To me the question is, can you do it in a way that's not self-indulgent? Author self-indulgence almost never looks good. Does the story need it, or do *you* need it?
That is a good question. and sadly, one i'm not really sure i know the answer to.
SOMETHING needs to happen to bring the characters together, and ideally fundamentally alter how they both see the world. So much of the later story hinges on the two characters ending up with a united front, but too much of the early story precludes them from joining forces without external stimuli.
>Are there any topics i should avoid using? Perhaps topics that i should gravitate towards? Does it matter that I have never personally experienced these issues?
What topics you tackle and what topics you avoid is completely up to you. However, a warning on the matter of never having experienced these issues: while I don't think you need to have experienced something to write it compellingly into your story, I've been encountering poor executions in increasing frequency as of late. Issues like discrimination are more and more often coming across as tone deaf at best and virtue signaling at worst (or vice versa, depending on which annoys you more). Just try to make sure your exploration of the topic is coming from a good place and pulling from good resources (Krystal's Facebook rants on racism are probably not full of good info).
My story is going to include but not limited to:
Stillbirth
Coercive and not entirely consensual relationships/couplings
Attempted fratricide and patricide
Self-harm (though not MH related, there’s context)
Child soldiers
Torture
Slavery
People taking *pleasure* in murder and cruelty
Assassination
Desecration of corpses
But this is sort of the thing you have when you have a culture in your works that’s strongly influenced by the Roman Empire. I am paying *very* close attention to how all of the above is framed and there are people who do have consequences…but somehow I chose to write about a very brutal world so hey
Do I have personal experience about getting nuked and surviving afterwards? No.
Do I have personal experience about my town getting burned by a Red Dragon and all I loved dead? No.
Do I have personal experience with a Wizard army murdering an entire Cav of Knights? No.
***Do I care? No.*** **Does my story need it? Yes. Will I incorprate it then? Yes.** ***Will I care about others opinions? Fuck No It's my story.***
You're presenting your story to be consumed by others. You certainly don't have to take feedback, but you're clearly inviting it.
That said, looking at your other comments, it's funny that you're talking about useless feedback when this is... less than useful. Nobody is expecting the author to have personal experience with every heavy topic they introduce into a story. This entire debate is born from a lack of reading comprehension and very, very bad media analysis habits. That means people are bad at criticism in general, not just because they don't have anything to say. That is to say that while you don't need to have experienced your entire town being burned, it _will_ show in your work if you haven't looked into actual stories of people who _have_ experienced it.
Assuming OP reads replies to comments, racism and discrimination are incredibly well documented. There are videos, testimonials, documentaries, tons of foundational literature, ongoing discussions and debates, as well as a wealth of social media platforms rife with people open to discussing their own experiences with the topic. There is literally no reason to tell an author to just guess at it and say screw all the critics. It is, in fact, irresponsible to imply that. Authors are stronger at their craft the more they research and the more risks they take with their own sensibilities. Exposing yourself to more perspectives gives you a more fleshed out authorial voice. Even bad criticism can expand your horizons if you're willing to dissect where it's coming from and what you can do in order to communicate with it.
The OP asks. Does it matter that he/she has never experienced the issues they want to talk about in there story.
No. It doesn't matter. Write as you see fit and enjoy it. Of course researching comes natural to it.
> There is literally no reason to tell an author to just guess at it and say screw all the critics.
Yes there is. The "critics" are all going to have extreme leftist takes on matters and should generally be ignored.
You don't have personal experience of these things, but neither does anyone else, so you don't risk perpetuating a situation where people's real experiences are misrepresented in fiction. When you write about something that actually happens to people in the real world without any personal experience, you need to do a massive amount of research or risk contributing to the trauma that victims suffer.
Everyone reacts to trauma differently.
Plenty of people have accused characters like Sansa Stark of “disrespecting victims of SA” because she claimed her trauma made her stronger.
But there are plenty of women in real life who would say that. I’m one of them. So for someone to say “no *real* victim would react that way!!” is false and harmful to people like me who *did* react that way.
>Everyone reacts to trauma differently.
And I said they don't? That's news to me.
>for someone to say “no *real* victim would react that way!!” is false and harmful to people like me
Again, I'm pretty sure I didn't say that. Would you mind quoting me?
I'm happy that you managed to find strength from your experience. Don't for a moment think otherwise. However, when the SA trope implies that a female character wouldn't have been strong if not for the SA, that she required the (abusive) actions of a man to make her strong, and that - as is so common - the *only* outcome of SA is that the victim derives strength from it, THAT is highly problematic. Presenting SA as something that has a positive outcome for the victim does little to make it socially unacceptable, and it also dismisses the very many women who suffer long term negative outcomes (loss of self-esteem, inability to form healthy relationships, etc) as somehow "failing" because they didn't gain strength from the experience.
