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This is a tough post to write because it edges near things that I prefer to discuss in private. We all know the topics that can stir a massive fight. Issues that draw out the emotions and typically block rational discussion once the trigger is pulled. I won’t even list the areas here because I’m sure we all know them. Instead, I’m going to ask a simple question:
How do you touch on these in your stories without causing the fight?
First, let’s admit that people are going to see what they want to see. Someone that goes into a fictional story with an agenda will find a way to satisfy that agenda. I write fantasy adventure with an ensemble cast, but I still get the rare complaint that falls into one of the forbidden topics. I tend to ignore them because I don’t write my stories with these subjects in mind. Ignore might not be the right word. I don’t publicly react and I look at how I can adapt to remove the complaint from happening in the future. This really is hard to explain when one focuses on not starting a fight or holding onto neutrality.
Another thought is if we should focus on these topics if they aren’t part of the story. They can subtly turn up, but there are books I’ve read where it feels like such topics consumed the actual story. Reminds me of trying to see the road through a thick fog. Not to belittle the issues, but it’s always strange to read a story that doesn’t focus on them and somehow gets overshadowed. Though, I do wonder if that was only my perception and the author never noticed/intended for it to happen.
So, what do other authors do when it comes to ‘taboo’ topics? Are they impossible to avoid in today’s world?
Legends of Windemere 
I don’t think it’s possible to avoid things like this. Someone will always be offended. I’m writing a rather touchy subject at the moment, and some people may not like how I portray a certain religion, when in fact, I am only portraying a single person in a certain religion. She is not a representative of the religion. However, I’m sure people will not like what I write. I welcome it, in fact. Why not? If it affects someone so strongly like that, it may draw attention to it. It’s free publicity. Of course, I won’t tolerate any kind of fighting or hate speech on my blog, nor will I respond to it. I’m thick-skinned about this kind of thing, and I may even be amused by it. I’m not sure. It hasn’t happened yet.
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Excellent point that you mentioned. People seem to see an individual character as the embodiment of the entire group even if that wasn’t the attention. Sometimes people will even ignore a nicer character of the same group that is in the story. Tells me there are people who hunt for reasons to be offended.
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I’m sure there are people who’ve made it their hobby to search for things that offend them and complain loudly about it.
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Good Lord…( and that will offend some from the start 😉 ) I doubt there is a word we can write that will not offend or upset someone these days. I think you just have to go with your own gut on this and write from the honest heart of you.
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Good advice. Everything seems to have a group that gets annoyed at the mention of it. Even babies and kittens.
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Tell me about it 🙂
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I wonder if this post offended people. 😛
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Almost certainly 🙂
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If you avoid everything that could cause offence then I would have thought the writing would end up so banal that it wouldn’t be worth the effort. Write what you want generally. The big problem is when someone sets out to offend intentionally; now that is a no-no as far as I’m concerned.
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Purposely going for offense is definitely a no-no for me too. I don’t understand the point of it other than a call for attention. I do think a story could be written while avoiding these topics, but that’s from a fantasy author perspective. Maybe that’s why I have trouble wrapping my head around it at times. It’s not something that comes up a lot.
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Hmm . . . I decide which statement I want to make and own it. You can’t please everyone and I don’t want to beat around the bush cause someone might be hurt. Some people are easily offended but you can’t pussy foot around their feelings. I know my sense of humor might displease some people but they’re not my intended audience.
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Sense of humor is such a good point. That seems to be a big source of ‘fights’ because everyone has a different style. What one person finds funny, another will find highly offensive. So it might be more in how we the reader/viewer/whatever react than the person who says it. Probably depends on the intent too.
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Exactly and you’ve got to consider your audience. I write for a young audience–not my grandparents. So I don’t cater to their sense of humor (or lack there of). I’m not going to delete a scene or joke my intended audience would enjoy because the minority of my readers would be offended. Yeah, I typically avoid hot button issues but if I want to hit them I will:)
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I’m still trying to figure out my audience because I don’t think of the age. I write fantasy that isn’t gritty, so people immediately put me into YA. I did that too at first, but the books get darker and more adult as they progress. So I just write what the story needs.
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I hear you. Mine are kind of light and comical in nature so I gear them to YA audiences and adults. I often say young adults and adults who are young at heart. lol.
