If you were to write a Columbine related book..

..either fiction or non-fiction, what would you write about?

I think I'd like to write a bit more about the victims, but don't know how much is left to be said about them. Non-fiction, I sometimes think about different scenarios that could've played out that day, specifically in the library, so probably something along those lines.

Non-fiction.  A ''In Memoriam'' for the victims in form of a comic book/graphic novel. Every victim would have a chapter to illustrate who they were, their character, dreams and aspirations, fond memories from friends and  relatives and similar stuff. The last chapter would reveal what happened to them in a textual presentation with a single symbolic image (a Columbine flower perhaps). It would be a reminder of what has been lost and how precious life is. It will immortalize the victims and serve as a source of inspiration for others to pursue noble deeds that these people could not. That is the general idea anyway. The source of the idea is a short comic about the Babi Yar massacre. This one:
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Nonfiction -- "Godlike"

I'd explore the link between shooters and this troublesome phrase by examining its roots; damaged masculinity, repeated failures in the system meant to protect the shooter before radicalization, and the perceived burst in "power" that comes with a teenager's realization that he or she is capable of critical thinking and introspection.

Non fiction.
I wouldn't write a lot about psychology, but instead focus more on the techincal aspects.
A lot of the book would be on April 20th itself: their movements, timelines, witness testemonies, and things like that.

Tuga wrote:

Non-fiction.  A ''In Memoriam'' for the victims in form of a comic book/graphic novel. Every victim would have a chapter to illustrate who they were, their character, dreams and aspirations, fond memories from friends and  relatives and similar stuff. The last chapter would reveal what happened to them in a textual presentation with a single symbolic image (a Columbine flower perhaps). It would be a reminder of what has been lost and how precious life is. It will immortalize the victims and serve as a source of inspiration for others to pursue noble deeds that these people could not. That is the general idea anyway. The source of the idea is a short comic about the Babi Yar massacre. This one:
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This sounds like a great 20th anniversary project, could even collaborate with family to make a page that imagines what life could've looked like 20 years on.

knightzero wrote:

Nonfiction -- "Godlike"

I'd explore the link between shooters and this troublesome phrase by examining its roots; damaged masculinity, repeated failures in the system meant to protect the shooter before radicalization, and the perceived burst in "power" that comes with a teenager's realization that he or she is capable of critical thinking and introspection.

I think this is an excellent idea, also. You and I have talked before about the categories of experiences that many shooters have in common. It could help to illuminate what risk factors exist and in what combination they are most likely to culminate in a mass shooting.



I'd write a fiction novel, chronicling the happenings for several people in the months or weeks leading up to the event. I imagine some kind of Game of Thrones style story telling, where the perspective jumps between main characters. It would really allow you to flesh out each character and engage the reader, making them emotionally invested in them and thus making the ultimate result even more impactful. Some chapters could be written from the view point of victims, parents, teachers, and of course plenty from the shooter's, too. I think that this kind of fiction would allow people to have some valuable insight into what kinds of things build up and result in a mass shooting event. They could ponder what role they play in instigating something like that as well as what role they could play in preventing it.

sokushinbutsu wrote:

I'd write a fiction novel, chronicling the happenings for several people in the months or weeks leading up to the event. I imagine some kind of Game of Thrones style story telling, where the perspective jumps between main characters. It would really allow you to flesh out each character and engage the reader, making them emotionally invested in them and thus making the ultimate result even more impactful. Some chapters could be written from the view point of victims, parents, teachers, and of course plenty from the shooter's, too. I think that this kind of fiction would allow people to have some valuable insight into what kinds of things build up and result in a mass shooting event. They could ponder what role they play in instigating something like that as well as what role they could play in preventing it.

If you're interested in more than just Columbine you may have read it already but One of Us, about Breivik's shooting, had some of these elements. It's nonfiction but it alternates between Anders' life story and the stories of several of his young victims until their paths finally cross during the attack. It goes into a lot of detail, following the victims from years before the attack, just as it does for Breivik. I thought that it worked very well for the reasons you mentioned above. With so many victims, it's easy to lose sight of individuals but the process of getting to know them and then learning about their last moments enhances the impact of the concept of loss involved in an attack like this.

sscc wrote:

If you're interested in more than just Columbine you may have read it already but One of Us, about Breivik's shooting, had some of these elements. It's nonfiction but it alternates between Anders' life story and the stories of several of his young victims until their paths finally cross during the attack. It goes into a lot of detail, following the victims from years before the attack, just as it does for Breivik. I thought that it worked very well for the reasons you mentioned above. With so many victims, it's easy to lose sight of individuals but the process of getting to know them and then learning about their last moments enhances the impact of the concept of loss involved in an attack like this.

That's really interesting. I think that I'll pick up a copy of it, actually. Thank you for the recommendation.

I definitely think that the idea can be seamlessly employed with non-fiction and I very rarely read fiction myself so that sounds right up my alley.