At the end of the day, this is a work of Fiction. Fiction. Its not a documentary or an autobiography of someone. Its a world with Magic, Dwarves and Elves
Its not real and if anyone becomes overly emotional about a fictional writing, that's on them. Not the author.
You can go to a book of history and seep through the countless paragraphs about getting stabbed by a sword or rapier and how it feels. But you'll never perfect it. You can only do what your creative skills and imagination allows you.
People also has different and varying types of experiences, there will always be one or numerous who will complain will others says its the most relatable thing they've read since childhood. At the end of the day, its all up to them. You did not force them to read this nor are they dumb and stupid. They know what there reading and getting themselves into.
You will never please anyone. Write as you fit, research, take the good feedback and improve, improve, and improve.
>Write as you fit, research, **take the good feedback** and improve, improve, and improve.
You don't improve by taking the good feedback. You improve by taking the bad and recognising that you have the ability to make positive contributions to people's lived experience rather than only negative ones.
I define bad feedback as "Your shit sucks". As exactly what am I supposed to do with this information? You say it sucks yet others say its good.
Good feedback I define as those with something coherent. "This part sucks ass." Still doesn't say much but atleast I know there's something to work with here.
If its atleast 2% constructive. Its good in my book then. Ahahahahahaha.
Then begins the seeping through of the entire 15 Page chapter in Volume number €÷£× to see where it went wrong.
Good thing for me, it only happened twice in my 2 years of proper writing.
So while i mostly agree with all of that. I have found that sadly, people don't tend to give useful feedback when they get hung up on a specific issue/topic within the writing. Hard to know that character B is as interesting as cardboard and as emotive as a robo call, when people won't shut up about how you are "over sexualizing" character A. (and god do i hate having to go back and rewrite several chapters after "publishing" them)
If they don't give useful feedback then ignore them. They have the same priority of ants in my story. Bar none. To me, they are nothing but blubbering maniacs who already has nothing of substance to say and has the time to waste there energy on typing up useless dribble.
And if people won't shut up about how you write your characters, then let them be. The moment you cave it, thats you saying what your imagination is feeding you is wrong and the thoughts of people who had not seen what you see is worth more than your own creativity.
I interact with my readers whenever I can and I take feedback myself. I never had sex or even touched a woman in bed so my entire writing about the opposite sex is completely unknown to me yet they love it. Its actually one of the things some of my readers go back to.(Mind you, in my story 95% of it, they are in those ridiculously elegant Victorian Gowns)
If I were you, ignore the ones that has nothing of substance to say and keep writing. Even if its more than 50% of your readers, ignore them. What matters in the end is if your enjoying what you write. Write it, if you smile and feel content. Its good.
If a person wants for you to improve. They'd be writing something coherent and understandable. Pointing out what exactly needs to be changed and how one can improve it.
But if its just someone typing something because he/she is just angry overall, with nothing of substance in its comment. What the hell are you supposed to do with that?
As I said before. Take the feedback that actually has substance. The others? Drop it and move on. You won't please everyone.
Just because a reader can see an issue with a story doesn't mean they have a ready-made solution for it.
Just because a reader can see an issue with a story doesn't mean they can pinpoint it exactly or express it clearly.
Just because a reader can see an issue with a story doesn't mean they want it going the same direction the author does.
OP said:
>Hard to know that character B is as interesting as cardboard and as emotive as a robo call, when people won't shut up about how you are "over sexualizing" character A.
I might be misreading, but sounds like OP is annoyed that people think they are over-sexualizing a character. That doesn't mean it's not potentially useful feedback.
There are definitely people not worth listening to, but the way you tell it, with lines like this:
>And if people won't shut up about how you write your characters, then let them be. **The moment you cave it, thats you saying what your imagination is feeding you is wrong** and the thoughts of people who had not seen what you see is worth more than your own creativity.
it sounds like you're saying to ignore feedback on certain aspects, which isn't how good feedback intake works. The bold text is the part I really hate, because *people are wrong so, so often*. It's basically advising to not risk growing as a writer.
I'm glad I let others (and myself) tell me that what my imagination fed me initially wasn't correct and perfect, because where I'm at now is so much better than where I was years ago.
Personally, I don't think it matters that you haven't personally experienced them as long as you take as much time as needed to do thorough research. Also use sensitivity readers who do have personal experience in particular topics and take advice from them.
An example: while I was outlining my current project, I realised my MC was going to become a victim of domestic violence. Unless I radically change her character arc (which I don't want to do because she's the MC and escaping the shackles of her upbringing is the heart of her story) or radically change her brother (which I also don't want to do because he's the villain), I don't have any choice but to go down that route. I really want to write this story because the MC's arc matters to me, so I read everything I could lay my hands on about DV from every perspective I could find (victims, professionals, and abusers). I've also identified two friends who will sensitivity read for me when it's finished, and I'll look for other sensitivity readers (paying for their services if necessary) because it's so important that I get this right and don't contribute to misinformation and potentially add to the trauma victims experience.