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Ever think it’s strange that adults are the ones who create the YA category, but many seem to underestimate the age group? At least in terms of maturity and ability to handle certain topics.
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At my job we consider 24 year olds to be youth clients. lol
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Yeah. I know I was still being called a kid when I was in my 20’s.
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I think you need to write the story you want to write. Some topics are horrific, but they need to be written so that people know these horrors exist–war, slavery, etc. Other topics are sensitive because they touch a particular chord in a person or group. I cannot condone racism or hate, but I suppose everyone has the right to write what want unless it’s a deliberate call to harm someone or something.
I’m certain my blog post today will offend some people. It’s not my intention, but oh well.
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Intention is definitely something people should factor in. That doesn’t seem to happen these days. For example, people getting angry at an author for a villain doing evil, horrible things. It isn’t the intention to glamorize that since it’s the bad guy, but many people simply see the topic and leap into a fight that was never there in the first place.
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I say write what is in your heart. You cannot please anyone but yourself. If they don’t like what you have written Oh well!
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I agree. Though I do think some tact would be needed. This is why I’m kind of glad to be writing fantasy. Less chance of hitting many of the topics. 😀
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It seems that people will do or say anything anymore… there is a code of conduct to living that most do not follow. It is a sad commentary.
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True. Wonder what happened. It’s like nobody thinks there are consequences for words and actions.
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I agree. I feel that our writing is a gift and to be used for the benefit of others. You hit the nail on the head! Consequences is something that many do not understand any more.
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Or care about. I think another aspect is getting attention. Many people do the ‘any attention is good attention’, which means they don’t see a difference in fame and infamy. A lot of people gain infamy and think it’s a good thing.
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I wonder what the sociologists think about this all. We slip further down the slippery slope in media and pop culture. Then you have a faction going 100 degrees the opposite way. It is as if we lost our middle.
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Everyone is fighting for their own group and not realizing that we’re all on the same boat. I really hope a sociologist follows me and can answer this.
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I am just going to write and be happy writing. I have been writing my swamp fairy stories and putting them on my blog. With all that I hear about the book industry I am not sure that I want to even publish. If you end up giving it away for free, you might as well find it on my blog. ❤
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It does seem to be a rough industry and it’s always changing too. Though I wonder how much of what we hear is true.
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I think Kylie is right. At some point, if it needs to be in the story, you have to own it. I also agree that it is one character who feels or acts, not necessarily the author. I suppose your overarching theme could be one of the controversial subjects. I pushed big insurance to an absurd level as the basis of Arson.
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Writing fantasy, I don’t find myself in these situations very often. The odd thing is when I get a complaint about a character doing something horrible and it’s the villain doing it. That’s why I’m wondering a bit on how sensitive topics can be broached or if one should simply accept that you’re going to attract a fight or two.
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Feel the power of the dark side. There are some authors who indicate if we aren’t pissing someone off we aren’t doing our job. I don’t seek controversy, but if it works in the story I include it.
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Guess it depends on what you write. I don’t see why some fiction stories should aim to piss someone off.
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Not saying that at all. There were authors that took on controversy all the time. They framed it in something distant like science fiction to pad the idea a bit. Remember, I’m still working my way through The Twilight Zone, and they took on the issues of the day. I think we should save the soapbox for the important issues, but not be afraid to use it.
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I think I get it. You might get further if people don’t even realize you’re on a soapbox?
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I agree. If you just sneak it in, it seems to work better than hitting readers over the head with it.
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Maybe it also makes it help them come to their own conclusion too. As you kind of said, hitting readers over the head with something doesn’t get the best results.
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People will always see what they want to see. If there is an agenda to settle, they may not even read the book, but go off the thinnest perceived slight available to them. If it’s a good story, it’s a good story. I like GRRM because it never feels like he has a message. Every time there is a possible message, he always contradicts it. Because that’s how it generally turns out.
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Interesting. I forgot about how people can do that. One can cherry pick or purposely decipher things to their agenda. Honestly, that shows a level of creativity that makes me wonder why these people don’t write a fiction book.
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I had multiple sensitive topics in Red Clay and Roses. Although, as an author, I stayed neutral, not preachy toward one side or the other. In reviews, I could see that people saw what they wanted to see. There were even a couple of reviews where my neutrality was condemned. Please yourself first.
