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Natasha Morgan Thesis NOTE The online version of this thesis may have different pagination from the paper copy held in the Swinburne Library. Snuff: A Crime Novel and Exegesis By Natasha Morgan Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2011 Swinburne University of Technology 2 Abstract This PhD research consists of a crime novel called Snuff and an accompanying exegesis titled Making Snuff: The Creation of a Crime Novel that reflects upon the journey of the writer in the creation of the novel. The novel charts the journey of a young woman in her twenties who becomes an accidental amateur detective when her sister is murdered in suburban Melbourne. To solve the mystery of her sex worker sister’s murder, the protagonist must enter Melbourne’s seedy world of strip clubs, peepshows and adult films. Through the protagonist’s eyes, the novel explores the controversial topic of sex work and why young women are drawn to this burgeoning industry. Using an autoethnographic methodology, the exegesis explains how the novel was created and enters into the feminist debate about sex work. It also investigates the difficulties of writing and researching as an incarcerated student and how the student overcame unique challenges. Finally, it discusses the creative process involved in planning plot devices, enacting dialogue and characterization, and investigates how, and to what degree, scholarly research influenced the creative process that generated the artefact. 3 Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge the women who have walked this PhD journey with me. Dr. Josie Arnold, none of this would have been possible without you. Your wisdom, encouragement, unwavering support and outstanding supervision have inspired me. Thank you for believing in me and for showing me how theory can enrich both my writing and my life. I used to reach for the sky but now I reach for the stars. Your dedication to me and to my work has left an impression that will last a lifetime. I can’t imagine having shared this journey with anyone else but you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You have my respect, always. Dr. Carolyn Beasley, you were there from the beginning always motivating me and helping me to believe in myself. This journey would not have been as wonderful, or as fun, without you. You have made me a better writer and I thank you for sharing your talent, your sparkle and your ‘carolynisms’. Beth O’Brien, you have been instrumental in everything that I have achieved. It is because of the opportunity that you and Josie created that I am here. I will always be grateful. Thank you for everything, for always being there and for helping me each and every step of the way. I don’t know how you do it, but you are truly an amazing woman. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Dominique Hecq, Colleen Skinner and Nadine White. Thank you all. Finally, I would like to thank the women in prison who helped me along the way as critical readers, advisors and accidental researchers. You all know who you are. 4 Dedications To my family, you have supported me through all the hard years. Your love has never faltered and you always see the best in me no matter what I do. I love you all so much. To Jo and Shane, who inspired the novel. Jo, you were my ‘partner in crime’ and I will never forget you. May you both rest in peace. And to all sex workers; past, present and future. 5 Declaration by Candidate I certify that the thesis entitled Snuff: A Crime Novel and Exegesis submitted for the degree of PhD contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any degree or diploma; to the best of my knowledge contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the text; and is not based on joint research or publications. Full name:……………………………………………………… Signed:…………………………………………………………… Date:………………………………………………………………. 6 Table of Contents Abstract 2 Acknowledgements 3 Dedications 4 Declaration by Candidate 5 Table of Contents 6 Preface 7 Snuff: a crime novel 10 Making Snuff: The Creation of a Crime Novel 196 Introduction 197 Why a Crime Novel in the Sex Industry? 201 Turning Fact into Fiction 201 Art Imitates Life 205 Ethical and Moral Dilemmas 210 Why is Crime Fiction Popular? 211 Do I Have a Write? 