Triggers & Censorship

Triggers.

double trigger Since when did authors become responsible for the “sensibilities” of readers? Why are reviewers crucifying authors for not putting warning labels above and beyond “adult content, language, themes”?

med_gallery_1_4_5879 Why are authors frequently constrained to put extensive caveats about a book’s content on the product description page to warn off anyone who might become the slightest bit discomfited by a theme, a scene, a character?

outhouse-at-lake-bernard Why have innocuous terms (like “bio-break”) suddenly become hot topic bullet points around which to malign a book? {Used *once* as a colloquialism in a 71K word manuscript}

MentalHealth Since when does an author’s character have to conform to “mental health standards” as described and adhered to by a reviewer? Mind, this has nothing to do with the credibility or motivation of said character, but everything to do with that reviewer’s world view and the expectations that under condition X, all characters *should* behave like XYZ. To wit:

“If you believe communication is important, then (insert character name) should have…”

“No character should make that same mistake twice…”

Triggers. Is this the newest form of censorship?

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About Nya Rawlyns

Crossing boundaries, taking no prisoners. Write what’s in your soul. It’s the bass beat, the heartbeat, the lyrics rude and true. Nya Rawlyns is the pseudonym of a writer who cut her teeth on sports-themed romantic comedy and historical romances before finding her true calling in the wilderness areas she has visited but calls “home” in that place that counts the most: the heart. She has lived in the country and on a sailboat on the Chesapeake Bay, earned more than 1000 miles in competitive trail and endurance racing, taught Political Science to unwilling freshmen, and found an avocation in materials science. When she isn’t tending to her garden or the horses, the cats, or two pervert parakeets, she can be found day dreaming and listening to the voices in her head.

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One Response to Triggers & Censorship

mo883mpetersdesires says:

May 21, 2014 at 1:14 pm

One wonders what the puzzling review said, but then, on the other hand, I’m not sure I want to know/I bet I know most of it, just by reading this post. I don’t understand it, either. What happened to a time when people just thought, “ooh, this book isn’t for me” and simply said, “hey, it was well written, but it really wasn’t for me. But fans of “XYZ” will probably really like it.” Or, even better (since it stops the possibility of one or two star reviews writing like yours doesn’t ever deserve), whatever happened to just closing the book and reading another? Oh, because it was a purchase? So what? I can’t tell you how many books I’ve bought over the years, as recommended by others, that I hated. Whoops, guess it goes to Goodwill. It’s a few dollars; it didn’t break me. Jeeez. *hugs, tea and cookies*

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