Punishment: Pain or discomfort?

  As I look over the skeletal outline for the next book in the Slut University series, I am faced with the task of introducing something that has til now been shown only once - punishment - and something completely new - funsihment, or pain play for fun.  In my own life, I have always been torn when it comes to the concept of using pain for punishment.  This stems from an early Lifestyle relationship of mine, and the fact that I am more than just slightly masochistic.  I was two months or so shy of nineteen when I met this man - I'll call him by a favorite nick name, Marius - and so he played a great role in shaping my view of all things kink.  Looking back, I am extremely grateful that I did not have to fend completely for myself , as the information available online and in books at the time was sparse and confusing.  He steered me away from blindly following the letter of what little I could find and encouraged me to form my own thoughts and beliefs.
  In those early days, I believed that pain was the only way to go for punishment, regardless of my own enjoyment of it.  It was Marius who taught me differently, luckily before I found myself in trouble with him.  The point he made has stayed with me over the years, and now finds its way in to my writing.  If you are dealing with a masochist of any kind, and you use pain to punish them, over time their pain tolerance will increase and you will have to use harsher methods.  If you must use pain, there are two ways that can remain effective without needing to become more intense.  One of these is to couple the pain with something else - say a hard spanking with a lecture at the same time.  Surprising how effective that can be, the words often stinging more than the swats to the backside.  The other way is to use a method or implement seriously disliked or hated by the person on the receiving end, such as the cane used for Blaire's punishment in Fetishes and Fears.  Either way, making it perfectly clear that what is happening is punishment and not for fun is a necessity.
  Now, as I seek to introduce my character Allie to punishment more directly, I face the dilemma of how to go about doing so.  Do I use the methods so often seen in kink writing, intense pain, overly harsh words and isolation?  Or do I use something I am more familiar with, something taken from my own life?  Physical discomfort without direct application of pain, words pointed and stinging that stay long after they are said while leaving no permanent scars?  It's a tough call.  I'm torn between drawing on my own life experience and taking what seems to be the more popular route.
  When it comes down to it, all I can do is be true to myself, which means pain for punishment only under certain circumstances.  Pain for pleasure, or fun, is a totally different matter.  I'm sure I'm not the only masochist who will say that a good spanking, or hard flogging, or whatever their personal favorite may be, can be both pleasurable and cathartic.  A little pain in the midst of pleasure - a perfect example being the cliche of playful spanking while being taken from behind - can heighten the pleasure more than many might think.  I far prefer to introduce Allie to pain in this manner, though perhaps at a later date it will be used in other ways.  That's not to say that there may not be "discipline" scenes with pain, scenes that I have seen referred to as "funishment".  Faux punishment for the enjoyment of both or all parties involved.  In my opinion, these sorts of scenes show the use of pain in a different light, as well of those who live this lifestyle.  It is easy for one to cry abuse when the submissive in a piece is being beaten til bruises and welts cover their backside completely because of some infraction, but much harder when the same submissive is begging for it, reaching orgasm or genuinely thanking their dominant.  So that's how I will show it.  While Allie may or may not be modeled after myself, in this she will be, becoming a masochist as well as a slut for her Master.