This Ended Up Longer Than I Expected, So I Apologize In Advance If Any Of My Points Came Out Jumbled.
This ended up longer than I expected, so I apologize in advance if any of my points came out jumbled. I am also neurodivergent, so if I sound harsh, I assure you this is not my intent. I just struggle with tone at times.
Firstly, here's a thought I want to present to the table, one that's honestly made me grow a lot as a writer, and one that I think is relevant to this topic; why should readers read our works the way we want them to? Writing is a conversation, and though that conversation may begin with us, it certainly doesn't end that way. You may want to surprise your audience with this content, but shouldn't it be up to them whether they maintain that surprise or prepare for it? To you, the surprise is important and adds to the weight of the dark subject matters you cover. It might even be enjoyable and the way you view this content for yourself, but that will not always translate to your readers. Let's also not forget that, for some, a list of trigger warnings makes them more excited to read a work. In general, as writers, let's not forget how diverse our audiences can be, and that the reactions of our readers or what helps our readers feel more engaged will not always mirror our experiences.
Let me put this into another context. As someone who needs trigger warnings, I think this explains my experience rather well, and why I personally don't agree with the idea that trigger warnings ruin the surprise. It could also be argued that flashing lights and affects lose their surprise factor if they are warned about, but creators of visual media understand the risks of not warning viewers, and that this is more important than the surprise factor. As someone who isn't affected by flashing lights, I can assure you this warning leaves my mind almost the second after I read it (more of scan it like "yeah, yeah, take me to the game"), and I still end up surprised. The game Mi/side warning me about flashing and glitch affects did not stop me from nearly jumping out of my skin everytime I was suddenly met with one. The context is what makes these flashing lights so shocking moreso than whether someone knows about them ahead of time or not. Being suddenly triggered can make someone go to extremely dark places, and that's worth avoiding. Though I think how trigger warnings are presented can be more flexible than flashing light warnings.
In my opinion, at their best, trigger warnings are extra material readers can consult if they want to, but also something they can avoid if they want to go in completely blind. The important thing is that the audience member consented to either experience. Since I've used the word, let's discuss the matter of consent and art. I think it's often not discussed enough within creative spaces, despite how important it can be. In my opinion, it is everyone's right to have enough knowledge to be able to fully consent (engage with the work) or not consent (not engage with the work) to reading about certain sensitive subjects before being exposed to them. The thing is, when you're an indie creative, readers can't just use a site like doesthedogdie, or other similar tools. Providing optional trigger warnings can help readers have a better experience, as they are given more agency towards what they consume. Encouraging agency shows a respect for your readers time and energy. However, I do feel for writers that use websites like Wattpad, as, unlike AO3, there aren't many good places to put these warnings. So that's definitely worth acknowledging.
Secondly, as someone who had to deconstruct this notion within myself, I think it's worth acknowledging that trigger warnings are viewed as deflating the seriousness of something, or making something seem "childish", for two reasons (I know you only said the former, but the latter is an opinion I've seen as well). One, they are yet to be normalized, mainly for reason two. Two, the experiences of certain trauma victims are so terribly misunderstood that big parts of them are believed to be over exaggerated or "actually not that bad", which causes the tools we need to be treated as "not that important". I wish I was kidding when I say I have literally seen people laugh at accurate depictions of PTSD flashbacks, because they know so little about our experiences they think it's just a funny over exaggeration. I've even had some expect me to laugh with them before, because that " obviously can't be right".
Logically, there is no reason why trigger warnings should be seen as any different than a description or blurb about your story. For instance, writing an informative description about my horror works doesn't take away their scare factor, a description just requires me to put it into different packaging. It won't feel as poignant as the actual horrors within, but that's okay, because the point of a description is to intrigue and inform. They help future readers decide if they'd be interested in a work or not, and properly set their expectations walking in. They are a tool for drawing in audiences just as much as they are a tool for scaring away anyone who absolutely would not enjoy the experience.
And let me be clear, I personally believe it is impossible to warn against every possible trigger, as some triggers can be very personal or obscure. However, I do think it is important to offer a warning for the "obvious" triggers, such as the covering of sensitive topics like abuse. And yeah, I think trigger warnings can be that straight forward, such as "this work covers themes of abuse and may not be suitable for some audiences". You don't have to spoil the important parts of your works in trigger warnings, just make people aware certain content is there if they don't want to consume it. Us creators may overlook some things, as we're only human, but, for me personally, it's the effort that matters.
