Neil wrote: <For one thing, I like violent movies (as opposed to IRL).>

This is a point that could help here - I *don't*, in fact, I hate graphic film violence, even the not-too-graphic stuff can give me the jitters - Blake being shot, for instance, even if you take out my liking for the character. If fanfic h/c fantasies were on film, I have not the slightest doubt that I'd have the remote out and changing channel so fast it would make your head spin.

One of the things I do enjoy in Blake-centred fanfiction is emotional/mental/spiritual hurt (which is, I think you will all agree *extremely* canonical). And there's no doubt that a lot of fans (not all) love Rumours for the emotional torture that Avon goes through (and he does this par excellence in PGPs as well). And - without being flippant - there *is* the fact that Avon-dumping does have strict rules about, in Neil's term 'sanitising' the violence - 'he stays pretty' in the words of a drinking game I once saw.

In fanfic it's different to film and RL in that the reader can edit the exact balance of physical to emotional violence, and - though I have read some graphic stuff - it is true that the physical harm is mostly a backdrop for the emotional trauma. In a very real way - because it's *words*, not *images* - it's not real violence.* And emotional trauma is after all a staple of drama anyway ...

Yes, I've seen artistic renditions of Avon having been hurt, but again, it is *art*, not film - a drawing, however beautifully done (hi, Val!) not a photo. So one *can* ignore the RL implications and concentrate on the fantasy.

Does this all make sense to anyone?

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