On the phone to Dad last night. He's been reading my book and yes, he's waded through the swearing, the drugs and the sex. Mum, he tells me can't bring herself to read it. I breathe a sigh of relief, then hear her in the background saying, "You can't expect to read a novel these days without that kind of stuff in it." So is Dad assuming she's more prudish than she?
I've been in contact with a lot of writers who say they've had to bite the bullet when writing the salacious scenes. Can what Mum and Dad think really have such an impact on someone's creativity. I suppose it's all there when I was writing Alan's character. The omnipresence of his mother and domineering ex-partner impede his personal development. Catherine, on the other hand, was fortunate enough to be brought up by a liberal minded father who never got in the way of her doing anything. That's why she's so baffled when her mother tries to control her.
There's always sides to yourself you'd never wish to show your parents. Does this mean you have to tone down your novel?
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