hot takes

[dragonlady7]

thinking, on writing

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You sort of never know when you post a thing if it’s gonna get widely spread, so– I have begun to notice that if you have one thing that’s Going The Rounds, other things are more likely to be pushed into people’s radar as well, so either your old once-popular shit gets stirred back up or whatever latest thing you’ve said gets batted around. That is what it is, whatever, but.

The other thing I’ve noticed is that the notes on the widely-reblogged shit tend to get more and more emphatic. A thing that started out as a specific or in some way nuanced take on something is now getting all-caps summarized as Strongly One Thing in the tags.

The censorship post https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/bomberqueen17/681599615650447360, people have started getting yelly about how you must NEVER read things that make you uncomfortable, and that’s… ok I see how you got there but that was kind of the opposite of my point. If that was my point I would just choose not to warn on my shit, you know? I’d be like “if you got problems this ain’t for you”. Which is a valid way to conduct oneself, as an author, but is extremely not what I do and not what I was talking about.

No. I do all my summarize-in-the-tags, spoilery-warnings-at-the-end-with-specifics shit, to make the thing more accessible, to help earn the trust of a reader with reasons to be wary, so that they are more likely to be able get through it. It’s gentle handholding, where I can. It’s encouragement that I won’t hurt them for fun, or betray them with careless hurtful things. Because I do want to include as many people as I can.

And I think people should read things that make them a little uncomfortable, sometimes. I think people are better for it if they can push through fears and traumas and even just– disinclinations, and such, and stretch themselves a little. I work very hard, for example, to have the villains mostly be round characters, not flat caricatures, and a lot of times readers will be like, rooting for the villain to Get It, and in a couple more chapters I have a reveal planned to point out why the villain is like that, and it feels sort of icky to realize you’ve been wanting this person brutally murdered when they’re also a person. You know? It’s a very small needle eye to thread, and I’m certainly not trying to slap a reader down, but generally, in my stories, you’re not rewarded for leaping to judgement. Like once in a while I do have a True Villain who’s doing enough harm that it’s impossible not to want to just– make them stop doing that, by whatever means necessary– but mostly, I’m really not writing this for you to write lurid revenge fantasies in the comments, y’know? That’s not harm mitigation, my dudes.

But nobody should have to engage with content that tremendously upsets them. So the warnings there, they have to be accurate and have to be well-considered. That’s a lot of work. Which is why I was careful to point out that it’s not something one can really expect of all authors. And there’s gonna be stuff that just can’t be warned for.

My actual point was that while yes, my approach to making my work as accessible as possible means that it might lure a reader into attempting material that’s too much, actually, that doesn’t mean that I would go yet farther than that, and censor my material into a format that is safe for everyone, because primarily, that’s impossible. There is no universal safe space– an early commenter pointed this out, with service animals and their highly allergic mother. You can’t have a safe space both for people who need service dogs, and for a person severely allergic to dogs. You gotta pick one. I can’t write a story where all needs are accommodated either, and still tell the story I gotta tell. I didn’t even really get into that, but–

Part of what I try to do is tell complex and convincing stories, that deal with difficult topics, and it’s not possible to render that safe universally. The attempt is misguided. I do encourage people to attempt it, and will put on as many safety rails and clear signs as I can, but that’s as far as I can go. This is a fraught process. This requires me to work hard to build trust. This definitely means people will feel betrayed if they then still stumble– sometimes it’s worse, because if you hadn’t put the guardrails on they wouldn’t have attempted it, and so you feel really bad about it. But that’s why– and I went back, and was rereading some of my old stuff, and it turns out I had basically that exact rant from the censorship post appended to the beginning notes of one of my stories from like, ages earlier in the series– that’s why I keep trying to remind readers about it.

Just because the safety rails are there doesn’t mean it’s totally safe. I could have missed a spot. I can’t possibly know where all the trip hazards are going to be; I can do my best but I can’t get them all.

So even as I’ve earned your trust and convinced you to read this difficult story that may well yet be outside your comfort zone, I do need you not to go on autopilot and not to blindly trust. You have to retain some personal responsibility here, and understand that those warnings are important, and continue to take care of yourself.

Anyway, I just felt like I should say that. Do go outside your comfort zone, when you can! But also remember that’s a choice you’re making, and please be mindful that it’s still your choice, and understand it’s not guaranteed to turn out well. Check in with yourself and remember your safety is most important. You are the only one who can possibly accommodate yourself, and the onus of doing so has to remain on you.

Sure, I think you should go outside your comfort zone, but my opinion is just an opinion, and it’s got to be up to you. Don’t do it because I said so!!! But if you do, I’m trying to make it a little easier, that’s all. And I can’t guarantee it. (Your picture was not posted)