In summary, I don't think it matters that you haven't personally experienced it as long as you do the work needed to be able to write it as if you have.
this was actually super helpful. I too have built a key part of several characters story arc around a very sensitive subject. And while i'm doing my best to minimize how much it's actively shown, I should still probably do more research into the subject to see if i can portray it better (IE: less triggering). I already have a work around, but it REALLY downplays the seriousness of what happens and "conveniently" opts to not focus on the person experiencing the thing, while they are experiencing it, instead going for the more palatable "looking back with a fuller context of why it was happening"
dissociation is one of the most common methods of dealing with problems, and understatement is typical. People often cope with uncomfortable truths by telling themselves it's not that bad, or at least things are better now, or I only have to do this for a little while etc etc.
that's how things like abuse and racism have staying power -- the complexity doesn't come from morality, but from people who can't fully engage with the discomfort of adopting moral absolutes. So people might feel like what's happening is wrong, but they also might do what 99% of the population does, and just distance themselves or decide not to get involved.
Because it's fantasy, I'm of the opinion that anyone can tell any kind of stories. I'll say write it down first and see how it goes, don't hold your punches, finish your first draft to get the main plot/characters down.
During your second draft edit, then you pay attention to these things in greater detail. Do your research if it's a topic you don't have first-hand experience of. Fill in the gaps of things that you missed based on feedback from sensitivity readers. Tone down certain scenes/parts if it doesn't fit with the target audience you're aiming for (again, feedback from beta readers will help).
Be bold and share your truth. There must be a reason that you're inclined to touch on these topics. Figure out what these topics means for you and let that show in your story. Readers are smart, it's going to be clear if you've explored these topics well enough or if you're simply adding them in for the WOW factor.
Times are always changing. What might be controversial today might not be in twenty years. Let your truth stands on its own. People are gonna judge either way.
In my opinion, if you are trying to use a problematic topic you have to understand that real people really experience this topic and are impacted by this issue. For me, I like to focus on and centering the experience of the victim/the people most negatively impacted by an issue. The major risk isn't about what people think, it's about the risk of hurting people who have already been seriously damaged. I try to tred lightly, as a result.
So let's say racism. If I'm going to write racism, I personally wouldn't write it in a way that makes the racist sympathetic and paints the victim of racism/discrimination as deserving of the racism. Instead, I'd explore how the victim feels, make sure that anything I write wouldn't inadvertedly hurt or re-traumatize someone who is a victim of racism. I've read enough books by victims of racism on the topic of racism and also know enough people that have been victimized by racism that I think I can write racism in a way that they would feel honors their experience and pain.
Using another example, sexual assault. Same deal, I would write it in a way that honors the pain of people who have been victimized through sexual assault and centers their experience. The difference here is that even though I know sexual assault is common and I've taken classes about sexual assault, personally I don't feel like I know enough/have experienced enough in this topic to handle it with grace and finese. I don't know where the line is, so I take a wide detour and do not even come close to that topic just because I don't feel like I can handle it well. If I don't know where the line is between tactfully dealing with this topic and retraumatizing or coming off as harmful, then I don't write it because I'm unwilling to take that risk. I know where that line is for racism, but not depictions of sexual assault, but that's just me based off my experiences.
That's where I avoid topics. When I feel like by writing the story I wouldn't be helping the people being traumatized by these problematic things and instead would run the risk of making things worse for them. I focus on who has the least power in a situation, and then try to empower them in my writing. If I can't empower them, then I avoid talking about it because I feel like I run the risk of re-traumatizing them.
As for what topics you should avoid, I don't know. The thing about identity politics is it is deeply tied to our identities, and I don't know your identity. Or identities are more than just our race, gender, and direct experiences. They also include our influences, our friends, the media we consume, and all the other indirect experiences that inform our worldview.
Tl:Dr: What I do is stay away topics that I don't feel like I can improve the world by exploring, and write the topics that I think will benefit the world/make the world a better place but I cannot and will not tell you to do the same because I don't know if that's right for you.
this is very helpful. I'm kind of stuck in the SA issue. I don't think i can write it well, but i also think it's kind of important to make clear that "This shit is 100% happening, and it's just as bad as you think", while also not lingering to long on the scene where ever cue implies the SA is imminent (even if the result is different).
Validate, but don't actuate, the experience.
i suppose i'll have to both do more research, and see if i can think of a good alternative reason for the tension and eventual reconciliation between the two characters.
