Is 'vomit' a trigger word?

Woollybear · Jun 14, 2018

I've always been comfortable with basic bodily functions, blood doesn't really bother me, urine, whatever, it's biology.

I know several people who are totally freaked out when someone throws up.

And, a few readers seem to get unduly freaked out by the fact that some of my characters toss their cookies. Like, in a scene where a bunch of stuff is going on, it is specifically the vomit that they respond to. A gunshot to the head, fine. But a character hurling their lunch all over the table? That's a no go.

So, anyway, my starting inclination is to call 'vomit' 'vomit.' Maybe that's wrong. Since a few people are like "Oh my God, really? He throws up??" I'm wondering if it's a trigger word of some sort and maybe I should say 'spits up' or something less definitive.

I see guidelines here and there on how severely one should limit certain words and types of words. However, I've never seen such a list for bodily functions. Defecate, urinate, ejaculate, vomit, blow the boogers out one's nose, spit, dig out earwax, sweat, bleed, ooze pus- There's lots of fluids that we make. Are there basic guidelines as to how to handle some of these?

I instinctively only use urination once, as a show of irritation of a secondary character toward a main character. Sort of an alpha male thing. No defecation or ejaculation in the story. Those two are just not necessary for the character arcs

. But I have a lot of vomit - Three different characters for three different reasons. Even the first instance gets eyebrows from readers.

There's a lot of sweating, bleeding, and I think one instance of boogers but I wouldn't be certain about that one it might have been picked back out. (sorry, couldn't resist.)

Maybe reading the word 'vomit' makes some readers feel like vomiting. Like yawning.

Any thoughts? Any guidelines?

cornflake · Jun 14, 2018

My thought is mainly... so? People hate lots of words, like moist, etc. Plenty of people are put off by violence. So?

Also, babies spit up; I wouldn't know what you meant if you said an adult spit up, besides a literal interpretation.

Tocotin · Jun 14, 2018

Patty, your readers should, uh, read more. It's not the 19th century. Vomiting is a fact of life.

I have all manners of messy bodily stuff in my writing and no one ever said a thing. Yes, vomiting too. If something is necessary, it's necessary.

Woollybear · Jun 14, 2018

Thank you! Both.

I was really surprised by the last person who seemed to get hung up on it.

You've both reassured me that it's them, not me.

Sarahrizz · Jun 14, 2018

Without your exact line to use as a reference, I can't say for sure. No, I do not have a problem with the word vomit. Now, if you described what the vomit looked like, I might feel uncomfortable, but that's a different story. It also depends on who your story is aimed towards. And how quickly after the statement that the character Vomited, do you move your story on to new ideas.

Tazlima · Jun 14, 2018

Agree with the above. Everybody vomits. It's a gross, but natural, part of life.

Re: boogers - I actually learned the Italian word for "boogers" (caccole - not a word you're going to find in the average pocket translating dictionary) by reading Harry Potter in Italian. In the first book they fight a troll and Harry's wand accidentally gets shoved up the troll's nose, leading him to wipe troll boogers off his wand afterward. If the word hadn't been there, I might never have learned it.

Now "upchuck," THAT'S a word that squicks me out and makes me gag a little - but that's my problem. I certainly wouldn't put down a book just because it used an icky word.

Hbooks · Jun 14, 2018

This is just my opinion, so take with a grain of salt...

I have no problem with the word vomit. I have no problem with characters vomiting in a story. The manuscript I'm currently working on has the main character vomiting quite a few times due to chronic illness. If it's needed, use it.

It does gross me out a bit when authors go to great pains to describe the actual vomit in fine detail as if it's a menu item at a five-star restaurant. Particularly when the vomiting happens multiple times in the book, and the describing goes on and on, detailing the chunks, how they feel coming up, the exact yellowness of the bile, I start to turn green and wonder what is with this author and vomit? One of the books I read recently where this happened was a romance!

