That was the question a police officer asked me when I told him about one of the crime scenes in my upcoming novel, “Spider’s Truth”.
I’d laughed at the time, but the comment made me think. How do we as writers create such horrific scenes and still maintain our sanity? Horror, sci fi, fantasy, crime fiction, murder mysteries–all these genres have extreme elements in them. Some authors have actually dabbled in fields that bring them close to these intense scenes, but for many writers, myself included, I couldn’t imagine dealing with these things on a day-to-day basis.
I write fiction because I can do anything with it–but I know it’s not real. I’m impressed with all the individuals (police officers, EMT’s, military, detectives, ER doctors, etc.) who deal with this everyday to make real life better.
Thanks to all of you for being there in real life when we need you.