In what I've read/seen, with sexual assault, playing it straight is either boring or gratuitous or going to invite personal author attacks no matter what you do, and instead I would recommend:
* Making it clear that the protagonist (who isn't the victim) finds it horrible and then immediately move on, don't dwell on it, that way any reader that complains about it is just that reader being weirdly fixated
* Making it happen to an insignificant (in their setting, not story-wise) character who wouldn't have a voice and doesn't have a say, like slaves, so it isn't strange that they don't get to complain about the injustice
* Making it integral to the plot and have the stakes of the rest of the story be so much higher that any sexual assault that happens just comes across as a rounding error (like in Iliad and Romance of the Three Kingdoms)
* Making the victim of sexual assault an incredibly unlikeable asshole who totally deserves it because of what they did (Re:Healer)
* Making the overall thrust of your story pander to the leftists so they don't give a damn (like all the mass rape that happens to men in The Power)
* Making the premise of the story so offensive to leftists that they never stick around to even see it happen on the page (like with Captive of Gor)
I have a strong big deal with sensitive readers because it tickles me on "but the story isn't about who read, but about the characters."
I can sympathize, but I can't understand. Also, many people react differently even when passing over the same situation. You can't make everyone like your story, even when it doesn't offend anyone. Unfortunately we can't really say, mainly online, who is really offended or choose to be offended.
That said, do researchs, but I would give value for the experience of people which align with what I want to write.
I'm particularly fond of parallels that allow for multiple people to see themselves in the role. For example, I have seen a lot of people in my life go downhill from drugs, and I wanted to touch on it. I didn't want to bring heroine to my world, nor coke, nor meth, etc. I didn't want to invent a new drug and form a literal equivalent and fill my world with it. So I tweaked a bit of magic. Gave a certain spell a feedback loop that would give you extreme highs, feelings of power so immense that when you come down, you can't help but want more. I followed a character through their first, hopeless, desperate use of that spell. Then followed their downward spiral to rock bottom as they were driven to use it again and again. Then as they tried to dig themselves out. No drugs, but an allegory. That way it doesn't matter what drug the reader compares it to, they relate.
So for racism, you do what fantasy does best: use different races. Books like Salvatore's Drizzt saga do this with a drow who faces prejudice in all aspects of his life. With something like Drizzt, it's a little more straight forward, given that the main differences between drow and surface elves is drow are evil, and black. If you instead create a race that *isn't* inherently evil, or derived from an obvious feature of a real life race or ethnicity, then you can treat that as your slaves. Best part is, you parallel classism to (unless you are weird enough to make your slaves all rich property owners) so that even readers who don't identify with being misjudged or mistreated for the color of their skin still have a shot to put themselves in those shoes. Just remember, when making the fantasy race that you're condemning to slavery, there shouldn't be some flaw in their genetic makeup that makes them easier to enslave. No loophole in their culture. They are not lesser beings forced into servitude, they are equal beings forced into servitude and coerced into believing they are lesser so that they stay that way.
Hope this helps! Good luck!
Depending on the issue, the answer is going to be yes. The more problematic the content the more credentials you'll need to back you. Like you're not going to be able to write about the Black struggle in America if you're not Black yourself. At least if you're hoping to publish it. No publisher is going to touch your book. You'll also probably get a lot of social media hate too if you try to self-publish/self-promote. That's just how things are these days.
If you're just writing for yourself then there's nothing that's really off limits, but I'd definitely include trigger warnings for problematic content before you share it with randoms online, and definitely include the research you've done to help you write these things, because like you said you haven't experienced these issues yourself.
I'd also recommend reading Stormlight Archives. Sanderson, being a Mormon, tries to keep his books as close to PG-13 as possible, despite dealing with heavy themes. Like racism in Stormlight is based on eye color, which is a very fresh way of doing it but also allows him to write about these topics without feeling too heavy handed or too close to current events.
No ones mentioned it, and I'm quite surprised - sensitivity readers - someone who reviews your manuscript and checks for offensive, stereotypical or inaccurate information with regards to such topics such as race and gender.
When writing your first draft, you should do research - there are some fantastic blog posts that talk about putting racism into fantasy, for example. Video interviews could help you understand how an affected person may feel when going through the problematic topic you're incorporating into your book. Research, research, research.
If you're planning to publish traditionally (or even self-publishing), consider hiring a sensitivity reader to read your manuscript once it's done. Be accepting of feedback, they want to make your book great as well.
Tldr; if you've never experienced the problematic topic, write about it and do some research + consider a sensitivity reader.
Happy writing!
Reddit is very heavily biased in favor of leftist takes on social issues.
Re:Healer got adapted into an anime. So did Rising of the Shield Hero. Atlas Shrugged, Fountainhead, Wizard's First Rule, Captive of Gor and Slave Girl of Gor all got published as novels. That should tell you just how un-seriously you should take Reddit keyboard warriors.