215 Anne Perry: Criminal & Crime Novelist 217 Scattered Pictures 220 Back to Basics 220 Autoethnography & Research Methodology 221 What Do Other Writers Do? 225 Accidental Research: My Life Experience & How I Navigated Delimitation 227 A Leave of Absence 232 The Voice 234 Stripping it Bare: Empowerment vs. Exploitation 241 The Bare Facts 241 Raunch Culture & Stigmatization 243 Polymorphism & the Möbius strip: A Non-binary Approach to Understanding the Sex Industry 247 The Artefact: A Polymorphous Vehicle of Exploration 251 Making Snuff 256 Character 256 Breathing Life into Characters 258 Characterization that was Influenced by Research 261 Conclusion 273 Works Cited 276 Bibliography 290 End Notes 316 7 Preface This PhD consists of two interacting elements. The first is an artefact, a crime novel called Snuff and the second is an exegesis titled Making Snuff: The Creation of a Crime Novel which reflects upon the process of writing the novel. These two elements ‘speak to one another’ by engaging in a “process of cross fertilization” (Beasley 2008, p.4). As questions or difficulties arose throughout the writing of the artefact, I would explore how theories of narrative and discourse could help resolve these challenges and then reflect upon, analyse and record this process in the exegesis. The results of the research would then flow back into the artefact. The exegesis provides a link between practice and research based on an autoethnographic methodology. This enabled me to examine my process of practice-led research from a personal and subjective as well as analytical perspective. The artefact should be read first so that the reader comes to the exegesis with some knowledge of where the sites of discussion in the exegesis arise. The artefact, Snuff, is set in the sinister world of strip clubs. The plot centers on an accidental, amateur sleuth named Raini Mitchell whose sister, Melody, an exotic dancer, is brutally murdered. Desperate to learn the truth, Raini goes deep under cover as a stripper, infiltrating her sister’s world and hunting for clues. Raini's quest leads her to the adult film industry and ultimately reveals a sinister truth that she never could have imagined. The exegesis is comprised of four sections. Utilising autoethnographic methodology, each examines different components of my creative process throughout the writing of my artefact. The exegesis stems from experience and practice. It is not embedded in academic debate as its starting point but arises from practice. I enter into and extend the scholarly conversation from reflections on my practice. The ‘voice’ in my exegesis is reflective, insightful, practical and is very personal. It records the subjective self in the process of writing, thinking about writing and participating in the scholarly conversation. This involves an autoethnographic methodology. Heewon Chang (2008) argues that autoethnography is “reader-friendly in that the personally engaging writing 8 style tends to appeal to readers more than conventional scholarly writing” (Chang 2008, p52). For me, autoethnographic methodology and practice-led research bridge this gap. When I first began writing Snuff I didn’t think that the exegesis would have any impact on my artefact at all. In fact I was sure that researching feminist and literary theory would hinder my creative process. However, I was surprised to find that it had quite the opposite effect. I soon discovered that a process of “symbiosis between research and creative practice in which each feeds on the other” (Smith & Dean 2009, p.11) began to occur. The creative act would lead to research, the results of which would then influence and enrich the creative act even further. What eventuated was a continuous loop of creativity, research, and then creativity again. This process has also led to inspiration for further novels, and the establishment of a series character, signifying that the tools I have discovered throughout this process will continue to benefit me beyond this PhD. I hope to write two more books as a crime novelist using my series character, Raini Mitchell, in a similar fashion to other Australian writers such as Leigh Redhead and her series character Simone Kirsch, or Kerry Greenwood and her series character, Phyrne Fisher. I met and spoke with an editor from Text Publishing who has shown some interest in my work. However, I will not attempt to publish until my release from prison. There are three major themes that arise within the exegesis that led my research. The first theme is concerned with feminism, the sex industry and raunch culture. As my novel is set in the sex industry this was a natural starting point. As a former sex worker I had strong opinions about the sex industry and I was challenged by the research I was conducting to find a discourse that best represented my experience. The binary view of the oppression/empowerment paradigms seemed limiting and did not capture my experience, or the experiences of my characters in the artefact, at all. So I embarked upon a journey to discover a middle ground. The second thematic concern arises from my unique experience as an incarcerated PhD candidate and a convicted criminal. My research indicates that although much has been written about education and/or writing in prison (Rymhs 2009; Novek & Sanford 2004; Abou-bakr 2009; Bugg 2009; Culver 9 1993; Davies 1990; Franklin 2008; McCarty 2006; Morgan 1999) there appeared to be no research on the ethical and moral responsibilities of a convicted criminal writing crime fiction.
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