As for how bad being triggered by a work can be, I can speak to that, as someone who has been suddenly triggered before. It can ruin an entire week, sometimes more, and throughout I essentially have to deal with a plague of horrific memories, or experience several nightmares about my trauma. To summarize, it is extremely distressing and essentially makes me non operational. It feels like being put into a mental coma where the only thing you can have is nightmares, and when you eventually do wake up, you still understandably feel awful and extremely fatigued, emotionally and physically, from all the stress. I've literally been made bed ridden and physically ill from being triggered unexpectadly. I am now reminded of how little this experience is understood, and I am putting it into my latest writing project effective immediately. I do my best to make informed choices with the media I consume, but this recent trend I've noticed of surprising the audience as much as possible with sudden triggering content, these works often having no warnings whatsoever, makes it extremely difficult to do so. Because, you know, until that point, the work gave off the impression of not planning to cover that kind of content at all.
This got more wordy than I intended, and I apologize if my frustrations concerning the topic came through. My intent is to inform, not to ridicule, and I hope that was made clear, though I know my neurodivergent self can sometimes sound harsher than I intend. As a writer in the horror space, it can be rare to find another horror writer who uses trigger warnings, so I am usually wary towards reading their works. This can certainly make it harder to connect with fellow writers. And when I do try to read ones without warnings? Well, I am so prepared for anything to the point I end up focusing on that more than whatever I'm reading, and typically just end up dropping it altogether. So yeah, that's my experience, take it or leave it. At the end of the day, writers are free to add or not add trigger warnings, but, I personally strongly advocate for their use when it comes to sensitive subject matters. I will also always try to educate about how bad the experience of being triggered actually is whenever I am able.
Poll time!!
hihi, just posted a scene from a wip and figured i should add trigger warnings, but that made me curious so
my opinion about this may be a tad controversial, id prefer not add trigger warnings, but i do add them just out of understanding and to avoid triggering others.
all my WIPs include heavy themes, and i know that i will always be writing heavier angstier stuff, i dont like adding TWs on wattpad or wherever i publish my stuff because i feel like it takes away from the seriousness of my story. when youre going into it, i dont want you to know what to expect, i want you to be shocked and feel negatively about certain events or characters, and imo trigger warnings just take away from the shock value.
i will admit my privilige though, i have been through traumatic things but nothing that triggers me, so i dont understand how bad things could get for someone to be triggered about certain things in stories.
if you wanna discuss this or comments or reblogs please remain respectful, because this is a conversation i want to have and i want to be more educated on the topic of TWs, but i will not engage with things i deem as disrespectful.
More Posts from Moremysteries and Others
Ooo intriguing!
Happy storyteller saturday! What are you most looking forward to writing in your current WIP?
I think for Released, it's the moment Mallory loses it completely.
For Out of Sight and Mind, it's always going to be the moment Ari loses Edward.
For Neon Glow, it's probably the "oh shit, we're really in trouble now." moment.
Thanks for the ask! :D
Gorgeous! I loved it. Very vivid imagery.
There is a field in my head that never ends
It's filled with purple, pink, and blue flowers
that cushion me when I lay down to rest
Their petals take all of my weight
and save my skull from the ground
The sky above me is dark
then it's light
the change happens every time I close my eyes
AHHHH SHE'S SO CUTE! When she's off duty, can I huggle her?
I'm late, but happy worldbuilding wednesday! Any favorite animals who've created or modified for your story?
Happy World Building Friday it's a thing now it's fine!
YES
Thistle from Summoning Trouble! She's a moth dragon!
Shes so cute and I adore her! She's a medical alert/service dragon for David (he has a magical deficiency so she lets him know when he's low on magic). She's tiny but has a big personality (steals every scene she's in)
Thanks for the ask!
I did not know which blog to invite so I invited both, I hope that is okay. I am unsure how that invite thing works, so if for any reason it does not work, let me know, cause I think I can just send you a link too.
Hi peeps! As I work on Every Hero Needs a Villain, do y'all want me to make the community for it so you can see some funny behind the scenes stuff and potentially certain bios as I make them? You can also make suggestions for stuff there if you want. Trying to encourage myself to complete them.
Tag list: @aweirdshipp, @floofyboi57, @aralithmenathere
I know some people use Inkitt on here, so a heads up and why I no longer use Inkitt.