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Wow. That’s interesting that your own neutrality was condemned. I’m betting you’d be lambasted if you went in either direction too. Just can’t win, so pleasing yourself first is the best path in that situation.
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One reader said the story was weakened because I did not take a stand. She was passionate about it in a very long review. In my mind, the whole point to the story was to present the facts and let the reader make up their own mind. To that ends, I succeeded. I’m pleased with it.
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Some readers have already made up their made, so they look for justification from the author. Honestly, I would prefer reading a book from a neutral corner because it would make me think.
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Reblogged this on The BiaLog.
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Thanks for the reblog.
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My pleasure. It’s an awesome, thought provoking post. 🙂
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Some people will see whatever they want to see, whether it’s a book, a movie, or society in general. As an author or a human bring, we can’t please everyone all of the time. No matter what we try to do, there is always a chance *someone* will be offended. If we start second-guessing plot lines and characters based on what any one person might take offence at, we may as well stop writing.
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I’ve fallen into that mistake once or twice. Trying to please the vocal people and losing the essence of my book. It actually led to me having to rewrite my first book because I listened too much to other people and not really to myself. Guess that’s kind of a goal for people that are taking a stand against an author.
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It’s definitely a tough one. I write lots of different types of people try to remain true to that and/or the time period I’m writing in (I do some time travel stuff). And 99% of people that read/review my stuff never mention anything about being offended. I just can’t see changing everything for the minority that would probably find something to complain about in the most boring, politically correct novel
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I’m guessing that most people either aren’t offended or think they’re way to calming down. As you said, it tends to be a vocal minority in these situations. That 1% can be very loud and make you forget that the other 99% aren’t making a fuss.
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Reblogged this on Dr. Shay West and commented:
Sharing this blog post about sensitive topics in our writing. Have you ever been offended by what an author has written? Did you ever wonder if it was more to do with you than their intent to offend?
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Thanks for the reblog. Excellent question.
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The sad thing is, it seems more and more people look for things to be offended by. I touch on a few topics in my books, but I tend to keep it semi-vague and in a way I hope will make people think instead of giving them a reason to lash out. In the end, I think it’s up to us to continue exploring those ideas. If it makes people uncomfortable, maybe it’s needed sometimes?
Not sure if I made any sense or just rambled. lol
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Makes sense to me. Instead of taking a side, you present the topic by touching on it. You may show what the characters think of it, but the actual reaction of the reader is up to the individual. Sometimes you need to make people uncomfortable to get them to think.
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Exactly. 🙂
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I think as a writer, you need to decide what you’re comfortable with and write that. Personally, I’m happy to write about sensitive subjects because they need to be tackled, but that doesn’t mean everyone should. By all means stay sensitive to criticism, because we all make mistakes, but if you end up tailoring your writing in an attempt to please everyone, you’ll likely end up writing something nobody will want to read.
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Very true. This probably goes for everything even the more mundane stuff.
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Great topic. I know what you mean. I was tempted to include some of the sensitive issues in my novel in the hope of gaining more attention. Then I thought, “I’m doing this, not because I care deeply about this issue, but because I have selfish agenda.” So I agree with those who said to write the story that’s in your heart. So many people have opinions about what they think “should” go in a story. I’d like to see THEM try to write THAT story.
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Interesting internal thought. I wonder how many people take these stands because they want the attention. I’m sure most people believe in the issue they’re talking about, but I guess every group has those that get involved to be seen.
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I would agree that many people believe in whatever hot button topic they discuss in their stories. And more power to them for taking that stand. I, however, reserve the right to avoid taking that same stand if it means being inauthentic.
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Same here. I’d rather be honest and true to what I think than going along with the crowd.
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There’s isn’t anything I can add to what has been said already. I’m finishing up a book now that will certainly have people at my throat. The problem is, the book’s direction has already been laid out long before I even thought of the writing. Books are funny like that. They don’t appreciate the overly-sensitive world we inhabit. They don’t get that one thing will be a “brilliant stroke” to one crowd and a “pitched force to disrespect life” to another.
