Spelling, punctuation, and grammar - the bane of many a writer's existence. They're so basic and so complicated, and they can make the difference between a good story and a great story. Why do there have to be so many rules? Why are there so many ex...
Everybody has something they won't read, and their reasons are their own. For some people, they just don't like certain types of content. Maybe they find it offensive. For others, they have mental or emotional problems that certain types of content can trigger. Do you really think a rape victim wants to read a book where a character gets raped? Maybe after she's had some time and counseling to heal from her past, she can handle that kind of stuff, but maybe not. I don't want to be the person who sends another person into a mental or emotional crisis because I didn't think to put a simple warning at the beginning of my book, and I hope nobody else wants that, either.
There are other writing platforms that have pre-generated lists of content and trigger warnings for you to select when you first post your story, and I really wish Wattpad had something like that. Some lists are really detailed, and some are pretty general. Then there are gradations—is it mild or intense violence? Moderate, infrequent swearing, or do your characters drop the f-bomb every other word? Is the rape shown, or just mentioned? And is there even a difference between content and trigger warnings? Do you have to list absolutely everything that anybody could possibly take offense to?
This is just my opinion, but I think there is a difference between content and trigger warnings. Content warnings are for topics that some readers may view as offensive or they just don't like them, while trigger warnings are for topics that may negatively impact the mental, physical, or emotional health of a reader.
Content warnings. There are some things I'd always recommend noting, and some that may not be that important. For example, I think most people appreciate warnings about things like profane language or explicit sexual content, but a warning about a romantic relationship with a large age gap may not be as important (although this is a make-or-break issue for some romance readers). Listen to your readers. Most readers don't comment, but some who do may have suggestions about warnings, or maybe you'll notice a trend in people disliking something that pops up in a certain chapter. Be open to these suggestions. Maybe it doesn't bother you, but it clearly bothers somebody else, and you should take that into consideration. And, when all else fails, use your best judgment.
Trigger warnings. When at all possible, I recommend always giving a heads up about these. Extreme gore may trigger vomiting or fainting in a person with a weak stomach. Suicide may spark ideas in a person struggling with suicidal ideation. Depiction of a rape may re-traumatize a former rape victim. I never thought about adding trigger warnings to my stories until I saw others doing it, because I've never read content that triggered me in that way (other than the weak stomach bit), and it may be the same for you. There's no shame in not doing something you didn't know about. But now that you know, please be kind and look out for your fellow readers.
Below is a list of trigger warnings and what I think are the most important content warnings I've collated from other writing platforms and personal experience. It is not an exhaustive list, and there's a lot of overlap. If you know of something I missed, let me know, and I'll add it here. As far as where to put these, I recommend posting them at the bottom of your blurb and again in an intro chapter. Some authors post warnings on individual chapters, too, which is a nice bonus.
Ableism ● Abortion ● Adult language ● Alcohol ● Alcoholism ● Amputation ● Animal butchering ● Animal cruelty ● Animal death ● Attempted rape ● Bigotry ● Blood ● Bodily waste ● Breastfeeding ● Bullying ● Cancer ● Cannibalism ● Cheating ● Child abuse ● Childbirth ● Cyberbullying ● Death ● Decapitation ● Depression ● Discrimination ● Domestic abuse ● Domestic violence ● Drug abuse ● Drug use ● Dubious consent ● Eating disorders ● Emotional abuse ● Explicit language ● Explicit sexual content ● Exploitation ● Extremism ● Fat shaming ● Gambling ● Gore ● Guns ● Hallucinations ● Homophobia ● Hostage situation ● Human trafficking ● Illicit drug use ● Infant death ● Infertility ● Kidnapping ● Loss of a loved one ● Marital abuse ● Marital rape ● Medical depictions ● Medical-related issues ● Mental illness ● Military conflict ● Miscarriage ● Misgendering ● Misogyny ● Monster sex ● Murder ● Needles ● Non-con ● Nudity ● Off-screen rape ● On-screen rape ● Paralysis ● Physical abuse ● Physical assault ● Politics ● Pregnancy ● Pregnancy-related issues ● Prescription drug abuse ● Prescription drug use ● Profane language ● Prostitution ● PTSD ● Racism ● Religion ● School shooting ● Seizures ● Self-harm ● Sexism ● Sexual abuse ● Sexual assault ● Sexual content ● Sexual innuendo ● Sexual references ● Slavery ● Slut shaming ● Smoking ● Stalking ● Statutory rape ● Suicide ● Swearing ● Terrorism ● Torture ● Verbal abuse ● Violence ● Violent death ● War ● Xenophobia
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