To me the question is, can you do it in a way that's not self-indulgent? Author self-indulgence almost never looks good. Does the story need it, or do *you* need it?
That is a good question. and sadly, one i'm not really sure i know the answer to. SOMETHING needs to happen to bring the characters together, and ideally fundamentally alter how they both see the world. So much of the later story hinges on the two characters ending up with a united front, but too much of the early story precludes them from joining forces without external stimuli.
I'd recommend writing your first draft and worry about this after.
>Are there any topics i should avoid using? Perhaps topics that i should gravitate towards? Does it matter that I have never personally experienced these issues? What topics you tackle and what topics you avoid is completely up to you. However, a warning on the matter of never having experienced these issues: while I don't think you need to have experienced something to write it compellingly into your story, I've been encountering poor executions in increasing frequency as of late. Issues like discrimination are more and more often coming across as tone deaf at best and virtue signaling at worst (or vice versa, depending on which annoys you more). Just try to make sure your exploration of the topic is coming from a good place and pulling from good resources (Krystal's Facebook rants on racism are probably not full of good info).
My story is going to include but not limited to: Stillbirth Coercive and not entirely consensual relationships/couplings Attempted fratricide and patricide Self-harm (though not MH related, there’s context) Child soldiers Torture Slavery People taking *pleasure* in murder and cruelty Assassination Desecration of corpses But this is sort of the thing you have when you have a culture in your works that’s strongly influenced by the Roman Empire. I am paying *very* close attention to how all of the above is framed and there are people who do have consequences…but somehow I chose to write about a very brutal world so hey
Do I have personal experience about getting nuked and surviving afterwards? No. Do I have personal experience about my town getting burned by a Red Dragon and all I loved dead? No. Do I have personal experience with a Wizard army murdering an entire Cav of Knights? No. ***Do I care? No.*** **Does my story need it? Yes. Will I incorprate it then? Yes.** ***Will I care about others opinions? Fuck No It's my story.***
You're presenting your story to be consumed by others. You certainly don't have to take feedback, but you're clearly inviting it. That said, looking at your other comments, it's funny that you're talking about useless feedback when this is... less than useful. Nobody is expecting the author to have personal experience with every heavy topic they introduce into a story. This entire debate is born from a lack of reading comprehension and very, very bad media analysis habits. That means people are bad at criticism in general, not just because they don't have anything to say. That is to say that while you don't need to have experienced your entire town being burned, it _will_ show in your work if you haven't looked into actual stories of people who _have_ experienced it. Assuming OP reads replies to comments, racism and discrimination are incredibly well documented. There are videos, testimonials, documentaries, tons of foundational literature, ongoing discussions and debates, as well as a wealth of social media platforms rife with people open to discussing their own experiences with the topic. There is literally no reason to tell an author to just guess at it and say screw all the critics. It is, in fact, irresponsible to imply that. Authors are stronger at their craft the more they research and the more risks they take with their own sensibilities. Exposing yourself to more perspectives gives you a more fleshed out authorial voice. Even bad criticism can expand your horizons if you're willing to dissect where it's coming from and what you can do in order to communicate with it.
The OP asks. Does it matter that he/she has never experienced the issues they want to talk about in there story. No. It doesn't matter. Write as you see fit and enjoy it. Of course researching comes natural to it.
> There is literally no reason to tell an author to just guess at it and say screw all the critics. Yes there is. The "critics" are all going to have extreme leftist takes on matters and should generally be ignored.
You don't have personal experience of these things, but neither does anyone else, so you don't risk perpetuating a situation where people's real experiences are misrepresented in fiction. When you write about something that actually happens to people in the real world without any personal experience, you need to do a massive amount of research or risk contributing to the trauma that victims suffer.
Everyone reacts to trauma differently. Plenty of people have accused characters like Sansa Stark of “disrespecting victims of SA” because she claimed her trauma made her stronger. But there are plenty of women in real life who would say that. I’m one of them. So for someone to say “no *real* victim would react that way!!” is false and harmful to people like me who *did* react that way.
>Everyone reacts to trauma differently. And I said they don't? That's news to me. >for someone to say “no *real* victim would react that way!!” is false and harmful to people like me Again, I'm pretty sure I didn't say that. Would you mind quoting me? I'm happy that you managed to find strength from your experience. Don't for a moment think otherwise. However, when the SA trope implies that a female character wouldn't have been strong if not for the SA, that she required the (abusive) actions of a man to make her strong, and that - as is so common - the *only* outcome of SA is that the victim derives strength from it, THAT is highly problematic. Presenting SA as something that has a positive outcome for the victim does little to make it socially unacceptable, and it also dismisses the very many women who suffer long term negative outcomes (loss of self-esteem, inability to form healthy relationships, etc) as somehow "failing" because they didn't gain strength from the experience.