For me, it's like characters using the bathroom. If there's a good reason to show it story-wise, do so. If there's a good reason to describe it in detail, do so. And know there will be some people who find certain body functions yucky.

Kjbartolotta · Jun 14, 2018

I should hope not! Still, I have learned that readers have a threshold as to how lovingly one should describe said act.

Quinn_Inuit · Jun 14, 2018

That's odd. I've never heard of such a strong reaction to that word in adult literature. Mods, can she post the passage in question for us? I know people can get kicked over to SYW for that, but I'm really curious now.

shizu · Jun 14, 2018

I have a friend whose emetophobia (the fear of/anxiety related to vomiting and nausea) is so bad that yep, even reading about someone throwing up will make her nauseated, and can sometimes actually make her sick herself.

While I don't think it's a trigger necessarily, there are definitely people for whom a surprise attack of the vomits in a book or movie etc. can cause a surprising amount of distress. For those people it can be difficult, because it's not really something those of us unaffected would consider warning for. Like others have said, it's a part of life, and compared to the things you might automatically assume would distress someone it seems pretty tame.

konstantineblacke · Jun 14, 2018

Kids books are full of farting and vomiting and rude noises, so an adult getting hung up on it :Shrug:

neandermagnon · Jun 14, 2018

I can think of quite a few books where characters puke up for whatever reason. It's a part of life. It's yucky. So's that toilet scene in Trainspotting.

My question would be whether it's plausible that the character actually would throw up in those circumstances. Like you mention a character throwing up their lunch all over a table... if someone's very drunk that would be plausible. Or if they're a little kid. Most cases when someone's ill they will make a dash for the toilets or some other place that's a bit more private to throw up. Not many things would make someone immediately, randomly puke up right there and then. It can happen, but you'd have to write it to make it believable, including, if necessary, establishing in advance that they're more likely to throw up randomly because... (whatever reasons). If it's an emotional reaction to something (like extreme anxiety, or terror if you're writing horror) the rest of the scene has to be written well enough to make it clear that this is what it is, as opposed to someone randomly puking for no obvious reason.

BethS · Jun 14, 2018

Patty said:
Maybe reading the word 'vomit' makes some readers feel like vomiting. Like yawning.

Well, first, many people are repulsed by vomit and vomiting. And you're right that, for some, it can be catching. Even being present when someone is throwing up can make them feel queasy or even get sick themselves. It's a reflex response, and for the unfortunate souls afflicted in this way, it can be quite strong. Be thankful you don't have it. So reader revulsion is to be expected. But it could be that the problem is more than that. It may be the way the vomiting is described and/or its frequency. Or maybe because it doesn't seem realistic or necessary at that point. Or it's just plain gratuitous. So that's something to look at.

Also, if you're searching for a less strong way to describe it (which probably isn't a bad idea), I don't think "spit up" will cut it. That's what babies do. But you could say "retch" or "was sick" or "lost his supper," etc.

Harlequin · Jun 15, 2018

I'm really not comfortable with the whole 'trigger warning' stuff because imo it's almost always based on a misunderstanding of what triggers are and how they work.

Triggers are real but are often innocuous things that don't seem directly related to the actual issue. (Not ALWAYS, obviously, but often.) A minor trigger for me used to be pulling a shirt over my youngest's head (don't ask, long story). Another trigger for someone else might be cotton wool or the colour green. Seeing healthy newborns of any kind is frequently a trigger for a surprisingly number of people. Unusual every day concepts or items that are often innocuous.

My point being, it's nearly impossible to protect people from triggers. A rape victim could be fine with reading about rape on the page but flip out if a character is described as wearing a Rolex watch (or whatever).

Right or wrong, people who have 'ordinary' triggers have to exercise self care. It's unrealistic to expect everyone to stop wearing green shirts and rolex watches, or for hospitals to stop using cotton wool, or parents to stop having babies (or my son to stop needing clothes).

