Deleted Scenes

I wrote a riveting scene in which a man beats his dog.  The action and some of the dialogue was exactly what I witnessed a few years ago. It sickened me then and disturbs me even now. I hoped that slipping the scene into my story would 1) make my male character meaner and 2) serve as catharsis for me.

Success!

I felt relieved for writing the scene, and the character was scary… Too much so.

Every reviewer in my critique group was horrified. They warned me that the graphic violence went overboard and would turn off my readers. They said that a narrowly averted beating would be powerful, suggest the character’s violent nature, and keep readers reading. They’re so wise.

I still love the scene because it has personal significance, but I’ll make heavy revisions. I write to communicate with readers, not sensationalize. Not even when it really happened.  

A bike rider (at left) carries his dog on his back through Kalispell traffic. No dog abuser, this guy!