Trigger Warnings

HoneyBadger · Mar 5, 2012

Do you give your alphas/ betas/ strangers you meet on the subway a rundown of your novel's triggers, as we do in SWY?

If so, what are they?

I ask because I am nosy.

Aggy B. · Mar 5, 2012

You mean like "Warning: Contains Adult Language"?

I don't talk to strangers about what I write because invariably I hear "Oh, you know what you should write a book about?"

And my beta's know my work may contain language/violence/sexuality in varying levels. They wouldn't still be reading for me if they didn't.

Aggy, may have misunderstood the question

HoneyBadger · Mar 5, 2012

Yeah, exactly. Like, if you're going to get all worked up over the following things, probably don't read this book.

Mine are, to date:
Language/ themes
Sexual exploitation
Sick/dead babies
Murder
Statutory rape
Homosexuality
Pretzels
Drug use
Musical theatre
Vomit
Fire
Street magic

A librarian friend and her hippie-dippie book club are going to beta for me, and since most of them are strangers to me, I don't really want to toss them my MS blindly if one of them has lost a baby or something, you know?

Lhipenwhe · Mar 5, 2012

HoneyBadger said:
Yeah, exactly. Like, if you're going to get all worked up over the following things, probably don't read this book.

Mine are, to date:
Language/ themes
Sexual exploitation
Sick/dead babies
Murder
Statutory rape
Homosexuality
Pretzels
Drug use
Musical theater
Vomit
Fire
Street magic

OK, I've got to ask: Pretzels?

If you're worried about their reaction, you could always give an example of an equally-explicit book, like the 'Song of Fire and Ice' series or... damn am I ill-read.

HoneyBadger · Mar 5, 2012

It delights me that you questioned pretzels over street magic.

That damned Criss Angel ruins everything.

(Mostly I just want to read about all the wacky crap you're all writing about.)

Aggy B. · Mar 5, 2012

HoneyBadger said:
Yeah, exactly. Like, if you're going to get all worked up over the following things, probably don't read this book.

Mine are, to date:
Language/ themes
Sexual exploitation
Sick/dead babies
Murder
Statutory rape
Homosexuality
Pretzels
Drug use
Musical theatre
Vomit
Fire
Street magic

A librarian friend and her hippie-dippie book club are going to beta for me, and since most of them are strangers to me, I don't really want to toss them my MS blindly if one of them has lost a baby or something, you know?

Ah. Right.

Mine are more like:
Violence/torture
Language
Antiheroes
Cripples
Magic (not the street variety)
Religion
Werewolves
Vampires
Historical tomfoolery

They make for a great novel but might annoy some folks.

thothguard51 · Mar 5, 2012

If strangers ask what I write, I just tell them a lot of things, but mostly SF&F. Few if any ask for more information.

My close friends who know what I write will often ask how it's going and what a story is about. I still am careful how I explain things because while they are friends, they still have their own taste and I don't really want to start having them compare me to someone else they have read. Most of the time, they get it wrong and it just confuses them...

muravyets · Mar 5, 2012

In my WIP, I guess I'd have to warn prospective betas about:

mutilations
cannibalism
cults and cultists
religion
magic/occultism
murder
slavery
female sexually sadistic murderers
people getting felt up under odd circumstances
cops
tunnels and other claustrophobic situations
ETA: Oh, and harsh language.

If people ask me what I write about, I just say I write horror stories. That usually moves the topic on, either because they think they know what I write based on their own taste, or they get scared and leave me alone.

RemusShepherd · Mar 5, 2012

HoneyBadger said:
Do you give your alphas/ betas/ strangers you meet on the subway a rundown of your novel's triggers, as we do in SWY?

If so, what are they?

I ask because I am nosy.

Anyone who knows me knows what to expect from my writing.

I've yet to give a stranger on the subway a copy of one of my novels, but if I did I'd warn them there might be llamas, fish-men, and sexual situations; but no more than two of those at a time.

Mari · Mar 5, 2012

RemusShepherd said:
Anyone who knows me knows what to expect from my writing.

This.

Polenth · Mar 5, 2012

I offer any trigger warnings that aren't obvious from the basic genre and blurb. But when I say trigger warning, I mean warning about things that commonly trigger past traumas, such as rape and graphic violence. I don't warn people about things that may annoy them a bit, but really aren't traumatic for the majority of people.

Aggy B. · Mar 5, 2012

Polenth said:
I offer any trigger warnings that aren't obvious from the basic genre and blurb. But when I say trigger warning, I mean warning about things that commonly trigger past traumas, such as rape and graphic violence. I don't warn people about things that may annoy them a bit, but really aren't traumatic for the majority of people.

That used to be my approach, but I've since learned I have to warn about vampires/werecreatures and the use of first person and present tense.

Otherwise I get a lot of "I like this, too bad vampires are so overdone you'll never sell this."

Or "I had to transpose all the present tense to past in my head as I read and then it wasn't a bad story." >_<

Aggy, mostly sticks with her betas and not random strangers

HoneyBadger · Mar 5, 2012

I wish these lists could serve as queries.

It would make life a lot easier for everyone.