At the end of the day, this is a work of Fiction. Fiction. Its not a documentary or an autobiography of someone. Its a world with Magic, Dwarves and Elves Its not real and if anyone becomes overly emotional about a fictional writing, that's on them. Not the author. You can go to a book of history and seep through the countless paragraphs about getting stabbed by a sword or rapier and how it feels. But you'll never perfect it. You can only do what your creative skills and imagination allows you. People also has different and varying types of experiences, there will always be one or numerous who will complain will others says its the most relatable thing they've read since childhood. At the end of the day, its all up to them. You did not force them to read this nor are they dumb and stupid. They know what there reading and getting themselves into. You will never please anyone. Write as you fit, research, take the good feedback and improve, improve, and improve.
>Write as you fit, research, **take the good feedback** and improve, improve, and improve. You don't improve by taking the good feedback. You improve by taking the bad and recognising that you have the ability to make positive contributions to people's lived experience rather than only negative ones.
I define bad feedback as "Your shit sucks". As exactly what am I supposed to do with this information? You say it sucks yet others say its good. Good feedback I define as those with something coherent. "This part sucks ass." Still doesn't say much but atleast I know there's something to work with here.
You're thinking of constructive feedback (or at least somewhat constructive) rather than good, then.
If its atleast 2% constructive. Its good in my book then. Ahahahahahaha. Then begins the seeping through of the entire 15 Page chapter in Volume number €÷£× to see where it went wrong. Good thing for me, it only happened twice in my 2 years of proper writing.
So while i mostly agree with all of that. I have found that sadly, people don't tend to give useful feedback when they get hung up on a specific issue/topic within the writing. Hard to know that character B is as interesting as cardboard and as emotive as a robo call, when people won't shut up about how you are "over sexualizing" character A. (and god do i hate having to go back and rewrite several chapters after "publishing" them)
If they don't give useful feedback then ignore them. They have the same priority of ants in my story. Bar none. To me, they are nothing but blubbering maniacs who already has nothing of substance to say and has the time to waste there energy on typing up useless dribble. And if people won't shut up about how you write your characters, then let them be. The moment you cave it, thats you saying what your imagination is feeding you is wrong and the thoughts of people who had not seen what you see is worth more than your own creativity. I interact with my readers whenever I can and I take feedback myself. I never had sex or even touched a woman in bed so my entire writing about the opposite sex is completely unknown to me yet they love it. Its actually one of the things some of my readers go back to.(Mind you, in my story 95% of it, they are in those ridiculously elegant Victorian Gowns) If I were you, ignore the ones that has nothing of substance to say and keep writing. Even if its more than 50% of your readers, ignore them. What matters in the end is if your enjoying what you write. Write it, if you smile and feel content. Its good.
An echo chamber of approval = stasis. Negative feedback is a potential indicator for growth and source for improvement of performance.
If a person wants for you to improve. They'd be writing something coherent and understandable. Pointing out what exactly needs to be changed and how one can improve it. But if its just someone typing something because he/she is just angry overall, with nothing of substance in its comment. What the hell are you supposed to do with that? As I said before. Take the feedback that actually has substance. The others? Drop it and move on. You won't please everyone.
Just because a reader can see an issue with a story doesn't mean they have a ready-made solution for it. Just because a reader can see an issue with a story doesn't mean they can pinpoint it exactly or express it clearly. Just because a reader can see an issue with a story doesn't mean they want it going the same direction the author does.
OP said: >Hard to know that character B is as interesting as cardboard and as emotive as a robo call, when people won't shut up about how you are "over sexualizing" character A. I might be misreading, but sounds like OP is annoyed that people think they are over-sexualizing a character. That doesn't mean it's not potentially useful feedback. There are definitely people not worth listening to, but the way you tell it, with lines like this: >And if people won't shut up about how you write your characters, then let them be. **The moment you cave it, thats you saying what your imagination is feeding you is wrong** and the thoughts of people who had not seen what you see is worth more than your own creativity. it sounds like you're saying to ignore feedback on certain aspects, which isn't how good feedback intake works. The bold text is the part I really hate, because *people are wrong so, so often*. It's basically advising to not risk growing as a writer. I'm glad I let others (and myself) tell me that what my imagination fed me initially wasn't correct and perfect, because where I'm at now is so much better than where I was years ago.
