A Little Reiterated Reassurance

What with all the discussion recently about padded cells, baggy institutional pyjamas, nappies, plastic pants and psychological punishment in various forms, it occurred to me that it might be a good idea to reiterate something that I wrote a few moments ago as a comment on an earlier post. I'm quite keen to avoid the impression that the new book - and even the previous two volumes - is purely focused on various forms of institutional incarceration; there is plenty dealing with domestic discipline also. This is particularly the case in the new volume I am working on, wherein we gain insight into one of the character's previous life under the domination of her aunt - a woman who believed in strict discipline, petty rules and restrictions…and in the imposition of a strict and restrictive uniform for her charge as an aid to her achieving those aims. We learn more too of the subtle forms of psychological manipulation the woman - along with her psychotherapist acquaintance - employed in bringing the girl under her control. But then again, perhaps that is obvious from what I wrote a couple of postings ago.

What I'm really keen to avoid - when it comes down to it - is giving the impression that we're talking about hardcore BDSM here. In many ways nothing could be further from the truth. One thing I set out to avoid at the outset is an over-emphasis on ever escalating, ever more sadistic, corporal punishment - you know, the type of thing one sometimes reads in other novels of the genre, notably - but not restricted to - Victor Bruno et al: 100 strokes of the cane followed by smelling salts and the continuation of the vicious beating, copiously bleeding buttocks, that type of thing. By now: I have to nip off and do a couple of chores - all the way out in darkest Epping - and I have an important e-mail to deal with first.