I love noir. I love the hardboiled cheesiness, the grit, the grime, and the dark sexual energy. The first short story I ever wrote was in the noir genre and now I'm working on a novel. It's a crime thriller I started several years ago and then put away after I shared the first few pages with some writer friends. The reactions weren't exactly positive.
"Were you on crack when you wrote this?"
"That's a whole lotta cussing."
"Your protagonist is a terrible person."
At the time I was a newbie writer and this feedback discouraged me. Years later I understand that noir is like cilantro. You either love it, or it tastes like soap.
So...I'm back to work on a grim story where even the good guys are foul-mouthed reprobates and I'm having so much fun.
"Were you on crack when you wrote this?"
"That's a whole lotta cussing."
"Your protagonist is a terrible person."
At the time I was a newbie writer and this feedback discouraged me. Years later I understand that noir is like cilantro. You either love it, or it tastes like soap.
So...I'm back to work on a grim story where even the good guys are foul-mouthed reprobates and I'm having so much fun.