Id like my kids to read Unintended Consequences, but some of the language is inappropriate and some scenes are too graphic. Why didnt you leave that stuff out?
I get this question a lot. Recently, I learned that Stephen King, one of the writers whose talent I most admire, gets the same criticism. On p. 184 of his wonderful book On Writing, he says: “As with all other aspects of fiction, the key to writing good dialogue is honesty. And if you are honest about the words coming out of your characters mouths, youll find that youve let yourself in for a fair amount of criticism. Not a week goes by that I dont receive at least one pissed-off letter (most weeks there are more) accusing me of being foul-mouthed, bigoted, homophobic, murderous, frivolous, or downright psychopathic. In the majority of cases what my correspondents are hot under the collar about relates to something in the dialogue: Lets get the fuck out of Dodge or We dont cotton much to niggers around here or What do you think youre doing, you fucking faggot?” And then on page 185: “The point is to let each character speak freely, without regard to what the Legion of Decency or the Chr
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