Shock Value Writing and “Trigger Warnings”
I gave out ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies), and a user took both Books 1 & 2 — then sent me a message saying she preferred not to review.
…Not that she didn’t like my writing. She was explicit about this. But it seems she didn’t want the book on her record of having reviewed on her accounts, since it contains a particular scene that she wasn’t 100% comfortable with.
I respect her decision, and thanked her for letting me know.
But now I’m wondering — should I have had a trigger warning? Or any “warning” at all?
Setting expectations for the reader
I’ve seen loads of writers literally stating in the blurb:
- “This has a brutal rape with a minor“
- “This has a graphic suicide“
- “This has a sexual scene with dubious consent“
There’s also the other side of the spectrum, where the blurb gives a reassurance:
- “This has no cheating!”
- “Guaranteed HEA!” (Happily Ever After)
…So other writers are doing it.
This is a totally brand new concept to the world of self-publishing and online sales.
To date, to my knowledge at least (fellow writers & readers, correct me if I’m wrong), I’ve never picked up a traditionally published book that gives a massive warning like that right on the cover.
And I understand that some readers prefer not to read certain things.
But I think I’ve been fair in creating the final book product. I’ve selected 18+ (mature audiences only), in the Amazon KDP back-end settings.
And I think I’ve been fair in packaging my series — the covers are NOT happy-go-lucky. It’s clearly NOT a romantic comedy. I’ve used grayscale for a reason.
I’ve set the expectation of adult content.
And I think I’ve been fair in my blurbs:
“…damaged bitch who became his power-woman sex-goddess wife” and “…the earth-shattering sex that will not be denied.”
“…a dangerous attraction for a less complicated man than the granite bastard she married” and “the question faced in one’s darkest hour: Can you trust yourself?”
Not to mention the overall series statement:
“A marriage is not a happy ending; it’s a beginning of so much more to come.”
And, within the first few pages (which can be read via the “Look Inside” preview on Amazon for “Climbing The Walls“), there’s sex and cursing. Enough sex and cursing to make the reader think — “Okay, maybe this isn’t for me…” and move on, if necessary.
In fact, something that someone *might* consider a “trigger warning required” moment is actually close to the front of “Pandora’s Poison” and can be read in the “Look Inside” preview!
So it’s clear (at least to me), with all of THAT I outlined, that this is the darker side of “romance”, and as a reader I would bear all of this in mind before I click to purchase.
Should a writer spoil the shock?
I did think about the “trigger warning” issue, and I did shop around for examples on writer groups before making my decision to NOT use any… so I did do my homework.
You see, the whole point of my entire Hart & Cole series is to get 100% invested in the characters, to LIVE their lives as if it’s happening to you.
That’s my writing style. It’s the FUNDAMENTAL part of my writing style.
Some readers have appreciated it. REALLY appreciated it.
My favourite Book 2 review (to date) even said:
Everything felt so so real.
It isn’t a storybook; it is a real life book where no matter what you have experienced in your life, you can actually feel the emotions seeping in, and that is what I’ve come to realize with this author.
When I pick her books up, I need to be prepared to face reality and feel the emotions because that’s what she gives me.
So when something shocking happens in the plot, I want the reader to be JUST as shocked as the character was.
For that to happen… I can’t have a trigger warning. I just can’t.
My muse doesn’t come with a trigger warning…
I’m sorry that my reviewer didn’t have a warning, and I appreciate that she shared her reasons with me instead of giving me a terrible review, or explicitly detailing the “shock” moment in the review and spoiling it for other readers.
That was AWESOME of her, and I do appreciate that.
And please note, I do carefully consider the plots of my novels, as I write.
My characters are not performing anything “shocking” for gratuitous purposes. It’s all essential to the plot, and even so I’m still ensuring that anything “shocking” has consequences.
I’ve read a LOT of books where there’s ZERO warning and ZERO retribution for deplorable acts.
I’ve had my own personal experiences, so now as a writer, I am as careful as I can be, about the “shock value” moments.
…But they still exist.
That’s the whole point.
You see… my muse doesn’t come with a trigger warning.
The “shock” moment, in my mind, was just as painful for me to write as it was for the reader to read.
Sometimes, I feel like I’m just the conduit to share my characters’ stories.
And, as that conduit… as that middle-man between the story and the reader… I’m sorry. I just can’t censor my characters. I’ve made it clear to expect adult content, but readers… I just can’t give you a giant, neon-sign heads-up as to the details on this content.
My goal as a writer is to make you feel.
…Even if, sometimes, what you feel is pain.