Each week (or so), we'll highlight the relevant (and sometimes rage-inducing) news adjacent to writing and freedom of expression. This week:
Inkitt’s AI-powered fiction factory
Inkitt started in the mid-2010s as a cozy platform where anyone could share their writing. Fast forward twenty twenty-fuckkkkk, and like most startups, it’s pivoted hard into AI-fueled content production with the soul of an algorithm.
Pictured: Inkitt preparing human-generated work for an AI-powered flume ride to The Unknown.
Here’s how it works: Inkitt monitors reader engagement with tracking software, then picks popular stories to publish on its premium app, Galatea. From there, stories can get spun into sequels, spinoffs, or adapted for GalateaTV… often with minimal author involvement. Authors get an undisclosed cut of revenue, but for most, it’s a fraction of what they’d earn with a traditional publisher (let alone self-publishing).
“'They prey on new writers who have no idea what they’re doing,' said the writer of one popular Galatea series."
Many, many authors have side-eyed or outright decried the platform as inherently predatory for years, due to nebulous payout promises. And much of the concern centers on contracts that don’t require authors’ consent for editorial changes or AI-generated “additions” to the original text.
Now, Inkitt has gone full DiSrUpTiOn, leaning heavily on generative AI to ghostwrite, edit, generate audiobook narration, and design covers, under the banner of “democratizing storytelling.” (AI? In my democratized storytelling platform? It’s more likely than you think.)
Pictured: Inkitt’s CEO looking at the most-read stories.
But Inkitt’s CEO doesn’t seem too concerned about what authors think: “His business model doesn’t need them.”
The company recently raised $37 million, with backers including former CEOs of Sony, Penguin, and HarperCollins, proving once again that publishing loves a disruptor… as long as it disrupts creatives, not capital. And more AI companies are mushrooming up to chase the same vision: “a vision of human-created art becoming the raw material for AI-powered, corporate-owned content-production machines—a scenario in which humans would play an ever-shrinking role.”
(Not to say we predicted this, but…)
Welcome to the creator-industrial complex.
Publishers to AI: Stop stealing our stuff (please?)
Major publishers—including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and Vox Media—have launched a "Support Responsible AI" campaign, urging the U.S. government to regulate AI's use of copyrighted content.
Like last month's campaigns by the Authors Guild and the UK's Society of Authors, there's a website where where you can (and should!) contact your representatives to say, “Hey, maybe stop letting billion-dollar tech giants strip-mine journalism.”
The campaign’s ads carry slogans like “Stop AI Theft” and “AI Steals From You Too” and call for legislation that would force AI companies to pay for the content they train on and clearly label AI-generated content with attribution. This follows lobbying by OpenAI and Google to make it legal to scrape and train on copyrighted material without consent.
The publishers assert they are not explicitly anti-AI, but advocate for a “fair” system that respects intellectual property and supports journalism.
But… awkward, The Washington Post—now owned by Jeff Bezos—has reportedly already struck a deal with OpenAI to license and summarize its content. So, mixed signals.
Still, as the campaign reminds us: “Stealing is un-American.”
(Unless it’s profitable.)
#WarForever
We at Ellipsus love a good meme-turned-megaproject. Back in January, the-app-formerly-known-as-Twitter user @lolt64 tweeted a cryptic line about "the frozen wastes of europa,” the earliest reference to the never-ending war on Jupiter’s icy moon.
A slew of bleak dispatches from weary, doomed soldiers entrenched on Europa’s ice fields snowballed (iceberged?) into a sprawling saga, yes-and-ing with fan art, vignettes, and memes under the hashtag #WarForever.
It’s not quite X’s answer to Goncharov: It turns out WarForever is some flavor of viral marketing for a tabletop RPG zine. But the internet ran with it anyway, with NASA playing the Scorcese of the stars.
In a digital hellworld increasingly dominated by AI slopification, data harvesting, and “content at scale,” projects like WarForever are a blessed reminder that creativity—actual, human creativity—perseveres.
Even on a frozen moon. Even here.
Let us know if you find something other writers should know about, (or join our Discord and share it there!)
- The Ellipsus Team xo
Dragons can absolutely count! And honestly, I can relate to your love for them. There's just so much you can do with dragons, from elemental designs, to just playing around with the wing and tail design, etc. They're just so cool and versitile!
