Basic human needs in your writing (repost)

Reposted from March 30, 2009

1001 Things to do Before You Die has an amusing sf-related rant about the lack of fire departments in futuristic movies.  He has a point: I don't offhand recall any movies set in the future with a fire department, in action or otherwise, shown on screen. 

Which reminded me of something I've long thought:  Sometimes failure to mention certain obvious human needs or institutions can draw attention to the lack and work against the author. 

For example, how many times have you read a book and thought, don't they ever go to the bathroom?  In instances where the facilities are an issue, such as being tied to a bed for three days with no indication the poor victim has soiled him or herself or of their having been taken out and allowed the use of the facilities, it can look pretty lame.  Or when a character must sit for an entire day and yet is allowed no breaks, such as in a courtroom.  As an example of a piece that distracted me, I just read a book I really liked where the heroine had to sit during a festival for about 12 hours with no mention of a potty break.  Yes, she was a high lady of her people, but she still had to pee sometime!  The mere mention of a couple of breaks when the author mentioned giving the woman water and food would have kept me from being distracted; no need to mention she actually used a bathroom, just the opportunity.  As it was, I kept thinking, She's up there how long?  When does she go to the bathroom? Which spoiled this momentous scene for me somewhat.

In such cases, the story clearly requires at least an allusion to the base needs of life, or of basic human institutions like a fire department. (Well, no fire department for someone tied to a bed...unless it really was that messy.  But you know what I mean.)

And sometimes shit needs to be mentioned because it's expected or the scene won't feel right.  If you drop a character down the oubliette, a mention of fecal matter is pretty needful, it being part of the (for lack of a better word) ambiance. If, however, your character is going through daily regular life, it's not always necessary.  An occasional mention of using the bathroom instead of a wholesale avoidance might be good as a reality builder or it might be TMI (too much information); but the lack, if it doesn't call attention to itself, is okay.

And don't get me started on epic fantasy quests where the characters don't have any money, pack animals or wilderness experience.  Puhleeze.  You need lots of water, grain for your horses, more food than you think--and you have to give the animals a break once in a while.  I'm no expert on horses and endurance trail riding, but I do know you can't keep a horse going forever without dealing with foot problems, like worn or split  hooves, especially when they are not shod, exhaustion due to not enough time to feed themselves (grain will only go so far) and adequate rest and time without carrying extra weight.  There was a reason knights never rode their war horses except during battle: so they were fresh. 

And then there's the walking forever in the same set of shoes and no foot rot.  If they get wet feet, trench foot can occur.  Boots that are soaked will wear out faster.  Wet leather pants (or bustiers) will CHAFE.  (Personally, Epic Fantasy Girl finds her chainmail bikini quite comfortable even after riding Dawnstorm, my mare, for 900 miles straight over the Plains of Kathuselum with neither saddle nor bridle nor pad, neither kit nor bedroll nor coat... but then I'm Super Epic Fantasy Chick and YOU'RE--excuse me, got carried away there--WE are not.) 

There are a lot of areas in stories where basic facts are glossed over, and I think most of the time this is wise compression on the part of the author.  Occasionally, however, a judicious nod to the facts of life like pack horses and their vulnerabilities, human waste disposal, weevily bread and trench foot need to be considered. 

Comments

[Natasha Fondren]

So true, LOL! But the bathroom... Living in a camper with no potty and the bathroom a walk away has taught me that, um, I'd say even 16 hours is possible. Not at first. You just become "trained," I guess you'd say. Depending how lazy you are. And I'm lazy. :-)

[writtenwyrdd]

It's the waking up to hike to the potty in the middle of the night that would be my incentive to learn to hold it.

[Charles Gramlich]

I think you have to do more of that sort of stuff in a fantasy setting than a more modern setting, just because if someone is in a mall, say, then everyone knows there will be bathrooms and a food court. But you have to give more details of stuff in fantasy or the readers won't find the story real enough.

[Robin Altman]

I have always loved talking about my pooping habits, so anything I write is chock full of poop. Sort of.

[Bernita]

Yes, and it's easiy enough to do without gross detail, by having some character marvel about the queen's bladder control, for example.