What subjects won't you touch?

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Jenifer

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This post in this thread woke up the old brain weevil... ;)

There's no harm in asking, if this helps you decide how to write a scene. But the reactions you got in this thread should warn you of the level of emotion such a scene might provoke in readers.

-Derek

Let's talk iffy subject matter. What won't you touch?

Is there such a thing as going "too far"?

In my current WIP, a handful of children are tortured and killed. It is heavy stuff, hard to take emotionally, and- I suspect, not being a parent myself- it will be tough on parents. I do not, as a general rule, go into a lot of gory detail for the sake of turning stomachs... but if I'm to keep with the truth of the story, these scenes must stay in. The children and their fates motivate my MC and my villain and craziness abounds.

Thoughts?

Do you have a "stop" switch? What trips it?
 

Siddow

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Peak oil.

:)D)
 

SPMiller

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Hmm, never actually thought about it. In theory nothing is off-limits for me, but I've never written a scene involving rape or incest. Torture, sure. Murder, yeah. Robbery, of course. Vigilantism, duh. But never rape or incest.

Maybe my next short story should include incestual rape?

... Maybe not.
 

maestrowork

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How about cannibalistic incestuous child rape-murder involving a religious icon?

Nah, nothing is off limits for me. ;)
 

Carmy

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I don't think I've found anything off limits so far except for the time period 1910 - 1935. Won't touch it, won't read, watch movies or TV programs set during those years. Don't know why, but it gives me the creeps.

If reincarnation is possible, maybe something bad hapened to me then.
 

SPMiller

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I already have child murder involving religious icons, believe it or not...

Cannibalism! Good one.
 

Jenifer

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I already have child murder involving religious icons, believe it or not...

Cannibalism! Good one.

Yes but where is the SEX. :D There is sex, right?
 

Clair Dickson

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How about a female MC who trades sexual favors for informtion? Oh, wait, got one of those. =) Plus murder and forced sex acts. No incest or cannabilism, but I prefer to stay on the more common side of evil-- everyday evils, I call them.
 

Jenifer

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I prefer the evils that happen on Tuesdays.
 

Judg

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I won't read descriptions of child rape, cannibalism, and pretty much anything on that level. Yup, I got lots of limits. Having them occur offstage, I can usually handle. But I don't want to witness it. And I'm not going to write it.

I did write a scene in which a child was terrorized, another with a messy murder, (not overly described) and that's about as far as I will go.
 

Histry Nerd

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I'm not sure anything is truly "off limits" for me--I hope I'll have the fortitude to write the story the way it needs to be written. But there's some stuff that's outside my comfort zone, that I'll choose not to write if I don't have to. Violence against children, for one--but when your fiction is set in the Dark Ages, that's hard to avoid. Violence against pregnant women, rape, torture for the fun of it--all subjects I'd prefer not to have to write, but I'll probably have to in order to tell my story.

I used to say I wouldn't write anything I would not let my kids read. I've backed off that position a little. Now I hope, if I write something I don't want my kids to read, I've done it because it has to be in there. I'll make damned sure it's not in there for some gratuitous thrill.

Wait--I just remembered one. I don't think you'll ever catch me writing a despicable protagonist. An antagonist who's as admirable as the good guy? Yeah, I'll probably do that. But I'm not gonna write a "good guy" I can't respect. I gotta have a little white hat.

For what it's worth.
HN
 

mscelina

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Nothing is off-limits to me as a writer. As a reader, there are things I usually won't read-- if I find them gratuitous. Rape is a good example of this. IF the rape forwards the plot or helps to develop a character, then I will write about it--and have. IF, however, the rape serves no purpose at all and doesn't help the story, I won't write about it.

As a reader, I can cringe my way through a rape scene that is well-written and necessary. But also as a reader, a gratuitous rape scene will make me throw away the book and discard the author forever...as I did with a very famous fantasy series several years ago. *shrug* JMO, of course.
 

MoonWriter

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I don't think I could ever write anything disrespectful of any religion. And the thought of any kind of child abuse breaks my heart - I wouldn't even attempt it.
 

