DragonOfTheAerie
Vala
Violence is pointless without conflict. Hollywood hasn't been doing very well with it lately. Just because a car blows up or a person is shot doesn't mean the stakes go up or anything like that. Punch in the face? Meh. Punched in the face so your jaw is broken so you can't tell your friend he's marked for death? Yes. Of course there is a way to have the person unable to tell their friend without physical violence. Lose their cell phone, a jerk barista or such not letting them use the phone. Miss the bus to get to the friend. Violence in a story is like magic in the Enchanted Forest; a perk, not a necessity.
totally agree about hollywood.
I can't stand books that open with a violent, action-packed scene and people are getting hurt and dying before i have the chance to care or know who they are. Action can actually be the most boring thing of all when there is no reason to care what's happening. Descriptions of forests and rivers and cities without a character in sight can draw me in better than empty guns and chases and explosions stuff.
So, basically, violence does not equal conflict.