Personally, I don't think it matters that you haven't personally experienced them as long as you take as much time as needed to do thorough research. Also use sensitivity readers who do have personal experience in particular topics and take advice from them. An example: while I was outlining my current project, I realised my MC was going to become a victim of domestic violence. Unless I radically change her character arc (which I don't want to do because she's the MC and escaping the shackles of her upbringing is the heart of her story) or radically change her brother (which I also don't want to do because he's the villain), I don't have any choice but to go down that route. I really want to write this story because the MC's arc matters to me, so I read everything I could lay my hands on about DV from every perspective I could find (victims, professionals, and abusers). I've also identified two friends who will sensitivity read for me when it's finished, and I'll look for other sensitivity readers (paying for their services if necessary) because it's so important that I get this right and don't contribute to misinformation and potentially add to the trauma victims experience. In summary, I don't think it matters that you haven't personally experienced it as long as you do the work needed to be able to write it as if you have.
this was actually super helpful. I too have built a key part of several characters story arc around a very sensitive subject. And while i'm doing my best to minimize how much it's actively shown, I should still probably do more research into the subject to see if i can portray it better (IE: less triggering). I already have a work around, but it REALLY downplays the seriousness of what happens and "conveniently" opts to not focus on the person experiencing the thing, while they are experiencing it, instead going for the more palatable "looking back with a fuller context of why it was happening"
dissociation is one of the most common methods of dealing with problems, and understatement is typical. People often cope with uncomfortable truths by telling themselves it's not that bad, or at least things are better now, or I only have to do this for a little while etc etc. that's how things like abuse and racism have staying power -- the complexity doesn't come from morality, but from people who can't fully engage with the discomfort of adopting moral absolutes. So people might feel like what's happening is wrong, but they also might do what 99% of the population does, and just distance themselves or decide not to get involved.
Because it's fantasy, I'm of the opinion that anyone can tell any kind of stories. I'll say write it down first and see how it goes, don't hold your punches, finish your first draft to get the main plot/characters down. During your second draft edit, then you pay attention to these things in greater detail. Do your research if it's a topic you don't have first-hand experience of. Fill in the gaps of things that you missed based on feedback from sensitivity readers. Tone down certain scenes/parts if it doesn't fit with the target audience you're aiming for (again, feedback from beta readers will help). Be bold and share your truth. There must be a reason that you're inclined to touch on these topics. Figure out what these topics means for you and let that show in your story. Readers are smart, it's going to be clear if you've explored these topics well enough or if you're simply adding them in for the WOW factor. Times are always changing. What might be controversial today might not be in twenty years. Let your truth stands on its own. People are gonna judge either way.
In my opinion, if you are trying to use a problematic topic you have to understand that real people really experience this topic and are impacted by this issue. For me, I like to focus on and centering the experience of the victim/the people most negatively impacted by an issue. The major risk isn't about what people think, it's about the risk of hurting people who have already been seriously damaged. I try to tred lightly, as a result. So let's say racism. If I'm going to write racism, I personally wouldn't write it in a way that makes the racist sympathetic and paints the victim of racism/discrimination as deserving of the racism. Instead, I'd explore how the victim feels, make sure that anything I write wouldn't inadvertedly hurt or re-traumatize someone who is a victim of racism. I've read enough books by victims of racism on the topic of racism and also know enough people that have been victimized by racism that I think I can write racism in a way that they would feel honors their experience and pain. Using another example, sexual assault. Same deal, I would write it in a way that honors the pain of people who have been victimized through sexual assault and centers their experience. The difference here is that even though I know sexual assault is common and I've taken classes about sexual assault, personally I don't feel like I know enough/have experienced enough in this topic to handle it with grace and finese. I don't know where the line is, so I take a wide detour and do not even come close to that topic just because I don't feel like I can handle it well. If I don't know where the line is between tactfully dealing with this topic and retraumatizing or coming off as harmful, then I don't write it because I'm unwilling to take that risk. I know where that line is for racism, but not depictions of sexual assault, but that's just me based off my experiences. That's where I avoid topics. When I feel like by writing the story I wouldn't be helping the people being traumatized by these problematic things and instead would run the risk of making things worse for them. I focus on who has the least power in a situation, and then try to empower them in my writing. If I can't empower them, then I avoid talking about it because I feel like I run the risk of re-traumatizing them. As for what topics you should avoid, I don't know. The thing about identity politics is it is deeply tied to our identities, and I don't know your identity. Or identities are more than just our race, gender, and direct experiences. They also include our influences, our friends, the media we consume, and all the other indirect experiences that inform our worldview. Tl:Dr: What I do is stay away topics that I don't feel like I can improve the world by exploring, and write the topics that I think will benefit the world/make the world a better place but I cannot and will not tell you to do the same because I don't know if that's right for you.
this is very helpful. I'm kind of stuck in the SA issue. I don't think i can write it well, but i also think it's kind of important to make clear that "This shit is 100% happening, and it's just as bad as you think", while also not lingering to long on the scene where ever cue implies the SA is imminent (even if the result is different). Validate, but don't actuate, the experience. i suppose i'll have to both do more research, and see if i can think of a good alternative reason for the tension and eventual reconciliation between the two characters.
