Control: The Pulp Novel

I, Dalton Lewis, wrote a first draft of a pulp novel, V Max One. It’s an action packed roller coaster ride with lots of laser blasts and pulse rifles. I don’t even know what a pulse rifle is, but my characters use them. I don’t know why I don’t want to write this novel — I should write this novel. I should show characters flying through the galaxy, meeting demons and angels and having wacky misadventures. I could write something that is high art — something that shows that this is less than important. Larger than life conflicts can be ignored in favor of a light that represents God and going downstairs representing Satanic verses. I can’t possibly write a work of art with lots of sex and violence can I? I can try.

I think about the concept of pulp vs. art in confusion. The Lord of the Rings is a classic with adventures, fights, and good guys fighting against the worst of evils. I don’t know why I think that literature has to not include lots of fights and action — fights and action are an essential part to storytelling. I don’t want the entirety of the action in my novels to be grabbing cigarettes and sipping coffee. I want real action and consequences. I want violence and sex and all the important things in life.

In my novel I should have exciting things happen. I should have an impact. I should have big fights and big stakes, the fate of a lot of people on the line. I want this to happen in my novels. I don’t want my novels to just be people talking about their emotions and nothing happening.

I love comic book stories, but they often get it wrong. How? They have fights between the good guys and the bad guys. The good guys are in one line, and the bad guys are in the other line, and they charge each other and fight. Better is dramatic conflict — good guys disagreeing with other good guys. Captain America and Iron Man disagreeing is an example of dramatic conflict. We care about both sides of the conflict. That’s better storytelling.

I don’t always like that as much, though. Something satisfies me about a huge fight in which good guys stop bad guys from doing something unconscionable. I admire the old traditional stories in which good people do amazing things. I don’t know why, but I like that. I often get bored if stories don’t have any bad guys or action. I want something interesting to happen in my stories.

Why do terrible people do terrible things? They do, though. If one is to write about reality one should write about terrible people doing terrible things to each other, leaders squabbling amongst themselves, and a general failure to address society’s problems. Reflecting reality means terrible lives and terrible failures and never getting what you really want. That’s my take.

Thanks, and take care, friends.