N.L. LeBlanc · Mar 5, 2012

Only certain people are allowed to read my story at this point, and they are all people I know IRL, so before I give them drafts I inform them about certain scenes/material they might be uncomfortable with. One of my readers has personal experience with aspects of what I'm writing about (mental illness, though she and my MC don't have the same disorder), so especially in her case I think it's only fair to warn.

- Extreeeeemely coarse language. As in, if it was a movie, it would probably be rated R JUST for the language. I can't really get around it, though - considering the types of people some of my major characters are, it would be highly unrealistic for them not to swear often.
- Bisexuality (my MC)/homosexuality
- Self-injury
- The entire content of one of my subplots
- Eating disorders
- Pretty much anything suicide-related
- Violence and murder
- Implied attempted rape
- Depression, psychosis, psychological symptoms A, B, C and D...
- A real, for-legit psychopath. Like, this guy just plain doesn't care about anything or anyone and has serious criminal/deviant tendencies, even though some characters in my story think he's Jesus. Apparently this is extremely difficult for some people (especially those making TV shows and movies) to understand.

I'm probably forgetting some, but those are the main ones.

Chiron · Mar 5, 2012

When I go to groups I'm super aware of who is walking through the room. It can embarrassing when a stranger walks by and I happen to be on a scene that contains:

Language
Violence
Promiscuity
Incest (Mostly 2nd cousins)
An utter lack of moral direction. If you want good good guys and bad bad guys, I don't think my work is for you.
Misogyny
Torture
Slavery
And a pinch of soap opera

Some of these being less embarrassing than others.

WriteMinded · Mar 5, 2012

violence
torture
belly bites
naughty words
blood
blood sacrifices
beheadings
lies
mayhem
sex
thievery

I could just sum it up with: I write fantasy.

Oh yeah, and didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk to strangers?

blacbird · Mar 5, 2012

Maybe we just need a uniform checklist.

I'd put on it:

Prologue
Head-hopping
More than three narrative POV characters
Dream sequences
Magic amulets
Uncultured farm boy sent on a mystical quest
Vampires who sparkle, glow, or in any manner emit bioluminescence
Evil characters who are evil because . . . they are evil
Detailed description of characters' clothing and eye-color
Gratuitous inclusion of product brand names
Explosion in the first sentence

caw

HoneyBadger · Mar 5, 2012

WriteMinded said:
Oh yeah, and didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk to strangers?

Yeah, but she says a lot of things, like, "A cake is not a dinner," and, "you can be anything."

Shadow_Ferret · Mar 5, 2012

Why are they called triggers?

And I don't discuss my stories with anyone. But the few times I've given things to betas I figured they were adults and had read those things before.

Although I probably should have warned my then to be mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law about the graphic rape scene I had in my now trunk novel. Their shocked reactions convinced me that maybe I should tone that scene down a scoach.

CharacterInWhite · Mar 5, 2012

Interestingly enough, this came up in my last round of revision. I was completely baffled by a betas reaction. Guess which one of all of these upset her:

-Graphic violence
-Interrogations
-Schizophrenia
-Crooked cops
-Bullying/sexism
-Sex positivity/explicit consent
-Spiked booze
-Oral sex

I'll give you a hint--it's the only thing the religious right will condemn me for.

kuwisdelu · Mar 5, 2012

I don't.

Nakhlasmoke · Mar 5, 2012

Aggy B. said:
T...

Otherwise I get a lot of "I like this, too bad vampires are so overdone you'll never sell this."

Or "I had to transpose all the present tense to past in my head as I read and then it wasn't a bad story." >_<
...

I feel for you right now. (wrote a story in present with vampires.) And yes, people say stupid things about everything.

kuwisdelu said:
I don't.

Yeah same. Occasionally I get reactions like the very christian writer in my writers' group who handed back the first page of my WiP about a gender fluid muse who is used as a drug and kinda went "Um, there was a bit too much swearing..."

But warning people off seems weird. If they hate it, they hate it, but people should be pushed past their reading borders.

Obviously, I don't mean forcing a rape survivor to read about rapes or anything like that, but stuff like street magic - who knows, they might enjoy it if they gave it a chance.

Domino Derval · Mar 5, 2012

I've had betas disappear on me. Whether it was because they didn't like it, didn't like me, or didn't get around to reading it remains a mystery.

I more just say, "By the way, this has a lot of adult content." Mostly because I want my readers to be surprised when I throw something new at them.

SomethingOrOther · Mar 5, 2012

Lhipenwhe said:
OK, I've got to ask: Pretzels?

They tend to make betas uncomfortably thirsty.

Domino Derval · Mar 5, 2012

Choking hazards, every one of them.

Trigger Warnings

terribly loud, emotionally distant

Not as sweet as you think

terribly loud, emotionally distant

Moving with my soul, step by step

terribly loud, emotionally distant

Not as sweet as you think

A Gentleman of a refined age...

Old revolutionary

that hillbilly vampire lady

Mushroom

Not as sweet as you think

terribly loud, emotionally distant

Running with Pens

Derailed

terribly loud, emotionally distant

Court Jester

Kind of a big deal

Revolutionize the World

yes

FREAKING OUT!

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FREAKING OUT!