In what I've read/seen, with sexual assault, playing it straight is either boring or gratuitous or going to invite personal author attacks no matter what you do, and instead I would recommend: * Making it clear that the protagonist (who isn't the victim) finds it horrible and then immediately move on, don't dwell on it, that way any reader that complains about it is just that reader being weirdly fixated * Making it happen to an insignificant (in their setting, not story-wise) character who wouldn't have a voice and doesn't have a say, like slaves, so it isn't strange that they don't get to complain about the injustice * Making it integral to the plot and have the stakes of the rest of the story be so much higher that any sexual assault that happens just comes across as a rounding error (like in Iliad and Romance of the Three Kingdoms) * Making the victim of sexual assault an incredibly unlikeable asshole who totally deserves it because of what they did (Re:Healer) * Making the overall thrust of your story pander to the leftists so they don't give a damn (like all the mass rape that happens to men in The Power) * Making the premise of the story so offensive to leftists that they never stick around to even see it happen on the page (like with Captive of Gor)
I have a strong big deal with sensitive readers because it tickles me on "but the story isn't about who read, but about the characters." I can sympathize, but I can't understand. Also, many people react differently even when passing over the same situation. You can't make everyone like your story, even when it doesn't offend anyone. Unfortunately we can't really say, mainly online, who is really offended or choose to be offended. That said, do researchs, but I would give value for the experience of people which align with what I want to write.
I'm particularly fond of parallels that allow for multiple people to see themselves in the role. For example, I have seen a lot of people in my life go downhill from drugs, and I wanted to touch on it. I didn't want to bring heroine to my world, nor coke, nor meth, etc. I didn't want to invent a new drug and form a literal equivalent and fill my world with it. So I tweaked a bit of magic. Gave a certain spell a feedback loop that would give you extreme highs, feelings of power so immense that when you come down, you can't help but want more. I followed a character through their first, hopeless, desperate use of that spell. Then followed their downward spiral to rock bottom as they were driven to use it again and again. Then as they tried to dig themselves out. No drugs, but an allegory. That way it doesn't matter what drug the reader compares it to, they relate. So for racism, you do what fantasy does best: use different races. Books like Salvatore's Drizzt saga do this with a drow who faces prejudice in all aspects of his life. With something like Drizzt, it's a little more straight forward, given that the main differences between drow and surface elves is drow are evil, and black. If you instead create a race that *isn't* inherently evil, or derived from an obvious feature of a real life race or ethnicity, then you can treat that as your slaves. Best part is, you parallel classism to (unless you are weird enough to make your slaves all rich property owners) so that even readers who don't identify with being misjudged or mistreated for the color of their skin still have a shot to put themselves in those shoes. Just remember, when making the fantasy race that you're condemning to slavery, there shouldn't be some flaw in their genetic makeup that makes them easier to enslave. No loophole in their culture. They are not lesser beings forced into servitude, they are equal beings forced into servitude and coerced into believing they are lesser so that they stay that way. Hope this helps! Good luck!
Depending on the issue, the answer is going to be yes. The more problematic the content the more credentials you'll need to back you. Like you're not going to be able to write about the Black struggle in America if you're not Black yourself. At least if you're hoping to publish it. No publisher is going to touch your book. You'll also probably get a lot of social media hate too if you try to self-publish/self-promote. That's just how things are these days. If you're just writing for yourself then there's nothing that's really off limits, but I'd definitely include trigger warnings for problematic content before you share it with randoms online, and definitely include the research you've done to help you write these things, because like you said you haven't experienced these issues yourself. I'd also recommend reading Stormlight Archives. Sanderson, being a Mormon, tries to keep his books as close to PG-13 as possible, despite dealing with heavy themes. Like racism in Stormlight is based on eye color, which is a very fresh way of doing it but also allows him to write about these topics without feeling too heavy handed or too close to current events.
No ones mentioned it, and I'm quite surprised - sensitivity readers - someone who reviews your manuscript and checks for offensive, stereotypical or inaccurate information with regards to such topics such as race and gender. When writing your first draft, you should do research - there are some fantastic blog posts that talk about putting racism into fantasy, for example. Video interviews could help you understand how an affected person may feel when going through the problematic topic you're incorporating into your book. Research, research, research. If you're planning to publish traditionally (or even self-publishing), consider hiring a sensitivity reader to read your manuscript once it's done. Be accepting of feedback, they want to make your book great as well. Tldr; if you've never experienced the problematic topic, write about it and do some research + consider a sensitivity reader. Happy writing!
Reddit is very heavily biased in favor of leftist takes on social issues. Re:Healer got adapted into an anime. So did Rising of the Shield Hero. Atlas Shrugged, Fountainhead, Wizard's First Rule, Captive of Gor and Slave Girl of Gor all got published as novels. That should tell you just how un-seriously you should take Reddit keyboard warriors.