It's been a busy week but thanks for stopping by to talk some more about The Devil of Whiskey Row by Renee Rose.
While looking back through the book for some chat topics, I came across this passage from Jake's point of view.
Spanking was not overly painful, but it was humbling for the recipient. For the disciplinarian, it was an act of dominance, a declaration of power.
For me, one of the trickiest parts of writing a spanking story----humbling without humiliating.
I found this definition of humiliate: to reduce to a lower position in one's own eyes or others' eyes
And here are a couple definitions of humble: 1 not proud or haughty : not arrogant or assertive
2
: reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission
I had never looked at the definitions of the two words. I guess I sort of thought that humiliation was one of those "I'll know it when I see it" things. And I still think that is true. We had a discussion a few weeks ago about a scene where the woman was made to crawl to the man. Some people thought it was hot, others thought it crossed a line. There is also the distinction of what you might like to read about vs. what you'd be willing to do in real life.
So, this isn't exactly about the book, though feel free to chime in about the book too, but what are your thoughts on humble vs. humiliate? What are some things that cross the line for you?
Hmmm...That's a tough one. I like the humbling aspect of a discipline spanking scene, and I am talking strictly writing and fiction here. But, come on...getting pulled over someone's knee and having your pants pulled down for a spanking is humiliating, and I think that is the point. In one of my books, the heroine gets spanked a couple of times in front of people. I know, for me, when I wrote those scenes, I felt 'humiliated' right along with her, and part of writing the aftermath of the scene had to do with reconciliation--with herself and with the hero.
ReplyDeleteI read a book once which, again TO ME, took humiliation to another level. The scenes happened in front of others, it was anal punishment, and yes, while it was non-con (my favorite), it was undeserved. I think that humiliation crosses the line when the 'punishment' is undeserved. That is when those scenes most affect me in a negative way.
I agree with Jade that humiliation crosses a line when it's undeserved, or if the punishment is so harsh that it totally traumatizes the recipient. To me any kind of spanking (except maybe a good girl, erotic spanking) is at least a little humiliating....but that's probably one of the reasons I find discipline spankings so hot.
ReplyDeleteWhat is hot in fiction is often not in real life, especially humiliation.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think I can be a little touching about crossing that boundary too. I was VERY concerned about the public spanking in the Devil of Whiskey Row (it's the first I've written) and I only reconciled myself with it when I realized she could profit from it financially (the right to spank her is auctioned off).
ReplyDeleteI meant touchy not touching
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