Books have a story to tell and that story must be released. I tend to be thrilled if people read them. If they are well received, all the better. As I have said before, I’m more of a stenographer than a writer. If my work tends to offend anybody, then they must take it up with my muse…although, she is a nasty little strumpet, especially when she’s gotten into the nip.
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If people are at your throat, then cover it in the spiciest hot sauce you can find. Even if they bite in, they’ll suffer instantly. 😉
Love how you say that books don’t appreciate or even care about our overly sensitive world. We should be more like books.
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I don’t hit hot buttons just for the sake of hitting them. I worry a little about religion and extremism when I write about them but try to keep them in context. Good subject.
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Thanks. Religion seems to be one of the big ones. I think you tackled the extremism part very well in your book.
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Thanks
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I don’t think you can or necessarily always should avoid these topics. There will be people who are easily offended or are constantly looking for things to be offended over so that they can justify their need to complain. All I can say is do what YOU think is right and forget those that take everything personally, this is their problem my friend, not yours. Either way it is a tough thing to deal with, I wish you the best of luck.
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Good advice. There really is no shame in what we do as long as we feel it’s the right thing.
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I was surprised to find some strong opinions in reviews of children’s books, but even parents hold strong views. Sometimes, of things I wouldn’t have thought twice about. Publishing a book is kind of like playing Minesweeper.
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Excellent comparison. Though I was really bad at Minesweeper. I’m curious as to what strong opinions you would find on children’s books. Tempted to look at a few Dr. Seuss ones on Amazon now.
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Check out Purplicious, for example. I loved it, but was surprised by some of the reviews.
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Weird. Seems a lot of people are seeing it as a ‘Pro-Bully’ book. One person called it a how to.
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I thought it helped kids deal with situations they’re likely to encounter in school. My daughter loved it.
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I noticed a lot of the negatives was from parents who read the books before their kids or to their kids, but they don’t mention what their kids thought of it. We do seem to be in a culture where people are more interested in shielding others from certain topics than facing them too. Almost like we want to delay that conversation as long as possible.
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Then someday life happens and we’re totally unprepared…
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Exactly. You can delay it for as long as you want, but it will happen. Wait too long and the subject comes up in the worst way.
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A “taboo subject,” the thing nobody wants to talk about… Is a question begging to be asked. An answer waiting to be sought after. Writers should not only mention the taboo subject, they should base their books on it. Plunge into it, bring up what truth there is to grow in the light.
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True. Though what if the author merely wants to entertain? I haven’t noticed that a lot of people talk as if every book has to touch on a sensitive subject. It has led to some people searching for taboo subjects in books that had no intention of broaching such things. So, what do you think about books that may accidentally bring a taboo into the light? How should an author handle such a thing?
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If you look back at storytelling through the ages, there has seldom been a time when a story was just a story. Aesop told stories with morals. The legend of Cadmus, which I recently covered over at Wyrmflight, drew a connection between Greek city-states all around the Aegean. Mother Goose taught simple social manners so effectively that “she” still appears in Kindergartens today. The 19th and 20th Centuries may have been the first when stories were told purely as entertainment.
If, as you say, an author sets out to tell a simple story and finds more complex material within it, I’d urge them to embrace that. Explore what they’re discovering through the magic of story. See where the path leads. They could end up with a really amazing book.
Or, bail out. Decide clearly that this is not the story you wish to write, and change something in the story so that the taboo subject will not appear. Just realize that your readers will probably see through this and may ask why you danced around such an obvious factor.
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Interesting choices. It is interesting how readers will focus on a taboo part of a story sometimes and ignore other aspects. The author might not see it as a central theme, so being questioned about it is confusing at first. This might be where beta readers come in handy again.
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If someone wants to be offended, they’ll be offended and anyway, what’s taboo to you may not be taboo to me (tiny rhyme there). Is anything taboo anymore?
Ellespeth
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As you said, it depends on the person. I’ve seen people rail against things I find minor while others love stuff that I find wrong.
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I agree…while there may be no subject that is taboo anymore, every subject is open to over-sensitivity.
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And there’s always that one person to take the ‘bait’.
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I think it’s better (for your writing and for your sanity) to make waves than to be afraid to rock the boat. 🙂
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True. Though I do find it odd to do in fantasy fiction. Genre probably plays a factor in the ability.
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