How to Write a Good Fanfic

10. Sensitive Subject Matter - The Importance of Not Mishandling

What is sensitive subject matter?

Sensitive subject touches upon real life issues which involve real life people. Some examples include...

- LGBT matters

- Sexism

- Racism

- Depression

- PTSD

- Abuse

- Rape

Why should a writer be careful regarding how they handle sensitive subject matter?

We shouldn't forget that these real-life issues involve real people who either have a direct connection to the issue or who personally knows someone with a direct connection.

Why should I care if I'm just writing for entertainment?

First, you're effectively saying that the real people involved are simply entertainment to you when you say that. Second, the writer is operating on the black and white concept that people either write for entertainment or they write for the sake of making people think. In reality writing is on a sliding scale between the two, but the best works are the ones which strike a balance between the two.

Why does it matter if the characters are fictional and thus not real?

I'm putting aside the fact RPF involves real people as this collection of essays is operating under the definition that fanfiction is specifically derivative works based on another person's work. The implications of these words imply that the characters aren't real in the universes they are from but also implies they don't have emotions, feelings let alone a personality. The writer who treats the characters as objects they can do anything with is the writer most likely to make the canon character OoC.

Shouldn't I get a pat on the back for simply tackling the subject?

No. You shouldn't even be tackling a sensitive subject matter if you haven't bothered to do your research in some compacity, yet this outright says a person should get a pat on the back for writing something which is offensive or has some really negative connotations. This in turn trivializes what a person went through. The fact you write about the subject doesn't make you supportive either.

Isn't the person who tells me that my story made them ill in the wrong?

While this may be the case when the writer isn't dealing with sensitive subject matter, this is not so when the writer is dealing with sensitive subject matter. I've read a wide variety of stories which mishandled the sensitive subject matter. I've read some where my mental response was "banging my head on the keyboard", but in other cases I've also read stories which have made me physically ill emotionally.

The best way to describe that feeling is it's very much like the feeling you get when you're watching the news and see a horrific event come on the news, but the fact the reader is wanting to let you know that is the way it made them feel is important, yet as someone who has told a few writers this I don't take saying this lightly.

Can you give an example?

Yeah. The one which has always stood out in my mind was the writer who wrote a Bleach fanfic where their OC was – because they were a female in the upper ranks of the Gotei Thirteen forced to become a breading instrument for the males in the upper ranks, yet every single male character she picked would have fought against the law as it was unjust and that's what the story should have really been about. For her, the situation was honestly just entertainment.

It's definitely not a story a writer wants to be remembered for either, so I'm quite thankful I was the only person to read that and that she took it down. Also, when I repeat the story people's response is typically WTF.

Why can't I tell people, "don't like, don't read"?

There is a major difference between telling someone "don't like slash, don't read" and "don't like how I handled the LGBT content, don't read". If you don't like getting negative comments regarding how you handle something then don't write that something, but don't pretend you're the victim here.

What if I didn't mean to?

That's actually okay. Use the call out as a learning experience and grow from there. If you're not wanting to edit the work at least add an author's note pointing out that admits you didn't know better but thank the person who pointed the issue out to you. However, if someone outright tells you that the work makes them physically ill emotionally you may want to delete the story, particularly if it breaks site rules.

Will everyone leaving a review or comment be right?

No. For example, there is in real life a prejudice against red-heads, but in one of my stories I had a character compare the prejudices faced by red-heads in England and in Japan and come to the personal conclusion that it is worse in Japan. Someone accused me of saying people weren't prejudiced against people in England.

How can I tell if someone is right?

The person will care more about the people the cause is about than the cause itself for starters. They won't take things out of context either. When you ask questions, they'll respond in a calm manner.

Why is LGBT in the category of sensitive subject matter?

I've actually had the chance to talk about slash fic with males who are sexually attracted to the same sex. The vast majority makes them uncomfortable, yet they feel majorly misrepresented by these stories. The reason comes down to the fact – despite thinking they're being supportive of the LGBT community – most writers instead are just fetishizing gay men.

I'm not saying here don't write slash, but I honestly feel if you are uncomfortable sharing your story with a male of that particular sexuality then something is definitely wrong, but worse I've tried calling people out on issues such as emasculating the characters and such and been called homophobic. It's why slash generally goes uncritiqued – people hate dealing with the rabid yaoi fangirls.