Old Jake
VS.
New Jake
Below is written an argument I have had with myself for several months during which a few different versions of the story and characters came into existence. I altered many things in the story and got the opinions of several friends. In the end though, most of the story has returned to how it was being written. A few modifications have taken place and the final story title is still somewhat in the air, but I decided and actually discovered that the way I am writing it is the most expressive and makes the most sense out of any other version. In actuality, the main character is indeed starting out how I dreaded, but as the story progresses he is slowly beginning to alter his perceptions and becoming a better person so that by the end of the story he will be deserving of being called a hero.
I have begun pondering as of late what I should do in terms of the content of my story and how it is presented. With what I have written so far, I had been aiming for what I considered realism. There is religion and politics and death and arguments and a lot of characters who are much too solemn or serious. I like what I have written, but at the same time, it has begun to remind me of what my mode of thinking was like back in 1995. At that time, I found the story to be a bit depressing. So I decided to listen to happier-sounding music and watch more cheerful animes and suddenly my story became more fun to imagine and the characters were more lovable. I created more characters and expanded my story so much in '96 and '97 that I then decided that I would need to write a novel rather than simply a comic book. I was having loads of fun creating the story!
Slowly though, I have noticed that the story somehow regressed back to the depressing feel that it was, or just about. I didn't even realize it until just recently, and it worries me. By adding so many plot twists and by concentrating so much on "what would really happen in a situation like this?", I have managed to bog the story down to the point that it is quite intriguing but no longer fun. This isn't a story that a kid would truly enjoy reading or at least they shouldn't enjoy it. There is enough emotional hoopla to... Well, I don't know for certain, but my friends claim to like the story so far. But a couple of my friends who have read the newer, lighter version say that they like it better. So should I perhaps turn to the lighter version and insult my own intelligence but become cheerful simply by writing it and delight children in the process? Or should I stay with the darker version and depress the heck out of people with a brooding but fascinating story? Or should I attempt to meld both elements and create what I want most but what may well alienate both age ranges of my readers? Come to think of it, the lighter version that I think I am writing would more rightfully be considered as the half-breed! All I've really done so far is to take the same situations and lighten the mood a bit while removing the bad language, religion, and the stronger arguing. The fight scene is still in there, but it's just less graphic. I still have a lot of rethinking of the characters' situations and traits to do if I want to continue self-censoring myself.
That brings up another debate. Censoring. Should it be referred to as toning down or dumbing down? Some people may argue that censorship is all too prevalent while others will insist that there is far too little oppression. But so many of America's children have time and time again proven to be far too impressionable to the subject matter that they see on TV, movies, and video games or read in books. So the question remains: Should things for kids be censored so as to shield them from becoming attuned to bad examples and acting them out? Or are we, in effect by censoring, raising children who are shielded from realizing the consequences of certain actions that they may then discover the truth about too late?
I am not the one to answer that, but it is something that I must decide for my story and for myself and thus for everyone who views my material.