I look back at that title and wonder if I’m being callous and mean. I hope not. I don’t mean to be, I’m trying to be funny, honest!
For those of you who didn’t spot it on my Facebook here is what I’m talking about:
MAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Now I’ve had some sleep (but not enough) and some time (ish) I can talk about this is a more coherent manner. I’d like to start by clarifying the following:
I’m not beating on all authors who do this. It is a valid and sometimes wonderfully enriching exercise to explore existing characters in a way you’ve previously been unable to.
There. Right.
What I am saying is that in this instance, I don’t believe there is enough of the character Christian Grey to fill another book. I do realise that it would be the same story, but I feel strongly that E L James would have to do a great deal of work to ensure the character isn’t as flat and clichéd as he has proven himself to be.
Because this is a man that has a lot of potential to be interesting.
The 50 Shades franchise glossed heavily over how this man actually thinks, feels and treats his desire for a BDSM relationship. I think that’s partly why so many people screamed abuse. I still maintain his actions were abusive, but with more insight it might be possible to feel pity for him, even if I’m unable to empathise.
But if I put aside E L James and everything that sparked this post in the first place, let me gab about the idea of recycling.
Credit: Gerald_G
It’s a good thing! DSB has a folder called ‘Snippets’ on her laptop (more recently known as The Dumping Ground). Into that folder goes all manner of deleted scenes, fragments of dialogue, dumped characters and ideas. Nothing is wasted, nothing is deleted (properly) nothing is lost. Because she knows, as I’m sure many of you do, that ideas and ‘snippets’ can (and should) be recycled.
There are whole scenes from ‘Sugar Dust’ that I dumped because they had no space in the story. Information about Cindy that would have made a great novella all of their own with some expansion. I’ve kept them because I know that one day (maybe not soon, but one day!) I’ll be able to return to them and use them elsewhere.
In that regard, I think E L James has hit this one right on the nose.