So in relation to writing, content warning is probably a better way to go. A general warning that sensitive issues may be present, and then leave out triggers since you won't know what they are, and also because you simply cannot account for everything. Phobias exist for EVERYthing and there is a certain point where trying to accommodate everyone completely becomes impossible.

Vomit in a book is not far-fetched. Unless you are getting lots of complaints for gratuitousness, I'd chalk it up to subjective reactions.

ap123 · Jun 15, 2018

Not every story, or every style of writing, is going to be everyone's cup of tea.

Harlequin said:
Triggers are real but are often innocuous things that don't seem directly related to the actual issue. (Not ALWAYS, obviously, but often.)

This.

pingle · Jun 15, 2018

No, vomit wouldn't bother me. I would say she/he threw up, but that is my voice, and vomit will sound better when spoken by other voices

That said, I do worry when I add bodily functions such as urinating to my book, I have them when they are relevant as I want to achieve a sense of realism alongside the fantasy (e.g. someone has been asleep for ages, they need to wee before they can get much else done!), but I often read YA books that have no mention of bodily functions, so I do hmm? over the additions.

Woollybear · Jun 15, 2018

Thanks everyone.

I softened the most graphic case (although I might rough it back up again, not sure) and I'm fairly sure the other two cases are OK. Upon reflection, I think in the most graphic case it was the surprising nature of it that threw people. It was a medically correct response in the story with no warning beforehand, like if you had syrup of ipecac without knowing what it was. I think that because there was no warning (but again this was medically correct) it caught some people off guard. Not all -- some have said, "Yep. That's exactly right," and it is, I researched it.

The other two instances are preceded with enough foreshadowing that they seem to go unnoticed and one is 'offscreen' so that softens it too.

I'm going to answer my question by saying - it *can* impact readers negatively and one way to get around this if it's important to do so is to make sure it is foreshadowed. Or, don't worry about it.

DanielSTJ · Jun 18, 2018

I agree: if the character vomits, they vomit.

It's a fact. This isn't 18th century England. Write it in.

KTC · Jun 18, 2018

You cannot police everything that's going to trigger out of your manuscript. Choose your battles. I die on the hilltop of about 6 words. Vomit is not one of them. Vomit happens.

divine-intestine · Jun 26, 2018

Who cares? You can trigger anyone by writing any word from the dictionary.

For example, I get triggered whenever I read the word "cricket". In fact, I get so triggered I can't finish my sente

Ztwist · Jun 26, 2018

I would say no, vomit is not a trigger word. I worked in an animal hospital once and the only body fluid I really had a hard time dealing with was saliva - - coming out of anaesthesia makes big dogs salivate gigantic pools of really viscous stuff. So gross!!

hester · Jun 26, 2018

My daughter is emetophobic, so vomit actually is a trigger word for her (which doesn't mean not to use it--for most people, myself included, it's fine!)

mselephant2015 · Jun 26, 2018

Funnily enough when my mother was reading my first draft (SUPER bad idea, I know that now), she was like "do you have to be so graphic?" when I was talking about a character vomiting in a sink. But, in a way, I considered that a win. The sick in the sink was disgusting. My mother was disgusted. Can I take that as a win? I so am.

PS: I kept the word. The character vomited, it happened.

Is 'vomit' a trigger word?

Woollybear

cornflake

practical experience, FTW

Tocotin

deceives

Woollybear

Sarahrizz

Tazlima

Hbooks

Kjbartolotta

Potentially has/is dog

Quinn_Inuit

Not a real eskimo

shizu

konstantineblacke

neandermagnon

Nolite timere, consilium callidum habeo!

BethS

Harlequin

Eat books, not brains!

ap123

Twitching

pingle

Woollybear

DanielSTJ

The Wandering Bard

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

divine-intestine

Hardened drinker

Ztwist

hester

New year, new avatar.

mselephant2015