And by ponies I assume you mean things like unicorns and pegasus?
I'm late, but happy worldbuilding wednesday! Any favorite animals who've created or modified for your story?
Thanks for the ask! Also late, haha.
I've created creatures inspired from various animals. Now... favorites? Hmm... Do dragons count? I only have: a anime typical half-jaguar oc; a raccoon skull in the design of a giant; dragons, dragon people, dragonborn, dragon inspired designs, original fantasy dragons, etc.
*None of the real life examples above appear in a WIP I'm currently working on.
My favorite animals are black jaguars, dogs, corvids, raccoons, cats and blue whales.
My top favorite fantastical creatures are: dragons (the broad, ineffable definition) and ponies.
As someone who tries to present explicit showcases of abuse, this attitude also seriously frustrates me. There's this attitude that, if you don't tip toe around it, then you are immoral. Like, I know for certain some people are going to read Infernal Serenade and come away with the brain dead take away that I condone SA and incest, completely overlooking the fact this all happens within a literal cult. Like yes, it is supposed to be deeply uncomfortable and make you hate the cult. The cult is commentary on the sexual abuse within the fanatical side of Catholicism.
As someone who also loves The Great Gatsby, I also hate that people completely overlook the entire point of that book, which was to show just how corrupt rich people are. Like yes, Gatsby is supposed to suck, Tom is supposed to suck, Daisy is supposed to suck, etc. Hell, even Nick sucks because he just goes along with everything, and this is the point. Framing is everything, and I am tired of the framing of stories constantly being ignored.
I love this so much, they sound so sweet together.
It lives in my head rent free that Ari tells Edward no because he feels like things are too fast and it's scaring him. And Edward isn't angry, he isn't upset. He goes okay can we cuddle I loved it when you cuddled me. And Ari is like YES i would like to cuddle actually.
And like from then on Ari gets so much firmer and more articulate when he's upset and uncomfortable because Edward is there and Edward has his back and isn't going to be angry at him for asserting the things he needs.
COPPER HOME RELEASED
Itch.io Exclusive. Minimum Price: $1.00 | Suggested: $2.00 *All sales will be reinvested both in my University Tax and into my Self-Publishing Fund. Huge thanks in advance for viewing or buying and downloading the Copper Home PDF file!
IF YOU RUN INTO ANY ISSUES, PLEASE NOTIFY ME, PLEASE.
And here's a Funfact on this project:
Only Text Version At My KO-FI Shop, Priced: $0.22
![Copper Home [Text Only] - S.K Elena's Ko-fi Shop](https://64.media.tumblr.com/1d2f6ce51b14f023c947821af8990beb/3f8ed32f20482969-69/s500x750/cd0e25fcf9e99c9f7626bea65c33b5fe021244d8.png)
Also! If the price page gives you trouble changing the suggested price to the minimum: delete until it shows $0.00, write $0.001000 and backspace, then enter to move on to the next page /or/:
tagging a bunch of folks (no pressure to interact): @moremysteriesthantragedies , @pluttskutt , @druidx , @cheerfulmelancholies , @talesofsorrowandofruin , @ettawritesnstudies , @faelanvance , @dustylovelyrun ,
@deerwright , @aalinaaaaaa , @chauceryfairytales , @surroundedbypearls , @soupy8lowfish , @misswriteress
-
enlightenedfeline reblogged this · 3 weeks ago -
eon-tries liked this · 4 weeks ago -
notamethyst26 liked this · 1 month ago -
ieppiq liked this · 1 month ago -
storyteller-kara liked this · 1 month ago -
moremysteries reblogged this · 1 month ago -
eurosstuffz liked this · 1 month ago -
fhteehj liked this · 1 month ago -
brennabunnie liked this · 1 month ago -
joyfulmoon-ao3 reblogged this · 1 month ago -
joyfulmoon-ao3 liked this · 1 month ago
-
letterboxd-in liked this · 1 month ago -
kitkins13 reblogged this · 1 month ago -
kitkins13 reblogged this · 1 month ago
-
kitkins13 reblogged this · 1 month ago
-
ariswritingblog liked this · 1 month ago -
soupdrinkinglincoln liked this · 1 month ago -
enlightenedfeline reblogged this · 1 month ago
18+ • System • Host: Essie • Horror Mystery Writers • I curate my space and so should you • Anti AI • Read pinned for more info
210 posts