JoNightshade

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No subject is off limits. In fact, I consider it my duty as a writer to illuminate the deepest, darkest corners of the human soul. That's where the "real" stuff happens. In my opinion, it's all about how it's handled. You can write about rape in a way that glorifies it (not okay), or you can write about rape in a way that shows how devastating it is (okay). This applies to anything. It's not about subject matter, it's about how you look at it.

Incidentally, one of the reasons I love science fiction is because it often explores the boundaries of human taboos. It often asks the question: in what circumstances would ___ be okay? At the moment my next planned project is a sci fi epic which involves, among other things, incest being morally okay. Yep, that sounds disgusting and wrong, but in the context of the book it's right. (Trust me on this one. ;))
 

brokenfingers

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Hmmm, I can't see me having any limits as to what I write about. If I write about it, it's cuz the story takes me there and/or I'm interested in it.

If there is any personal limit, I'd say that I won't write stories that have bad endings or negative themes. I like to write stories that, even if dark, are ultimately uplifting or have a positive theme.

I had a writer friend who had a nice, normal life, a happy childhood with a loving family and a happy home life etc. with hardly any cares or worries, and she loved writing dark, twisted stories where bad things happened to good people.

I always marveled at that cuz I've seen, in my own short time on this Earth, such darkness and evil and horror that I can't write about that stuff in a way that glorifies it or trivializes it.

With me, the good guys need to win, the bad guys need to lose. Even if the good guy dies, their death must mean something. I can't write a story where evil wins. It's just not in me.

I've seen it enough in real life, I have no desire to propagate it further through my writing.

I guess this ties into what I feel writing is about traditionally. I feel that fiction writing is descended from myth-making. And, to me, myths (and all stories, really) are designed to help people deal with the brutal cruelties of life. By inspiring and offering hope and showing examples of how humans have overcome adverse situations and maybe lending a little strength by doing so.

To me, a good story is like a beacon of light that helps light the way in dark times. The power of a good story is incredible and it's why they are such a major factor in human's lives.

We need them. We need that hope, that inspiration, that reservoir of strength, that comfort that we can sometimes derive when our own personal situations become too much for us.

So yeah, I guess I do have limits. I'll never write a story that doesn't, in some way, embody the beauty and strength that is the human spirit. I'll never glorify evil or wrongness.

Good, ultimately, always wins in my stories because, even though that's not true in real life, people still need to believe. And that's what stories are all about.

Making people forget that maybe they can't and getting them to believe that they can.
 

jkcates

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Maybe the question isnt what limits you have in what you write, but rather whether you want people to read it. I think child torture is a pretty good way to gurantee a lot of people wouldnt engage it. But again, it depends on whether you are writing for yourself or for an audicene I suppose

Just my few cents worth
 

Jenifer

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Maybe the question isnt what limits you have in what you write, but rather whether you want people to read it. I think child torture is a pretty good way to gurantee a lot of people wouldnt engage it. But again, it depends on whether you are writing for yourself or for an audicene I suppose

Just my few cents worth

I'm not at all concerned about that. :) I have quite a bit of faith in this particular WIP and didn't post looking for advice.

So the question really IS: what personal limits do you have in writing?
 

rugcat

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A related question is, "What does the publisher consider off limits?"

Do you write what you want, and publication be damned, or do you take a step back and consider how important it is to you to see your work on bookstore shelves?
 

Jenifer

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What if child torture stemmed from the religious practice of a particular culture? There are plenty of examples of that in world history. Is the topic still taboo?

In my case, the children fall victim to a man who is well-loved by the town... when something tragic occurs in his life, demons from his younger years come bounding forward to play. He develops a split personality, and his "alternate" is convinced beyond question that the children of the town have organized against him (and his wife). The torture is a method of interrogation.

It all comes together quite well, I think- slick little beastie. I'm happy with how it's coming along. :)

To answer my own question: I don't have a lot of hang-ups in writing. The story is what it is... my job is to tell the story, not pace around wringing my hands.
 
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