been criticized for a description or event as not being real. Each of those incidents I wrote them exactly as they happened in real life. And yet I have not been criticized for the scenes or events that I have made up. This by no means is a complaint it just shows how readers have accepted an alternate universe as the truth. For example an often used motivation in mysteries is that if the cop gets fired he'll loose his pension. Not true. Or a big one the use of a clip in a gun. There is only one gun (or popular gun) that has a clip, the M1 Garand, a rifle made popular in WWII movies. "Toss me a clip." All other guns have magazines. But clip has been widely accepted in a reader universe.
"Gritty," is an interesting word in describing a story. People read for emotion and conflict is emotion. I try to smother the reader in emotion without going overboard. This is a delicate balance. If an author gets too close to going overboard, they are described as, "Gritty." Again not a bad thing. All of this is just, "Dave," on writing. Love the questions, keep them coming.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.
Hope this whole mess ends so we can get together again at cherished book venues.
In my writing I work hard to stay away from political hot buttons. I believe people read to escape so why give them what they are bombarded with in everyday life. I am very big on developing the, "Fictive Dream," in my stories. A fugue state where everything around the reader false away and they are immersed in the story. At the same time I try to make the stories as true as I can, one, two, three, false steps and the reader is tossed out of the Fictive Dream onto the hot asphalt of reality.
Several times at book events and in book reviews, I've been criticized for a description or event as not being real. Each of those incidents I wrote them exactly as they happened in real life. And yet I have not been criticized for the scenes or events that I have made up. This by no means is a complaint it just shows how readers have accepted an alternate universe as the truth. For example an often used motivation in mysteries is that if the cop gets fired he'll loose his pension. Not true. Or a big one the use of a clip in a gun. There is only one gun (or popular gun) that has a clip, the M1 Garand, a rifle made popular in WWII movies. "Toss me a clip." All other guns have magazines. But clip has been widely accepted in a reader universe.
"Gritty," is an interesting word in describing a story. People read for emotion and conflict is emotion. I try to smother the reader in emotion without going overboard. This is a delicate balance. If an author gets too close to going overboard, they are described as, "Gritty." Again not a bad thing. All of this is just, "Dave," on writing. Love the questions, keep them coming.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.
More Answered Questions
Gail
asked
David Putnam:
Hi! I love thriller books - I categorize them as psychological thrillers. I love forensic science - I have read several books on how forensic science helps track down criminals. So with that being said - I would like to read one of your books - I have been following your reviews of books you have read on goodreads - which one of your books book should I read first? Thanks for any feedback you can give me.
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